Quinoa Corn Chowder with Baby Lima Beans

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo chili flakes, or to taste 
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 pound waxy red potatoes 
• 2-3 cups corn kernels
• 1.5 cups cooked baby lima beans, drained and rinsed if canned
• 4 cups water or vegetable broth
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped in small dice
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk 
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• cilantro/basil/parsley for garnish
• avocado for garnish
• chopped peanuts for garnish
• chopped green onion for garnish

Directions

• 1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Add the onion and saute until translucent and soft, around 6-8 minutes. Add quinoa and stir occasionally, toasting it for 3-4 minutes, or until it turns golden.
• 2. Add the chili flakes, oregano, basil, cumin, and paprika and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
• 3. Add potatoes, corn, lima beans and water/broth. Cover, increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender and the quinoa is cooked.
• 4. Stir in the tomatoes, milk, vinegar and salt, partially covered and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add water to maintain your desired consistency. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• 5. Cover soup and let it rest 15 minutes prior to serving, to allow the flavours to meld. Top with garnishes just prior to serving, although I preferred it unadorned.
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Broccoli and Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bow

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Ingredients

• 1 medium spaghetti squash (2 lbs)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained if canned
• 4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced, soaked in water for 10 minutes, then drained
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Peanut-Miso-Sesame sauce 

• 1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place rack in center of oven. Pierce the spaghetti squash multiple times with a fork or knife. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate squash and bake another 30 minutes or until the shell feels soft. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once the squash has cooled, cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds and scrape the strands of squash out with a fork. Set aside.
• 2. Meanwhile, prepare your sauce (see below).
• 3. Prepare the rest of your ingredients: slice and soak the shallot. Toast your sesame seeds. Chop your broccoli.
• 4. Just prior to wanting to eat, steam broccoli for 2 minutes, or until slightly al dente and a brilliant green.
• 5. To serve, plate spaghetti squash. Top with chickpeas, broccoli, shallots and sesame seeds. Drizzle with dressing.

Peanut-Miso-Sesame Sauce

• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 1.5 tsp white miso
• 1 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo chili flakes
• 1/4 cup water, to thin to your desired consistency

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. It will thicken once cooled.

Curry puff

ingredients:

• 210 g flour
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 110 g water, cold
• Butter Dough
• 120 g flour
• 75 g unsalted butter

Filling

• 200 g chicken breast, cubed
• 300 g potatoes, cubed and pan-fried
• 10 shallots
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 10 g curry paste
• 1 carrot, cubed and boiled
• 50 g peas
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

directions:
For filling

• Heat cooking oil in a wok. Stir-fry chopped onion till fragrant for 30 seconds.
• Add curry paste into the wok. Cook till it changes color, a shade darker.
• Combine the rest of the ingredients into the wok. Chicken pieces, potato cubes, carrot cubes, peas.
• Cook for a couple of minutes over low heat.
• Add coconut milk. Mix well with other ingredients.
• Lastly, add flour. Let cook for a minute longer and remove from heat. Set aside.

For puff pastry

• Mix all ingredients for water dough to a ball shape. Knead by hands or machine. Let rest, covered with kitchen towel.
• Do the same with butter dough ingredients.
• Roll water dough into a 30x 30 rectangle. Place butter dough right in the middle and fold water dough on top of it.
• Flip the dough packet over and slowly roll the dough into long rectangle.
• Fold the rectangle into three and lightly press the dough. Turn the dough to the left, 90 degree. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Continue the folding and turning two more times with 10 minutes resting period.
• Roll the dough into thin rectangle. Divide the sheet into two smaller sheets.
• Grab one end and start rolling towards you. You will end up with two rolls. Let rest for 10 minutes, covered.
• Cut each roll into 10 equal pieces. Rest for 10 minutes, covered.
• Generously sprinkle flour on each piece and place them on counter, cut side up.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into round disk, about 2mm thick. Do this with the rest of the dough.
• Let rest and covered for 10 minutes.
• Fill each skin with 2 tbsp of curry filling. Fold the pastry into half moon shaped and pleat the sides neatly.
• Do the same with the rest of the skin.

For frying

• Heat cooking oil in a wok, enough to simmer the pastry, over low heat.
• Fry the pastries, two or three at a time, without crowding the wok.
• When the pastries float to the top of the oil, increase the heat to medium.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes each side, till golden brown.
• Drain on paper towel. Serve warm.