Quinoa, Carrot and Chickpea Salad

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• About 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups water or broth
• 3 tsp Moroccan spice mix (recipe below)
• salt and pepper
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ – ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add the carrot; continue to cook until the onion is soft, a few more minutes.

Add quinoa, water, Moroccan spice mix, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the quinoa is cooked and the carrots are tender (15 minutes or so).

Add the chickpeas, stir and simmer for a minute or two until the chickpeas are heated through.

Add lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold.

Moroccan Spice Mix

• 4 tsp curry powder
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp thyme
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp nutmeg (I always grind nutmeg fresh – it’s so much better)
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp dried mint
• salt and pepper

Mix everything together. Store unused mix in an airtight container. This is a modified version of a spice mix from a recipe by Real Food for Real Kids.

Easy Peasy Guacamole

I love a nice chunky guacamole; tomato, avocado, cilantro and lots of lime, but the kids – not so much.  Anything chunky is no good in their books.  So, when I’m making things like soups and pasta sauces I often puree them to ‘hide’ what’s inside – a trick I’m sure many parents use.  I do this with guacamole too.

This guacamole is great with chips but it’s also great as a dip (for veggies, crackers, or whatever!) and it makes a really nice spread on sandwiches; a great vegan alternative to mayonnaise.  It’s has been a favourite around here lately:

• Two or three avocados, skins and pits removed.
• Some freshly squeezed lime – I usually start with half a lime and then add more if needed.  I love lots of lime!
• A handful of fresh cilantro leaves – this is a ‘must have’ ingredient for me, cilantro can make or break it!
• One or two cloves of fresh garlic, peeled.
• Half an onion.
• A pinch of cumin.
• Salt and pepper.

Throw everything in a bowl, no chopping required:

Use a hand mixer to puree everything:

Until it’s nice and smooth:

(Alternatively, you can also use a food processor if you don’t have a hand mixer.  But if you don’t have one, think about getting one!  This is probably one of my most well used kitchen appliance coming second only to the toaster oven.  Mine is very basic; it doesn’t have any of the nifty attachments shown in the link, and it was very inexpensive.  AND it cleans up in a snap; it comes apart and the mixer part goes right into the dishwasher.)