Quinoa, Flakes, Flour & Seeds

Quinoa, Flakes, Flour & Seeds

"I am often asked where the inspiration comes from for the recipes in my books. I am usually automatically on 'new recipe' mode and I am forever jotting down ideas…I can honestly say that I have tasted and eaten every recipe from front cover to back in each book and many times over". – Rena Patten

Quinoa is called a superfood and rightly so, it is very high in protein, full of vitamins and low in carbohydrates. Usually organic, it is versatile and simply delicious.

Quinoa: Flakes, Flour & Seeds showcases the many ways this superfood can be eaten and enjoyed by everyone including those who are gluten or wheat intolerant. It goes well with any dish adding texture and taste to salads and soups, vegetarian and non–vegetarian meals and making sweets not only more delicious, but more nutritious at the same time.

This exciting collection of quinoa recipes"for breakfasts, snacks, lunches, dinners, desserts and treats"is a must-have for every health conscious cook.

Rena Patten has written numerous cookbooks about superfoods including many about quinoa. She adds to her impressive list of publications with this definitive book on how to cook with various forms of quinoa to make meals – vegetarian and non-vegetarian-as well as deserts, sweets and treats. With over 30 years experience as a cooking demonstrator and recipe developer, her latest book will surely find its way into the kitchens of health-conscious cooks everywhere. Previous publications by Rena include Cooking with Quinoa, Quinoa for Families, Everyday Quinoa, Superfoods, Mezze, Best of Quinoa, Cooking with Kale and Superfoods for Kids.

Quinoa, Flakes, Flour & Seeds
New Holland Publishers
Author: Rena Patten
RRP: $35

Festive Mango and Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients
125 g (4 oz) quinoa, rinsed and drained
320 ml (11 fl oz) water
2 mangoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into chunks
½ red bell pepper (capsicum), cut into small chunks
½ yellow bell pepper (capsicum), cut into small chunks
½ orange bell pepper (capsicum), cut into small chunks
4 scallions (spring onions), sliced

1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 large pomegranate
basil leaves, for garnish

Dressing
juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, finely grated
1 tablespoon horseradish cream
2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Add quinoa to a small saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Cool completely.
Combine quinoa in a bowl with the mangoes, cucumbers, capsicums, shallots and basil leaves.
Cut the pomegranate in half and, with back of a wooden spoon, bash most of the fruit and any juices straight out of both halves into the bowl with other ingredients. Reserve some of the fruit to use as garnish.
Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Toss well and garnish with extra basil leaves and reserved pomegranate seeds.
You can make this salad a meal on its own by adding cooked chicken or shrimp (prawns)"really delicious.

Risotto-Style Quinoa with Olives, Tomatoes and Haloumi

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely grated 60 g (2 oz) sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 x 400 g (14 oz) tin diced tomatoes, undrained
200 g (7 oz) quinoa, rinsed and drained
500 ml (16 fl oz) hot vegetable stock
freshly ground black pepper
125 g (4 oz) kalamata olives, pitted and halved
3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
extra virgin olive oil, extra
90 g (3 oz) haloumi cheese, coarsely grated
60 g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to garnish

Method
Add oil and butter to a large saucepan on medium heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Stir in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and oregano and cook for about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, quinoa and stock. Season with pepper to taste"no need to season with salt as there are ingredients in this dish that are quite salty including the olives and cheese.
Stir well. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until all the stock is almost absorbed. If you think of it"and only if you think of it" give the pot a stir once or twice.
Stir in the olives and cook for another 5 minutes then stir in the parsley, a good drizzle of olive oil, haloumi and Parmesan cheese.
Remove from the heat and leave to stand for about 5 minutes until the quinoa is soft and creamy.
Serve with parsley and a little more Parmesan sprinkled over.
Note: This is one of my favorite ways to have quinoa. It is simply delicious and, unlike with risotto, the stock is added at once and you don't have to stir constantly.

Quinoa, Flakes, Flour & Seeds

New Holland Publishers
Author: Rena Patten
RRP: $35