Don’t underestimate this quinoa soup as a mere starter. The quinoa and chock full of veggies turn this soup into ‘dinner in a bowl’ which nourish and satisfy the appetite without making you feel heavy on the stomach.

Every sip of this soup will warm your soul. It hardly calls for any seasoning other than salt and pepper and gets its mild flavors from the veggies cooked in the broth. In spite of being loaded with veggies, this soup is surprisingly light and easy to digest; thanks to the quinoa. This is particularly beneficial for women who have a tendency to develop gas or find their meal difficult to digest. Apart from its easy digestibility, quinoa supplies you with all the eight essential amino acids as well as iron and fiber, thus making this soup a balanced meal, all by itself. The nutrients from the veggies are an added bonus!

This healthy broth is not only deliciously nutritious, but is also fast and fuss-free to make, especially once you are done with prepping the veggies. It makes a large meal with lots of leftovers which freeze well for months.  What an absolute lifesaver for busy ladies!

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup quinoa, washed
• ¼ cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced sweet potatoes
• ¼ cup frozen peas
• 1 cup finely chopped white onions
• 1 cup finely chopped Swiss chard leaves
• 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves
• ½ tsp. dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tbsp. light olive oil, plus more as necessary
• 2 ½ cups water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Avocado slices, to serve

Method:

• Drizzle oil in a large soup pot and heat it over medium heat until it simmers.
• Throw in the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until they turn soft.
• Add the carrot and sweet potato chunks and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the veggies well with the oil.
• Stir in the uncooked quinoa along with a dash each of oregano, black pepper and a dash of salt until nicely incorporated.
• Pour in the water and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
• Plop in the frozen peas and reduce heat to a simmer.
• Place a lid on top and continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the veggies are fork-tender while the quinoa is cooked through.
• Drizzle little extra olive oil in a separate skillet and heat over medium heat.
• Throw in the chopped Swiss chard leaves and flash fry for a minute.
• Tip them into the simmering soup and ladle it into serving bowls.
• Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over them and arrange the avocado slices on top.
• Serve warm.

Image credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quinoa_soup.jpg

 

What happens when Mexican cooking joins hands with Argentinian cuisine with Asian elements for company? An outstanding mix of flavors that one must experience in order to understand its extravagance. Enjoy a sumptuous meal of soy-ginger carne asada with chimichurri sauce and let its lush flavors pamper you after a hectic day at work.

Carne asada is basically grilled flank steak served on tortillas with typical Mexican additions like chopped tomatoes, guacamole, jalapenos and sour cream on top. While this classic ensemble has enough zing to make your taste buds happy, a twist is always welcomed for change of flavors. So ditch the regular additions and serve carne asada with fresh chimichurri sauce. This Argentinian sauce is made of fresh herbs with a hint of garlicky goodness – a combination which makes the pile of charred-yet-perfectly succulent meat taste so divine. However, it’s the Japanese marinade which adds pizzazz to the ubiquitous steak so that it stands out among its counterparts. So give a whirl to the traditional Mexican fare and surprise your taste buds with a mouth-watering meal for dinner.

 

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

For the steak:

• 1 ½ lb. lean flank steak, fat trimmed

For the marinade:

• 2 tbsp. honey
• 9 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp. scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 5 tbsp. sesame oil
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. salt

For the chimichurri sauce:

• 1 ½ cups fresh parsley leaves
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• ¼ cup green onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

• 2-4 corn tortillas
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels separated and boiled
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

• Place all the marinade ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag, seal and shake to mix well.
• Stuff the flank in it and flip it over to coat both sides; refrigerate overnight to marinate.
• For the chimichurri sauce, dump all its ingredients into a blender and blend until roughly pureed.
• Spoon it into an airtight container and refrigerate until necessary.
• To cook the steak, drain out the slab of meat from the marinade and place it on a hot grill grate.
• Grill each side for 5 minutes to cook to medium doneness and transfer onto a cutting board.
• Allow to cool slightly for 10 minutes and cut it into thin slices.
• Toss the boiled sweet corn with basil leaves and olive oil until well combined and set aside.
• Arrange the beef strips along each tortilla and spoon the prepared sauce over it.
• Top it up with the corn mixture and wrap the tortilla into a roll.
• Serve right away.

Image credit:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carne_asada_(2373927712).jpg