Asian Basa Baby also known as Catfish

Hmm what to cook? Basa in the freezer- 2 large fillets from Vietnam for $6. Are basa oceanwise? Gulp. Nope.  Found this site that is helpful in identifying fish that are sustainable and good for you and the planet at http://www.oceanwise.ca/seafood/catfish/basa-tra. 

For now though let's pretend it's catfish which is the suggested alternative to basa. Last night I needed something quick and found some kind of soy sauce based creation in a bottle in the fridge and some leftover brown rice, red rice, lentil combination from protein goddess salad as well as a huge box of salad, feta and tomatoes. Viola, dinner is done!

You will need:

2 or more pieces of sustainable fish (if you can)

*Soy sauce mix or make your own (soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, green onions)

Spring mix

Feta

Cherry tomatoes

**Leftover dressing

Leftover or fresh rice, quinoa, mash potato, etc.

Place rinsed fish in the pan on med heat.

Add about 1/2 cup of sauce- see that fish has enough to cook in at least on the bottom.

Cook on low and simmer on one side for a few minutes, flip cook for a few minutes. No rush.

Spread sauce around.

DO NOT overcook fish. Tender, flakey, juicy. Dried out fish is the worst.

Serve fish with hot rice, salad. Ta da!

*Soy sauce is a great marinade for any kind of fish but only marinade for an hour or so. If you marinade it too long it can get very salty.

**I always have dressing in my fridge.  I usually double the batches and have it on hand whenever I need it. The only dressing we buy is blue cheese which my husband is addicted to. It's how he eats his carrots.

Flourless Quinoa Chocolate Cake

Ok, this was A-mazing! Just know 2 things.

1. Use a Dutch or good quality cocoa. It was soooo chocolately good.

2. Do not use cooked quinoa that has been sitting out all day and is crusty on top. It does not get hidden in the cake, as I am reminded each time I bite into it. 

Did I make the ganache icing? No, but I didn't miss a thing because the cake rocked on its own. Who am I kidding? I'm salivating just thinking about it...

From:http://wheatfreemom.com/blog/recipe-quinoa-chocolate-cake/

Recipe courtesy of www.best-chocolate-recipes.com

2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
½ cup milk (I used soy and almond milk)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ cups sugar ( I used brown- could use agave or honey)
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder ( I had a free trade organic one)
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Cook the quinoa in the water. To do this, add both ingredients to a pan, then bring the mixture to a boil. At this point, put the lid on, lower the heat and simmer for approx 10 minutes. Shut off the heat and leave the pan on the burner to continue cooking slightly for an additional 10 minutes. Mix it somewhat with a fork and allow to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare an 8 inch springform pan. I greased and lined the sides and bottom with parchment.

Using a stand mixer put the eggs, vanilla and milk in a bowl. Add 2 cups of the cooked quinoa. Combine these ingredients, then add the butter. Blend until everything is smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix.

Place the mixture into the cake pan.

Cook for approximately 50 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (I found the cake took longer to bake for me. With the altitude here, my times can be different)

I let the cake cool completely and once removed from the pan I covered the cake in a dark chocolate ganache.

Here is that recipe

Recipe: Ganache

½ cup whipping cream
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Put the cream into a saucepan and heat until scalding hot. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over. Whisk until smooth. Let cool for 2 minutes and then pour over the cake.

Grilled Wild Salmon w/ Heather's Quinoa & Fresh Tomato Salads

Cookbooks101 is a fantastic site where I first found this quinoa salad recipe http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/heathers-quinoa-recipe.html.

I marinaded the salmon in a tasty mustard vinaigrette and served it with cherry tomatoes, basil, feta, olive oil and fresh cracked pepper and rock salt.

The salmon had the skin on the bottom which is perfect when grilling on the BBQ- just remove the skin before serving, or not, and make sure the salmon is NOT overcooked. Tender and still pink in the middle is perfect.

Salmon marinade
2 cloves garlic
2t dijon (or another mustard)
2t whole grain mustard
3/4 t fresh/dried rosemary
3/4 t fresh/dried thyme
1 T wine or white wine vinegar

Quinoa Sprouts

Recipe from -Quinoa 365: The everyday superfood By Patricia Green &  Carolyn Hemming

2/3 cup quinoa
2 cups distilled cold water

Place the quinoa and water in a 10-inch (25cm) round or square covered cassarole dish or glass bowl.  Ensure all the seeds are completely immersed in water, cover and soak them for 40 mins at room temperature.
Drain the quinoa and rinse thoroughly with water.  Return the quinoa to the original dish and replace the cover, but leave a slight opening for air.  Cover completely with a kitchen towel.  Let the sprouts rest for 8-10 hours.  Repeat the rinse-and-rest process 1-2 more times depending on how long you like your sprouts.  The shorter the sprouts, the longer they last in the refrigerator. Be sure to use longer sprouts quickly, preferably within 24 hours.

* The quality of sprouts may differ depending on the brand or age of the seeds you are using.  Make sure the seeds have not reached the expiry date.  Also make sure to follow these steps closely for best results.

Quinoa Mango Parsley Salad

I will have to try this on the weekend. I LOVE mango and quinoa and the parsley flavor will bring out the flavors nicely.  Mmmmm. Will let you know if it stood up to my expectations.

It was alright.  It needed more lemon, some avocado and chopped cilantro- then it would have been delicious!

From http://strawberrypepper.com/2010/07/03/quinoa-mango-salad/
Quinoa Mango Parsley Salad

July 3, 2010 by Eva

I see a lot of quinoa-tropical-fruit-cilantro recipes floating around, and I love to eat all of them. But this week when I wanted a light quinoa meal, I didn’t have any cilantro. Instead all I had was this beautiful bunch of parsley. Cilantro and parsley are very different flavors, but I didn’t see why I couldn’t make a delicious quinoa salad with parsley. And now, post deliciousness, I am able to provide you with another great recipe for summer eating that is healthy, simple, tasty, and colorful! I love the juxtaposition of sweet mango with tangy (some might think spicy) chili powder, and the parsley just brings a bright freshness to the dish.

For those of you who have never had quinoa, it is the most amazing grain (errpsuedocereal, same difference)! It is a complete protein source, having a full set of the essential amino acids, and very high in protein for a grain. It also is a good source of fiber and many other essential vitamins and minerals. I used red quinoa instead of the more common white quinoa, mainly for the color, though red quinoa is also a bit chewier.

The mango is really the highlight of this dish, with its beautiful vibrant yellow-orange color and flavorful sweetness. If you have questions on how to cut a mango, I will refer you to this post on VeganYumYum. Though that is not my favorite way to slice a mango for dicing, it will work well, and it certainly is my favorite method for eating them fresh!

Quinoa Mango Salad
2-4 servings as a side

1/2 cup red quinoa
3/4 cup water
1 mango diced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon, about 2 tbsp
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the quinoa: bring to quinoa and water to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until all the water is absorbed, or per package instructions. Note: the ratios for white quinoa are different (1:2 quinoa:water)
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked quinoa, diced mango, parsley, lemon juice, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Eat warm or chilled!

Note: This dish is even better the next day!

Heather's Quinoa Salad

    From 101 Cookbooks
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/heathers-quinoa-recipe.html

Heather's Quinoa Recipe

If you don't have the time or inclination to roast cherry tomatoes, substitute some chopped, moist, sun-dried tomatoes. Also, a delicious alternative to the tofu in this recipe might be paneer cheese which can stand up to the heat without losing its form. Vegans can leave out the Parmesan in the pesto and make it more of a basil-nut drizzle - still tasty, and a good fit for this recipe.

a splash of extra-virgin olive oil
a pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 shallot, minced
3 cups cooked quinoa* (or brown rice, or other grain)
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cups kale, spinach or other hearty green, finely chopped
2 cups extra-firm nigari tofu, browned in a skillet a bit
1/3 cup pesto
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/4 cup roasted cherry tomatoes** (or chopped sun-dried tomatoes)

In a big skillet or pot heat the olive oil and salt over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallot and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the quinoa and corn and cook until hot and sizzling. Stir in the kale and then the tofu, cooking until tofu is heated through. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the pesto and pumpkin seeds. Mix well so the pesto is spread throughout. Turn everything out onto a platter and top with the cherry tomatoes.

Serves 4 - 6.

*Rinse about 2 cups quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and 4 cups water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

** To roast cherry tomatoes: Heat oven to 350F degrees. Cut each tomato in half and arrange in a large oven-proof baking dish. Mix together a big splash of olive oil, a spoonful of brown sugar, and a few pinches of salt - pour this over the tomatoes. Gently toss them a bit, making sure they all get coated, finishing with each tomato facing cut-side up. Place in the oven and bake for 45 mintutes or so, until the tomatoes are shrunken and sweet.