Ham and Egg Fried Quinoa

Inspiration: my mother's Ham and Egg Fried Rice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry red quinoa - rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 3 eggs - scrambled
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• hot pepper of choice - minced
• 1/2 cup onions
• 1 cup chopped ham
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas - thawed
• soy sauce to taste

Directions

• Combine quinoa and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until moisture is absorbed.
• Scramble the eggs and set them aside.
• Heat the oil in a skillet, add the minced hot pepper and onions and fry them for a couple of minutes.
• Add the ham and the hoisin sauce to the skillet and continue frying for 5 minutes.
• Add the peas to the skillet and fry for a couple more minutes.
• Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet.
• Season to taste with soy sauce.
• Fold in the scrambled eggs.

Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew

For this stew I almost faithfully followed this recipe: Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew.  The changes I made include: adding onions and Creole seasoning, substituting with crushed tomatoes instead of diced, and adding 15 ounces of cannellini beans instead of 19 (that last one had to do with availability at my co-op).  I did serve this with bread, and I chose an Oatmeal Flax Seed loaf that complemented it nicely.  

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 12 oz chicken sausage links
• Creole seasoning*
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 14.5 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 14.5-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 bunch kale leaves, torn into 2-inch pieces
• several dashes of black pepper
• optional: 1 loaf country bread 

*Creole Seasoning

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions

• Cook the chicken sausage, seasoning with the Creole seasoning.
• Slice the chicken sausage.
• Saute onions in a kettle for a couple of minutes.
• Add cooked chicken sausage and continue sauteing for a few minutes.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, cannellini beans, chicken broth, black pepper, season to taste with more Creole seasoning.
• Bring stew to a boil then add the kale.
• Cook for a couple of minutes, until kale wilts.
• Optional: serve with bread.

Amaranth Porridge

This is super simple and super good for you! I make a big batch ahead of time, divide it into single servings and store them in the fridge, and then I just heat up one of those servings for myself the morning.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry amaranth
• 3 cups water
• optional: cinnamon
• milk of your choice

Directions

• bring amaranth and water to a boil (add cinnamon too if you like)
• reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes
• serve in a bowl with some milk