Creamy Quinoa with Dried Cranberries

Caution: The breakfast above is hotter than it looks!!

I burnt the inside top of my mouth like nobodies business with my first bite. Admittedly, it was a bite while it was still in the pot, so it was my own silly fault. Take it from me, blow on it first. :)

Now, I didn't have maple sugar, so I used brown and a squirt of maple syrup. I also didn't have soy milk, so I used skim. (Between making it and having leftovers, though, I'd picked up some soy milk - and the leftovers were amazing with some poured on top.)

Earthy. Sweet. Wholesome = three words I use to describe this. "Tastes like camping" is what my husband said. I don't know what that means, but I hope it was a compliment. We are very much bacon and eggs for breakfast people, so this quinoa was a nice change. The dried cranberries plump up and the nuts are a nice contrast, both in flavor and texture. Maybe not the best choice for a summer breakfast, but believe you me, I'll be pulling this recipe out come Fall.

Creamy Quinoa with Dried Cranberries
c/o Vegetarian Times Magazine

Serves 4.

1 ½ cups vanilla soymilk, plus more for serving
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
½ cup dried cranberries
2 Tbs. maple sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground allspice or cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted, for sprinkling

Bring soymilk, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in quinoa and cranberries, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and grains are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in maple sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Serve warm, topped with more soymilk and pecans.

Per 1-cup serving: 362 calories, 10 g protein, 15 g total fat, 50 g carbs, 0 mg cholesterol, 185 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 17 g sugars

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Heidi's Caramelized Tofu Recipe

I made this back in February, but it would make a really nice Spring-time dinner. I actually made it within days of Heidi's posting about it, but because of that, I didn't want to chat about it while it was still fresh on her blog... and then it sat there and sat there... waiting patiently.

For those of you that shudder at the idea of tofu or Brussels sprouts, those that are quaking at the idea of both these ingredients together in one dinner, I beg you - suspend your disbelief and give this a try. The tofu-steaks are flavored nicely by the garlic, pecans and sugar, and the quick saute of the sprouts leaves them bright and crisp-tender. I promise you will not be disappointed.

I had great fun preparing this dinner. Not only was I able to break out my v-slicer to shred my sprouts, but I only dirtied up one pan during the cooking process! Sweet! The nice thing about the thinly sliced sprouts is that they don't need long in the pan to be cooked-through and caramelized. Only a few minutes to golden-up in parts, and you're good to go. Quick, easy, nutritious.

The varying textures were really nice, too. The soft-but-not-squishy tofu with the the crunch of the pecans atop the tender-but-not-squidgy sprouts... no uniform bites here! Try this. You'll like it.

Caramelized Tofu Recipe
c/o Heidi at 101 Cookbooks
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/caramelized-tofu-recipe.html

7 - 8 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into thin 1-inch segments (see photo)
a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
a couple splashes of olive or peanut oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons

Cook the tofu strips in large hot skillet (or pot) with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook for another minute. Stir in sugar. Cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Scrape the tofu out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussels sprouts.

In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious.

Serves 2 - 3 as a main, 4 as a side

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