Carrot, Coriander, Quinoa and Ginger Soup

Another recipe adapted from the Best of Quinoa book. I cooked this up for my parents at lunchtime, and they loved it.

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

5 cm fresh ginger root

2 tsp ground coriander 

1kg carrots

3 pints hot vegetable or chicken stock

80g quinoa

0.5 pints hot water

1 handful coriander leaves

Peel and slice the onion, garlic and ginger (quick tip: the easiest way to peel ginger is by scraping the skin off with the back of a teaspoon).

Spray a large stockpot with Frylight. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger on a low heat, until the onion has softened.

Peel and roughly chop the carrots. Add to the pot with the ground coriander and fry for a further 30 seconds before adding the stock.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 40-50 minutes. 

Blend the soup.  Return to the pan and add the quinoa and hot water.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  

Chop the coriander leaves and stir them through the finished soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I made these yesterday for a dinner party and they were delicious. I'm a bit quinoa obsessed at the moment, and this recipe is based heavily on one in the "Best of Quinoa" booked I borrowed from the library last week. Seriously good, they'd make a great accompaniment for a barbecue.

(We also tried the "Turkey Sausages" from the quinoa book, but they weren't nearly as successful - although I reckon they could have potential with a bit of spicing up... Will post a recipe if I get round to trying them again.)

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

- 90g quinoa, rinsed and drained

- 240ml cold water

- 2 large red peppers, halved and seeded but with the stalks left on

- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved

- 2 garlic cloves, crushed

- A handful of basil, chopped

- 2 tbsp capers

- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Put the quinoa and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.  Cover and simmer for 10 mins until the water is absorbed (keep an eye on it towards the end so it doesn't burn in).

Set the quinoa aside to cool completely.  Put the tomatoes, garlic, basil, capers and balsamic vinegar in a bowl.  Mix well.  Then mix in the quinoa when it has cooled.

Spray a baking tray with Frylight. Put the prepared peppers in the tray, cut sides up.  If they don't sit straight, cut a fine slice off the bottom of the pepper, being careful not to cut through.

Stuff the peppers with the quinoa mix, spray a bit more Frylight on top, and bake for 20-30 minutes until the peppers are tender.