Almond Ginger Granola Recipe

A couple of months ago I found a recipe for homemade granola via David Lebovitz's blog, which he has crowned his favorite granola recipe. Multiple batches have churned through our kitchen over the past few months and it has quickly become a staple in our household. What makes this recipe unique is the combination of almonds, wholesome seeds, coconut flakes, ginger and notably the brown rice syrup. Brown rice syrup is a mild sweetener with a lower glycemic index, which could be advantageous if you are seeking to curb your sugar consumption. However, if you happen to have caught a glimpse food news this week, you may have seen the warnings about findings of arsenic in baby formula via organic brown rice syrup. What I find alarming about this news is the response from the USA Rice Association which stated, "Much of the arsenic in U.S. rice is organic arsenic, the less harmful kind, versus the inorganic type..." Does anyone feel comforted by that statement? Less harmful. Hmmm.

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TAHINI RECIPE

Tahini is a paste made from grounded sesame seeds that is commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. It's the key ingredient in hummus that adds so much richness and depth to the popular bean dip. While tahini can be found in many health and ethnic food stores, it is so easy to make that I thought I would share the recipe.

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QUINOA FIESTA RECIPE

Quinoa fiesta is a recipe concocted a few years ago when a college roommate of mine had thrown together a mixture of corn, red bell peppers and sauteed onions into a quinoa salad. Since then this recipe has evolved into an incredibly festive, healthy and delicious side dish; one that I am proud to serve to guests at dinner parties.

Before cooking quinoa, the seeds should be rinsed well under cold water in a fine mesh strainer. Quinoa seeds have a unique coating called saponin that will taste bitter if not removed.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry quinoa grain
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of cooked black beans or 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained

1 cup corn kernels

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 green onion, sliced thinly

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat before stirring in sliced onion and minced garlic. Saute the mixture until the onion rings have softened, which should take roughly 5 minutes. Transfer the onion and garlic mixture into a large bowl.

In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa grain well. Add the rinsed quinoa and the chicken broth to the same saute pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in corn and leave on heat for another 5 minutes. Remove the saute pan from heat, and fold in the beans. Season with ground cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the saute pan to cool down for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, add the finely diced red bell pepper, and thinly sliced green onion to the sauteed onion and garlic mixture. Fold into the cooked quinoa. Top with cilantro before serving.