quinoa
Ramadan – Vegetarian Iftar Menu
If you are a vegetarian, there are plenty of good quality protein sources for the end of a long day of fast.
Some good non-meat sources of protein include:
- Quinoa
- Greek yogurt
- Legumes, including lentils, chickpeas, and
- Nuts and seeds (and their butters and milks) – sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts
- Chia seeds
- Tofu
- Eggs
- Avocados
A sample vegetarian iftar menu could look something like this:
Soup: Lentil Soup with Vermicelli Noodles
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon madras curry powder (optional)
1 cup lentils
4-5 cups stock or water + 1 bouillon cube
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup angel hair noodles
lemon wedges (optional)
Heat oil in small pot. Add garlic and onions, and saute for 2 minutes. Add spices and saute another minute. Add lentils and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium, and simmer for about 30 minutes. The lentils should be completely soft. If you would like to puree the soup, you would want to do that at this point, before adding the noodles.
Toast the noodles in a nonstick frying pan for about 3 minutes, until golden.
Add to soup, and bring soup to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes (adding a cup of hot water or stock if the soup needs to be thinned out).
Optional – a squeeze of lemon juice into each bowl, if desired.
Main Dish: Quinoajadara – Quinoa Mujadara (Lentils and Quinoa with Caramelized Onions and Sumac)
Quinoajadara – Quinoa Mujadara (Lentils and Quinoa with Caramelized Onions and Sumac)
Mujadara is a very popular Levantine dish. It is a very hearty vegetarian dish, and very healthy too. It is great hot or at room temperature, making mujadara leftovers a good work lunch option. My husband and kids all love mujadara, so we have it often, and change it up sometimes. This recipe is a marriage of mujadara and quinoa.
The onions, olive oil, and sumac create a sort of sauce for the dish. You can omit the sumac, but I think it add something special to this dish.
A tip for those whose kids are not big fans of onions – you can either plate theirs first without onions or you can top with buttered carrots.
Quinoa Mujadara
1 1/2 cups brown or green lentils
1 cup quinoa
1 cup vermicelli noodles, toasted over medium heat in skillet
1 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 onions, cut in half, each half thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pick over lentils if needed and rinse. Place in pot with about 6 cups of water or stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cover. Cook till lentils are just cooked, 20-40 minutes. This will vary depending on how fresh the lentils are, but start checking at 20 minutes.
Carefully drain any cooking liquid still left in the pot. Reserve. Keep lentils in the same pot. Add uncooked quinoa, toasted vermicelli, spices, and salt to taste. Return the cooking liquid, adding water or stock if needed, to complete 3 cups. Bring to a boil over low heat, then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, until quinoa is cooked.
Meanwhile, cook onions over low heat until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add 1-2 teaspoons sumac. Allow to cook a minute or two so that the hot oil is infused with the sumac flavor.
To serve, spread mujadara in a platter, and top with the onions. Make sure to also drizzle the olive oil and sumac “sauce” over the platter. Sprinkle with additional sumac, if desired. You can also just place the mujadara in plates, and portion out the onions in each plate.
Mujadara is traditionally served with plain yogurt and/or a finely chopped salad. Sour cream also tastes good with it.
Lemon Parsley Quinoa
This was our side dish tonight along with the previously posted Tahini Salad – Salata Tahina
The lemon is very subtle in this dish. It just adds some brightness to the earthy quinoa. You could certainly double it if you would like a more pronounced lemon flavor.
Lemon Parsley Quinoa
2 cups uncooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste
Cook quinoa according to package directions, adding turmeric and desired amount of salt with the water.
After quinoa is cooked, add parsley and lemon juice, and stir to incorporate.
Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf
We love quinoa, especially since my kids eat it happily – always a plus. We had this tonight to go with a chicken and veggie tray bake, salad, and Greek yogurt.
Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon each: Cumin, allspice
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, parsley, half a teaspoon of salt. Saute for about a minute; add spices and chickpeas, and saute for 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add quinoa, water, and adjust salt to taste. Let it come to a boil over high heat, uncovered. When at a boil, cover, and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Turn off the stove and allow to stand covered 5 minutes.
Tastes great with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top.
