Tri Colored Quinoa with Golden Beets and Raisins

This nutrient-rich quinoa starts off in the same way our favorite soups do: with a hearty flavorful broth. The beets steep in the herby liquid, so when they’re done cooking, they’re flavorful jewels to toss into the quinoa. Add to it raisins and fresh cilantro, making for a final dish that is textured and delicious.

This recipe yields 8 servings


INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup of tri-colored quinoa
  • 4-5 medium size golden beets
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 bundle of cilantro
  • Lemon, quartered
  • Bay Leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 200 grams of tri-colored Quinoa
  • 4-5 medium size Golden Beets
  • 200 grams Golden Raisins
  • 1/2 bundle of Cilantro
  • Lemon, quartered
  • Bay Leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

  1. Cook beets in a broth made of water, quartered lemons, bay leaf, cayenne, salt, ground black pepper, coconut sugar and apple cider vinegar, approximately 45 minutes.

  2. Remove from water and cool. Save ¼ cup of broth. Once cooled, peel the beets and dice into bite-size pieces.

  3. Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer  under cold, running water until the water runs clear (less than a minute).

  4. Cook quinoa according to package or appliance (such as rice cooker) instructions, ensuring all water is absorbed. Quinoa to water ratio is 1:2.

  5. Add beets, golden raisins, finely diced cilantro and beet broth to quinoa. Fold together and serve with a drizzle of good olive oil.

TIPS

**Keep beet broth for pickling, marinating or to use in vinaigrettes.

**If there’s time, soak quinoa overnight for easier digestion.

 

Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

A healthier take on the classic Reese’s candy, these are gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. I use my favorite baking chocolate from Sweet Laurel, which is made with just two ingredients: cacao and maple sugar. Almond butter offers more healthy fats, fiber, iron, calcium, and vitamin E than traditional peanut butter, which we rarely buy anymore for a number of reasons. (Here’s some helpful insight, which can help you make an informed decision about peanut butter.) Overall, I think these treats are decidedly more delicious than the classic version.

This recipe yields 12


INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon quinoa flour
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons maple flakes
  • 128 g coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon quinoa flour
  • 64 g almond butter
  • 260 g chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons maple flakes

Directions

  1. First, make your powdered sugar substitute by mixing the coconut sugar with the quinoa flour in a blender. 

  2. Combine the almond butter with the powdered sugar substitute.

  3. Melt the chocolate chips in a saucepan or a double broiler.

  4. Pour melted chocolate into thick layers in cupcake papers and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or until hardened. 

  5. Add almond butter mix on top of the first layer, then top with a second layer of chocolate.

  6. Top with maple flakes and place back in the refrigerator until the cups harden. 


Recipe Tips

*Make sure the foundation of chocolate is thick so that there is a good base to hold the almond butter and top layers to create the cups.