Shirmp & Veggie Stir Fry over Quinoa

IN THE KITCHEN today we are making another fasting recipe. As I've said before in past posts, I've been working hard to get some summery non-soup recipes in my line up. This is one I just came up with and we all seemed to enjoy it.

Since not everyone in my house likes quinoa, I also made steamed rice to accompany our stir fry. If you are not familiar with cooking quinoa, don't let it intimidate you. It's so easy and quick, if you and your family like it, it will soon become a staple. Quinoa, pronounced /keen:wa/, is actually cereal and not a grain, like most people think. It is extremely healthy and one of few foods that is a complete protein in itself. Many folks are concerned about their low intake of protein during the fast and I have to say if you like quinoa at all, it's your best choice! It's very versatile and I use it in place of rice all the time. It really picks up any flavors you add to it, since it has such a mild flavor of its own.


For today's dish, I used 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. I usually rinse my quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and then toss it into a dry frying pan. I saute it for a good minute or two and then add boiling or hot water. I usually add my seasonings at this time. For this dish I added about 1 tsp of Mushroom Ultimate Seasoning. Once the water and seasoning are in, I stir to make sure it's evenly dispersed and then cover the pan and reduce to a simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes then fluff with a folk. Done!

Next I took the shrimp and whatever veggies I had on hand. For today's dish I used 1 medium onion, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 2 cups broccoli florets, 1 red bell pepper. I also cleaned my shrimp by taking off the tails and sprinkling with salt, just a pinch or two. I mix the salt into the shrimp and then gave them a good rinse. The salt helps to kill any bacteria that may have developed during the thawing process.

I also saute my veggies in stages since not all veggies have the same cooking time. First I cook my onions. Once they are soft I add my mushrooms, then brocolli and then peppers last. Since the shrimp just take a minute or so I add them last. During the sauting of the veggies. I added about 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce I had on had and as things began to get to dry I added a splash or two of water. Once the shrimp are lightly pink you're done!

Enjoy!

Here's a recap of your ingredient list:

1 cup quinoa                                  2 cups water or stock
1 tsp seasoning

1 lb raw shrimp                             1 medium onion sliced thin
1 cup mushrooms sliced                2 cups brocolli florets
1 red bell pepper sliced                  1/4 or to taste teriyaki sauce

Summery Fasting Meal...

IN THE KITCHEN TODAY we made a wonderful couscous salad. Sometimes during the fast it's easy to get in a rut of soup and bread. I know some folks that eat pb & j all during the fast, but I'm sorry I just can't do that. During the cooler weather soup is my easy go to dinner, but during the summer on a hot day, who wants to each HOT soup?? Not me!

So the other day when I was at Costco I noticed that they now carry the Israeli Couscous. If you're not familiar with couscous it comes in two difference forms. Normal couscous is semolina that is sprinkled with water and rolled to form small pellets. It is then sprinkled with dry flour to keep them separate, and then sieved. Pellets which are too small to be finished granules of couscous and fall through the sieve will be again rolled and sprinkled with dry semolina and rolled into pellets. This process continues until all the semolina has been formed into tiny granules of couscous. Israeli couscous on the other hand is an Israeli toasted pasta shaped like rice or little balls. It is much larger and has a softer texture. Both varieties cook up fast (about 20 minutes) and are a great substitute for rice.

The product that Costco now carries is a blend of mainly Israeli couscous, but also includes some lentils and orzo. It makes a really nice hardy salad for a hot day!

First I made one batch of couscous, following the directions on the package. Then as that cooled I chopped up veggies, added some sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives and about two teaspoons of dried basil. Since we are not "strictly" following the fast I did also add a bit of feta cheese, but you could certainly leave that out. Then just toss and serve. I didn't really think it needed a "dressing", but if you wanted you could make up a dressing of lemon juice, a dash of vinegar and veggie or coconut oil and I'm sure it would be great too!

Some lovely pita bread, homemade hummus and fresh cantaloupe rounded out our meal! It turned out really well and everyone just gobbled it down. Let me know if you give it a try.

A blessed feast of  the 7 Holy Youths "Seven Sleepers" of Ephesus!

Troparion - Tone 4  Your holy martyrs, O Lord, Through their sufferings have received their incorruptible crowns from You, our God. For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries, And shattered the powerless boldness of demons. Through their intercessions, save our souls! Kontakion - Tone 4 Those who renounced the perishing comforts of this world, Preferring the eternal things of Heaven, Were incorrupt after death and rose from the the dead And buried the snares of devils! O Faithful, let us then honor them, singing a hymn of praise to Christ!

Spicy Lentils...

TODAY IN THE KITCHEN we have another fasting recipe. I know many folks have a problem with lentils and legumes, but I think if you introduce them slowly into your diet your body can get used to the amount of fiber. I think often times we don't eat enough fiber and then we get to the fast and our body is just not used to the amount of fiber in the fasting diet.

This one that my family enjoys and works during the summer and winter. It's pretty quick and easy and very tasty. I'm sure there are probably as many "dahl" recipes as there are people, but this is mine.

I begin with all my veggies and spices and prepare them to make things easy. While I'm making the lentils I am cooking rice in my rice cooker. In a medium to large sauce pan I put about two table spoons of veggie oil. Just as that's heating I add in the mustard seeds. As they start to flutter I add the onion and saute for a few minutes on medium high heat, then add the garlic, jalapenos, ginger, and spices. (NOTE: be sure not to heat the mustard seeds too much or you'll have them popping out of the pan like popcorn and when they hit you they burn!! I found this out the hard way! So be ready with the other ingredients to prevent this.)

Once I get everything in I saute it all a few minutes so it comes together. Then I add one 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes. Then I add my red lentils and 4 or 5 cups of water. I say red lentils because I find I don't have to soak them before and they cook quickly. Once this starts to simmer put a lid on and turn it down medium/low heat, on my stove that's between 2 and 3. Be sure to check it every so often as the lentils can tend to stick. Add water as needed. You want to keep water covering the lentil mixture until they begin to get tender.

Once the lentils are tender you're in business! I serve this over rice with a bit of cilantro as a garnish. Yum!

The Recipe
1 med onion chopped                                  1 med jalapeno chopped
2 Tbsp minced ginger                                  2 med cloves of garlic minced
1 Tbsp whole mustard seeds                         salt to taste
1 Tbsp ground coriander                              1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 16 oz can chopped tomatoes w/liquid
2  cups red lentils, rinsed                               4 to 5 cups of water
chopped cilantro for garnish       

TIP OF THE DAY: Storing fresh ginger to last! Do you ever buy a piece of ginger root and before you know it, it's shriveled up and really not usable. Well, if you get a mason jar peel your ginger and place it in the jar and fill with vodka, yes vodka! It will stay fresh forever and you'll never be out of fresh ginger again!!                                        

In the Kitchen...

I'M ALWAYS LOOKING for fasting recipes for the summer fasts. The fasts of Great Lent and Nativity are usually in a cooler time of year, so soups and bread are a great staple. However during the Apostle's Fast (which we're in now) and the Dormition Fast coming up, the weather is such that I, for one, don't appreciate a hot soup. For that reason I tend to do a lot of stir fries, but my families most favorite is Yaki Soba noodles.

This is such a quick fix and everyone loves it. Especially on a hot day. I begin with onions, garlic and whatever veggies my family likes.

I stir fry them beginning with the onions and garlic then adding the veggies that cook the longest first (like the carrots and broccoli). Then the others until they are all in. I season with our favorite stir fry sauce.

Because I don't have a large enough pan to do all the veggies and noodles at the same time, I transfer most of the veggies to a serving dish and then stir fry the noodles with some of the veggies and add more sauce. Then when things are cooked through I transfer everything to the veggies I put aside on the serving dish and mix thoroughly. Yum!!

Enjoy your day!!