I love having weekends with nothing to do. Usually I end up in the kitchen cooking, baking and experimenting with recipes and things. This weekend is extra great since a local radio station is playing 90s music all weekend! Yeees! I love that music – takes me back to high school. I’m currently in my kitchen singing to Pearl Jam, Cake, Garbage, Nirvana, The Verve, and Savage Garden.
Let’s get on to the FOOD!
Beef Potato and Quinoa Soup
Adapted from Laylita’s Recipes
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro, divided
1/2 lb beef, cubed beef tenderloin
8 cups beef broth
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 cup quinoa, dry
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Saute oil in a large pot, add onion and garlic and sauté until soft over medium heat, about 3 minutes.
2. Add diced tomato, cumin, paprika, white pepper, 1/8 cup cilantro and cook another 2 minutes. Add beef, broth, carrot and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and simmer on low about 1-1/2 hours, until meat is tender.
4. Add potato and quinoa and cook an additional 45 minutes on low. Add remaining chopped cilantro and serve.
Nutrition Notes: Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not technically a grain like most may think, it is a seed and actually a relative of green leafy vegetables like spinach and swiss chard. Not only is quinoa a complete protein (contains all 9 essential amino acids) it’s also high in fiber, manganese, copper, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and iron. If you are prone to headaches, adding magnesium rich foods can help relax blood vessel constriction. Magnesium can also help reduce hypertension and help with heart arrhythmia’s. Use quinoa in place of rice in any recipe to add more protein and nutrients.
Taste Test: Latin American dishes are always filled with tons of unique flavors and this one is no exception. Perfect on a cold winter night!
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Basic Quinoa
It is recommended that you soak and rinse the seeds well before cooking. Once cooked the seeds expand about 4 times their original size, so 1 cup of uncooked quinoa seeds yields about 4 cups cooked quinoa. Preparation is simple: 1 cup quinoa takes 2 cups water or broth and is done in about 15 minutes.
Directions:
1. Wash quinoa and add to a medium saucepan.
2. Add water or broth, salt and boil, covered for 15 minutes or until all the water has absorbed. You will know when they are cooked when they are fluffy and you see a small white thread around each seed.
3. Fluff with a fork. You can store it in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days and reheat in the microwave.
