Thayer in the Kitchen

This may sound weird but give it a try.  We got some fabulous blueberries from Michigan and I wanted to try using them in a breakfast cereal dish.  This dish is quite unusual but my husband loved it!  He wantd to make sure I posted it so that I would be able to make it again.  I doubled the recipe which you may not want to do the first time you try it. 1 teaspoon coconut oil (or you could substitute butter or a diffrent oil such a sunflower) 3/4 cup raw quinoa, rinsed and dried (my package of quinoa said the rinsing was unecessary) 1 (15 ounce) can lite coconut milk (or regular) pinch of salt 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (or sweetened if that is what you have on hand) 1/2-3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen,preferably fresh) Melt the coconut oil over medium heat.  Add the quinoa and cook, stirring frequently, until it is toasted and golden brown, about five minutes.  Next, add the coconut milk and a pin...

This is a very simple salad that is worth making.  Arthur said this one has to go on your blog.  "It would convince someone who thought they didn't like quinoa to reconsider it."  I didn't make the dressing because I didn't have any fresh basil.  Next time I'm going to try the salad with the lemon basil dressing.  I used some of Annie's Raspberry Vinaigrette as a substitute. First cook the quinoa: 1 cup quinoa (rinse thoroughly if the package does not say it has been prerinsed) 2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt Place the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked.  Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.  Let it cool it to room temperature. Fruits and Vegetables: 1 cup fresh blueberries 1 cup cubed ripe mango 1 cup diced cucumbers 2 tablespoons dried cranberries 1/4 cups pecans (optional) Add desired dressing to the quinoa, next...

I found this recipe for using broccoli on the Blue Moon Community Farm website.  Kristen, who is the farmer, has a lot of good recipes for using produce.  This dish is so healthy I feel better just thinking about it.  It also tastes good! In case you are not familiar with quinoa.  Quinoa has been called a  superfood.   Protein content is very high for a cereal/grain product. Quinoa's protein content per 100 calories is higher than brown rice, potatoes, barley and millet. Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein . Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron . Quinoa is also a source of calcium , and thus is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant . Quinoa is gluten -free and considered easy to digest. A nice plus is that is also very mild in flavor and mixes with other ingredients well. 3 cups cooked quinoa* 5 cups raw brocc...

This recipe was adapted from recipe I found on the Trader Joe's website.  It was an entry for a contest on using quinoa.  I think the recipe author was one of the winners.  I like the recipe for a few reasons.  It's high in protein because of the ingredients like quinoa, cottage cheese, eggs, etc.  It provides another good use for zucchini which we all like to have at this time of the year.  And yet another couple of reasons, the patties are easy to make and tasty to eat. 2 cups cooked quinoa * 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (I actually used Tuscan Dream from Edelweiss Creamery, a local artisan cheesemaker) 1 cup cottage cheese (low fat is fine) 1 cup packed shredded zucchini 3 eggs, beaten 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour 2 green onions, chopped 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (preferably whole wheat) 1 teaspoon cumin 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic Salt & pepper to taste Olive oil for frying the patties Combine all the ingredients except th...