Earth-like Supper Part II

 

It's Earth Month and I have an Earth-like Supper for you. 

I got the recipe for this quinoa bake many, many years ago from my dear colleague Andrea when we were working together at IRC. She gifted me a pack of red quinoa from the U.S. and it was my first time being introduced to the South American seed (widely thought of as grain because it cooks like grain). 

I have since made this quinoa bake (and also this savory quinoa cake) countless times in countless variations, both vegetarian and vegan, and not once has it failed to deliver. 

Pairing the bakes and cakes with something moist like avocado (or roasted red peppers) is key. And adding roasted squash brings a sweet and flower'y dimension to this Earth-like Supper. 

Happy Earth Month, humans. 

PS. Here is Earth-like Supper Part I. 

PPS. Torontonians, here are meaningful ways you can act this month (and beyond) to care for our planet. And here is Toronto Public Library's long-running Our Fragile Planet program with free educational events throughout the year. Everyone else, how might these ideas inspire you to act in your corner of the world? 

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Feeds 6 to 8 as a side dish

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup quinoa (no quinoa? try subbing with lentils and adding 1/4 cup of chopped nuts for crunchiness)

1 cup water 

1 large bunch (about 150g) spinach, washed 

1/2 of a small cabbage, green or red, thinly sliced 

2 medium-sized yellow onions, thinly sliced 

1/2 cup feta cheese (or other soft cheeses like mozzarella or cottage cheese) 

2 large eggs 

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried dill) (optional) 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil, divided (no coconut oil? sub with olive oil)

Sea salt to taste

For serving: 

- A handful of raw baby spinach and half of a medium-sized avocado, dressed with sea salt, a squeeze of a quartered lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 

- Oven-roasted squash

Creative Steps: 

First prepare the quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a pot and bring to a boil and then simmer until all the water is absorbed (just like cooking rice). Next prepare the greens. In a pan over medium heat, cook the cabbage in splashes of water for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it's wilted but still retains some texture. Add the spinach and wilt for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer greens to a colander and strain to remove excess water. Transfer to a cutting board and chop roughly into small pieces. In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté onions over medium to low heat for about 10 minutes, or until caramelized. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked quinoa, wilted greens, sautéed onions, cheese, eggs, dill and a couple of pinches of salt; combine well. Coat an oven-proof casserole with 1 tbsp of coconut oil and then transfer the quinoa mixture into the casserole using a spatula to spread evenly. Bake in the middle rack of the oven at 350 degree F for 20 minutes. Drop in the remaining 1 tbsp of coconut oil and use a brush to coat the top layer; bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top layer gets crispy. Enjoy with a side of avo salad and roasted squash. 

Winter Solstice Cookies

 

The genius of the typical Ethiopian cuisine is this: it has no dessert. 

Instead, you find the sweetness in the main dish itself. The Ethiopian spice blends - maqulaya and especially mekelesha - are concocted such that they exude sweetness only by virtue of their ingredients and, more importantly, the proportion of their ingredients. Maqulaya which translates to "for sauteing" and mekelesha which corresponds to "for simmering or for finishing" are both essential spice blends for making Ethiopian stews, and together with berbere, the Ethiopian chili blend, they render the distinctive taste and aroma in Ethiopian dishes. 

Qulet - Ethiopia's curry - is the starting point of any Ethiopian stew and typically includes onions, garlic and ginger and sometimes tomatoes, all sauteed with maqulaya and for a hot, spicier version also with berbere. Tomatoes - a fruit, not a veg - make things sweeter. And a concentration of alliums always means umami. 

Injera, the Ethiopian sourdough flatbread is tart, and as far as my experience goes, tarter than other sourdough breads. This over-tartness is then beautifully complimented by the savory, umami and spicy stews with a clear undertone of sweetness. 

And when you bring in bitter things like sinafich and siljo and such into the mix, you hit the full spectrum of tastes: sour, salty, sweet, bitter, umami and spicy. And this...is a satisfying experience to the sense of taste (and perhaps more broadly to the digestive system). And this...is the genius of the Ethiopian cuisine. 

But this post has nothing to do with the Ethiopian cuisine. It has to do with...cookies. 

Except perhaps that the main ingredient in the cookies is teff, the high protein, high fiber, gluten-free grain indigenous to Ethiopia and Eritrea and which is used to make the aforementioned injera. 

The teff does make a difference. Together with the other wholesome ingredients, these are nutritious crunchy bites masquerading as cookies. 

Sweet Winter, fellow northerners. 

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Recipe from the Ontario Vipassana Centre 

PS. The original recipe called for xantham gum and margarine which I subbed with tapioca flour and coconut oil respectively, both of which worked nicely. Also reduced the sugar from 1 1/4 cup to just 3/4 cup which worked well for my taste; for a sweeter version, go with 1 cup or the original recipe. 

PPS. This cookie is vegan. 

PPPS. If you're having Ethiopian on the regular, carry on. Whatever your diet, you may want to heed this advice we're getting these days about the order in which we ought to consume our food...

Makes 35 to 40 cookies (if you don't have a big party, best to freeze half to bake at another time) 

Ingredients: 

3 cups teff flour 

1 & 1/2 cups thinly shredded coconut 

2 tsp tapioca flour 

2 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp sea salt 

3/4 cup demerara sugar (or coconut sugar or brown sugar or whatever sugar you have on hand) 

1 & 1/3 cups dark chocolate chunks, 70% cacao (for an elevated experience, buy your fav dark chocolate and chop into chunks) 

1 & 1/3 cups virgin coconut oil (in a semi-solid state or having a margarine-like texture; cool in the fridge if needed to get the desired texture; this is important to get the right dough consistency) 

1 cup water (for mixing dry ingredients) 

5 tbsp ground flaxseeds 

5 tbsp water (for making flaxseed paste) 

Creative steps: 

First, make the flaxseed paste. In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseeds with water to make a paste and put aside. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add coconut oil, flaxseed paste and water and then mix thoroughly. Roll dough with hands into a ping pong-sized ball and flatten gently. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degree F for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are baked through and the aroma in the room causes a near swoon. En...joy.