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.

honey tofu with fried quinoa

Serves 3

Poppy cooks…

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together
   1/2 tablespoon olive oil,
   1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce,
   1 tablespoon coconut amino sauce,
   2 tablespoons manuka honey and
   juice of 1/4 lime.
   
   
2. Add
   packet firm tofu, cubed into mixture and marinade for at least half an hour.
   
   
3. In a deep frying pan on medium heat, fry
   1 cup quinoa until it crackles and becomes aromatic then set aside.
   
   
4. In a rice cooker, add
   onion, diced to the pan with
   olive oil and cook until lightly browned.
   
   
5. Add
   green chilli, deseeded and chopped and
   2 cloves garlic, minced and cook for 1 minute.
   
   
6. Add
   500ml vegetable stock and quinoa and cook until all the stock is absorbed.
   
   
7. While the quinoa is cooking, steam some
   asian greens in the steamer insert.
   
   
8. Also while the quinoa is cooking, cook the marinated tofu in a frying pan; cooking until the sauce caramelises, tossing frequently to coat the tofu.
   
   
9. Stir
   juice of 1/4 lime,
   4 spring onions, sliced diagonally,
   handful coriander, chopped and
   1/4 cup pepitas through the quinoa mixture.
   
   
10. Serve the tofu on top of the quinoa and sprinkle with
    sesame seeds, with the asian greens to the side.
    

roast pumpkin risotto

Serves 4

This is somewhat of a cheat's risotto using a rice cooker that doesn't compromise on taste but is a lot easier and quicker than cooking it on the cooktop or in the oven - but if you don't have a rice cooker, feel free to cook this recipe the traditional way by slowly adding 1 cup of hot stock to the risotto at a time until it is absorbed. You will also need twice as much stock if cooking with this method.

Poppy cooks…

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
   
   
2. Place
   500g butternut pumpkin, diced on a baking tray. Coat with
   olive oil and
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper. Bake for 40 minutes or until slightly caramelised.
   
   
3. Turn on your rice cooker and sauté an
   onion, diced and
   4 cloves garlic, minced.
   
   
4. Add
   1/2 teaspoon curry powder,
   1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg,
   1.5 cups arborio rice and stir to mix.
   
   
5. Stir in
   1 cup white wine and leave for a few minutes.
   
   
6. Then add
   500ml vegetable stock.
   
   
7. When the rice cooker has finished cooking the risotto, and the pumpkin is roasted, add the pumpkin to the rice and stir through.
   
   
8. Serve risotto with
   pepitas,
   parsley, chopped and
   dried cranberries.

roast sweet potato topped with quinoa, kale + cranberries

Serves 6

Poppy cooks…

1. Cut 
   3 sweet potatoes in half lengthways, lay on a baking tray, drizzle with 
   olive oil, season with 
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper and roast in a 180˚ oven for 1 hour
   
   
2. In a medium pot, cook 
   1 cup quinoa (you can use white quinoa, red quinoa, or a mixture of both) in 
   2 cups vegetable stock and set aside
   
   
3. Saute 
   diced onion in 
   olive oil
   
   
4. Add 
   4 cups chopped kale (about half a bunch) and 
   1/4 cup dried cranberries and sauté until kale is soft
   
   
5. Stir through cooked quinoa and scoop mixture onto cooked sweet potato halves