Red Quinoa Bread

Stephen and I are in love with red quinoa. We've been eating it with every meal -- and when we had the opportunity to get some more this weekend (we can't find it where we live, so we had to trek to Greenstar in Ithaca, NY) . . . we stocked up on it. Big time. In fact, we have so much, we hardly know what to do with it all.


But then I got the idea to make (protein-packed) bread with it. After all, we've been buying far less bread during our grocery trips -- we thought it might be nice to have some around for a change. You may wonder -- why RED quinoa versus white? There's really no different in the nutrition. It's just flavor. Red quinoa has an earthier flavor, I guess is the best way to describe it. So, if you're not a fan, just use your favorite of the two grains in the bread (there's also black quinoa, but I've never seen it in stores).


I also wanted to create a recipe that could use some of the premium agave nectar the kind folks at Xagave sent me to take for a spin. Though I didn't use it in a raw recipe, the agave is both raw and organic (produced at a temperature less than 118F). Now, I know we've had some discussions on the blog about whether or not agave is a good way to go. If you're interested in checking out more -- the "truth" about agave, check out this page for more information.


They even put a handy chart on their bottles with exchange information for cooking, baking, etc. -- as well as how many calories you're saving in the switch. I think that's kind of cool.


RED QUINOA BREAD

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup raw quinoa (we used red quinoa, but any kind will do)
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup water, wrist temperature
• 1/3 cup agave nectar (again, we used Xagave)
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil (or canola)
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 2 cups unbleached white bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method . . .

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 cups of water with the red quinoa. Cook over medium to high heat -- stirring as necessary -- for between 10 and 15 minutes. It's "done" when all the water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
2. Whisk together your 3/4 cup warm water with the yeast (I did this in the bowl of an electric mixer). Let sit until frothy -- about 5 minutes.
3. Add the agave, oil, flax meal, and mustard to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
4. Using a dough hook, stir in 1 cup of the unbleached white bread flour. Add the salt, too.
5. Now add the quinoa and walnuts. Continue stirring until well combined.
6. Now add the whole wheat bread flour and the other cup of the white bread flour. Continue mixing with your dough hook for about 5 minutes. You may wish to just knead yourself on a lightly floured work surface.
7. Dough is "ready" when it is smooth and elastic. So work in more flour if it's sticky. Add water if it's dry.
8. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel for 2 hours -- until doubled in bulk.
9. Then oil a large loaf pan. Shape the dough into an oval, smoothing the top, and place inside the pan. Cover with your plastic wrap and let rise again for 1 hour.
10. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a pie pan with an inch or so of water in it at the bottom of your oven when you're ready to place your loaf inside.
11. Bake for 30 minutes -- routinely checking to see if the top is browning too much -- and then cover with tin foil and bake for another 15 (or so) minutes until the loaf is done.
12. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes . . . and then remove to let cool completely on a wire rack.

Bread should stay fresh for up to 4 days if sealed in an air-tight container (we put ours in a freezer bag and popped it into the fridge. Top with anything you like. The mustard makes the bread better for more savory toppings -- and we absolutely heart this red pepper jelly (thanks for telling us about it, Nancy!).



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Another Powerhouse Smoothie

Another cold one here in upstate NY. But that doesn't mean I'm not enjoying my morning smoothies. This one is just too good to save up for another day (I wanted to give a bit more variety for my morning post, but I'm thrilled about how awesome this tastes). What's in it? Strawberry, banana, coconut, cocoa, agave, flax meal, and soy milk. It's difficult to explain the flavor . . . the cocoa prevails, but in a very I'm-drinking-a-healthy-smoothie-as-part-of-my-healthy-day kind of way.

Quick note on the "detox" we have going on up in here. Stephen and I both took the same food to work yesterday: 4 large crackers, 1/4 cup homemade hummus (recipe to be shared in the coming days), 1 avocado, 2 brown rice cakes, apple, orange, and 2 energy chunks. We have divided everything into containers for each day of the week . . . to make the whole thing grab and go . . . and eating all that healthy stuff at work really curbed our hunger. I didn't find myself scraping together nickles and dimes for a trip to the vending machine (or wall of shame, as I like to call it). Stephen's coworkers were impressed with our cooking skills. And we both reported sustained levels of energy throughout the day.

Enough for me to join Stephen on his 4-miler after work yesterday. And I don't even usually run on Mondays! AND! Speaking of running, apparently my time at Saturday's 10k was faster than I expected. The results are in, and I finished in 49:03, not 50:20. Hooray!

Enough about us. Let's get you going with this smoothie recipe . . .



What you'll need . . . (for two smoothies or one really big smoothie)

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 2 tablespoons coconut flakes (unsweetened)
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 squirt agave (to sweeten, this is optional)

Method . . .

1. Throw everything in your blender.
2. And blend.
3. And pour.
4. Enjoy!

Now, here's something new: the RECIPE FINDER. You'll have to bear with me while I get it up and running . . . but it's an easier way to search for recipes on this site. Visually! In the coming days, you should be able to find all recipes that I've posted . . . divided into categories breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and vegan. I may even add a special detox category. Not sure yet.

I'd love to know what you think about it -- good, bad, unnecessary . . . just let me know :)

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Adventures with Agave -- Vegan Chocolate Chippers

From the METHOD archives . . . Eating better means more adventures in my baking -- and, yes, these cookies are actually BAKED, not raw. So, I've decided to continue this trend with agave nectar (as you may have noticed -- it's in the "nutella" balls and coconut & carob cookies), which, if you're unfamiliar, is very much like honey except that it's a liquid-y sweetener derived from a plant. Therefore, vegan. The result of my experimentation was great -- the cookies turned out very well . . . and not TOO sweet, which is just how we like 'em here at the (never home)maker household.

Anyway, that's really all I have time for this afternoon, but I hope y'all enjoy this super chocolate chip cookie recipe! And since it's so cold outside, why not bake and go read some blogs @ the Blog Love Fest!

AGAVE-SWEETENED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup agave nectar (you can find it in the organic foods section of most grocery stores)
• 1/4 cup Sugar in the Raw
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk substitute of your choice (and I bet water works, too -- and, mmm, maybe coconut milk!)
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup hazelnut flour
• 1/2 cup instant oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Vegan chocolate chips (or carob)
• Sliced almonds

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Either grease two baking sheets -- or line them with parchment.
2. Combine the agave nectar, sugar, oil, milk sub., and corn starch in the bowl of an electric mixer . . . speed on medium for two minutes. This part is important -- you want to fully combine these ingredients because they ensure the integrity of the cookie -- how it holds together.
3. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt -- mix until well combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips and almond slices.
6. Spoon 1-inch balls onto baking sheets and bake for between 7-10 minutes. Cookies are done when the edges are JUST browned, like in the photo above.

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Vegan, Gluten-Free "Nutella" Balls

Ah, good morning. I'm not too thrilled to be going back to work today. Not as much because it means I'll be at work, but more because I don't want to go outside. Brrr! You may notice I didn't title this post with the word DETOX in all caps. However, I'm still on it. Yesterday, in fact, was one of my best days yet! This doesn't mean I'm not eating amazing sweets, though.

Today's recipe happened by mistake. I was trying to figure out how to make my own vegan Nutella (as you'll remember, I'm quite fond of the stuff -- even made Nutella ice cream and brownies with my friend Lindsey recently), and the recipe I followed simply didn't turn out. So, I went with it and created these tasty Nutella balls instead.

They taste pretty amazing. Not exactly like Nutella, of course, but the hazelnuts and cocoa do mix to create a similar, happily familiar flavor. Plus -- without all the added sugar and other crap that's inside those sinful jars of the real spread, they're much healthier to boot.





What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 5 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon flax meal (optional, but highly recommended)
  
• Pinch of salt

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place hazelnuts on a rimmed cookie sheet and roast for 10 minutes.
3. In a food processor, add all ingredients -- including the hazelnuts -- and blend until the nuts are pretty much not nut-like anymore. The mixture should be thick.
4. Line another cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop onto it heaping tablespoon-sized dollops of the mixture.
5. Eat warm, but I advise refrigerating beforehand. Will make them turn out more like balls. Keep cold and should last all week (if you don't eat them first).
   

Now, I've said it before . . . and I'll say it again: If you haven't signed up for this month's Blog Love Fest -- head on over now and add yourself! Deadline is January 10th. Also check out the great list of blogs that's already forming. Speaking of deadlines, the FREEKEND submission deadline has come and gone. Sadly, at this time I have no submissions! So, it'll just be me this month. No worries, though. Doesn't mean I'm canceling the whole thing. Keep an eye out for that post sometime later in the week.

Not too keen on all this detox stuff? Don't worry! I've got some delish cookies, cakes, and other awesome recipes to offer up. And I will. Soon. I'm not apologizing for my blitz of super healthy posts -- I'm just sayin' I changed the game on you all, and I've got a variety of recipes up my sleeve.

And now I must go get ready for work.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever <3

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