mexican bowl

Serves 4

This dish is so quick and easy, and can all be done using just one pan, so less washing up! Feel free to add jalapeños if you like extra heat, or to omit the chilli powder and cumin like I do when cooking this for my toddler. This is quite a light meal, so great for summer. If you would like to bulk it up, then you can try accompanying it with grilled meat, gluten free flat bread or some sweet potato chips.

Poppy cooks...

1. Heat
   1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large pan and saute
   2 garlic cloves, minced.
   
   
2. Add
   1.25 cups quinoa,
   tin diced tomatoes,
   1.25 cups vegetable stock,
   tin black beans, drained and rinsed,
   1.25 cups frozen peas*,
   1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (optional),
   1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional),
   celtic sea salt and cracker black pepper to taste; bringing to the boil and reducing to a simmer with a lid on until quinoa cooked.
   
   
3. Serve topped with
   avocado,
   lime wedge and
   coriander.
   

* The more traditional option here is corn, but we are currently eliminating corn from our diet for health reasons. Feel free to google the pros and cons of corn.

sweet potato quinoa patties with avocado sauce

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. Make avocado sauce by blending
   1 large avocado,
   1/4 cup olive oil,
   1/4 cup filtered water,
   couple sprigs of coriander,
   2 garlic cloves,
   juice of 1/2 lime and
   celtic sea salt, to taste then place in the fridge.
   
   
2. Boil
   1/2 cup quinoa in
   1 cup filtered water until all the water is absorbed and set aside.
   
   
3. Insert butterfly whisk into thermomix.
   
   
4. Place
   1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1cm pieces,
   pinch of celtic sea salt, and enough
   filtered water to cover the sweet potato and cook for 25 minutes/95ºC/speed 1, placing simmering basket instead of measuring cup onto mixing bowl lid.
   
   
5. Remove butterly whisk, drain water, insert measuring cup and mash for 30 seconds/speed 4.
   
   
6. In a mixing bowl, combine, cooked quinoa, mashed sweet potato,
   1/2 small red onion, diced,
   tin of black beans, drained,
   1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper,
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
   
   
7. Form patties and bake in a 190ºC oven for 15 minutes.
   
   
8. Flip patties over and bake for a further 15 minutes.
   
   
9. Serve on a
   mesclun salad with the avocado sauce drizzled over the top.

vegan tortillas

Serves 12

Poppy cooks...

1. Cook
   1/4 cup red quinoa in
   3/4 cup hot filtered water and set aside.
   
   
2. In a large saucepan cook
   onion, diced and
   sweet potato, diced in
   olive oil until sweet potatoes are tender.
   
   
3. Add
   2 cloves garlic, minced and saute for 30 seconds.
   
   
4. Add cooked quinoa and cook for 5 minutes (don't worry if the quinoa gets crispy).
   
   
5. Add
   3/4 cup hot filtered water,
   410g tin diced tomato,
   1/4 teaspoon chilli powder,
   1 teaspoon smoked paprika,
   1 teaspoon ground cumin,
   1 teaspoon coconut sugar, and
   1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper bringing to the boil then reducing to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
   
   
6. Remove from the heat and stir through
   400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed,
   1/4 cup coriander, chopped and
   juice of 1 lime.
   
   
7. To make the salsa, combine in a mixing bowl
   arils from 1 pomegranate,
   1/2 cup dried cranberries and
   zest and juice of 1 lime.
   
   
8. In a non-stock frying pan, heat up
   12 white corn tortillas as per packet instructions.
   
   
9. To assemble, spoon quinoa mixture down the centre of a tortilla, top with
   avocado, diced and finish with the salsa.