Recipe: Nutty Quinoa Hash

My partner found this recipe via the site vegweb which is a site that is absolutely bursting with information and - get this - over 15,000 recipes! And to think people ask "But what do vegans eat?" and think that we are 'depriving' ourselves. Pffft! I highly recommend you check this site out, as you will be inspired in the kitchen, even if you are a bit of a 'non-cookery enthusiast' like me. Heh.


Anyway, back to the recipe....For those of you unfamiliar with quinoa (pronounced (kin-wa),it  is from South America and contains a high percentage of protein - an average of 16.2 %  infact, which is higher than rice (7.5%), and wheat (14%). It is easy to digest and versatile. You can find it in healthfood shops and in some supermarkets.


This recipe is pretty easy to follow and the results are pleasing. Give it a go!


What you will need:


1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
2 large stalks of celery, chopped
1 small green bell capsicum, chopped (optional)
1 small zucchini (chopped)
1 can corn (about 350g)
seasoning of your choice (cajun will do nicely)
3 tbsp of peanut butter - crunchy or smooth. 


Now, my body doesn't cope well with peanuts, so I subsituted with Eskal Free From Nuts Peanut Butter which I found in the healthfood section of a supermarket. The Crunchy variety contains honey but the Smooth does not. However, it does contain emulsifier 471 which may or may not be derived from animal fats.  I didn't discover this until AFTER using it. Grr! But I have contacted the manufacturer to find out what the deal is here and will report back with what I find out. In the meantime, those who like and can eat peanut butter - go for it - just check that everything on the ingredients list is vegan. Otherwise, just leave the peanut butter out altogether. 


Method:


Bring water to boil in a saucepan, over med-high heat. Add quinoa and return to boil, then cover and reduce heat to med-low. Simmer until the water has been absorbed and then set aside.

In a large pan (I prefer a wok pan), heat olive oil on medium heat and then add potatoes. Stir and cook until cooked and slightly crispy. Add onion (if using), celery and capsicum. Cook until slightly soft and then add zucchini and corn. Cook until zucchini is soft and corn heated through. Add seasoning and remove from heat.

Add peanut butter to quinoa and stir until blended. Add this mixture to the vegetables and mix well.

Tuck in!

[Update on the 'Is Eskal "Free From Nuts Peanut Butter" vegan or not' issue. I didn't get a straight answer. What I got was this" "Thank you for your email regarding our Eskal Freenut Butter. The trans

fats come from the emulsifier (471). This is a highly processed form of
hydrogenated oil." I guess that it IS vegan (ie 471 is ffrom plant not animal fat scource) ??? Either way, I have found out hydrogenated oil - plant or animal - is pretty bad for you, so I may be giving this product a miss in the future, anyway. I may try Almond butter by Melrose (or any other brand that produces vegan nut butters), instead.