What's That? Quinoa Cold Veggie Salad

Quinoa is your new best friend! Really! For anyone just starting out on the path to improve their health through nutrition, I always recommend the Quinoa seed (pronounced Keen-wah). If you have not found your way to quinoa yet, please do yourself a big favor and get to know this tiny ancient seed that had been the 'sacred mother grain' of the Incas for over 5000 years. One big reason you will come to love Quinoa, is that this mighty seed is easily something you can substitute in a variety of ways for your old carb-alicious favorites. Use it instead to remake your old rice, and cous-cous recipes. If you explore the many recipes on the internet, you will also learn there are many new ways you can use this nutritious high protein seed. Being a super-food, quinoa contains all the amino acids to create a complete protein, including fiber, minerals and vitamins, which make this an excellent filling food for you. Many vegans use this seed as a healthy alternative to meat and dairy. After cooking you can serve it warm or cold, with almost any type of vegetable added, plus it takes to any sauce you add very nicely. Once you give this seed a try, Quinoa will become a staple in your cabinet. Besides found in the rice aisle, it is sometimes found in the international aisle, of most supermarkets. Get some the next time you are in the store!

Usually I purchase mine from the bulk area of the natural food store, and keep it in a glass jar, in the refrigerator. Quinoa comes in a few colors, and even sometimes mixed together called rainbow quinoa. Basically they taste the same, so unless you want the visual excitement of red or rainbow quinoa, the cheaper plain quinoa does just as well. 

It is nice if you are able, to purchase fair-trade quinoa, which helps the local farmers in the areas that grow quinoa, such as Alter Eco brand quinoa.

The other reason you will love quinoa, besides helping your health and waistline, is how fast you can make this for a meal. It takes just 10-15 minutes to cook! So it's a great go to item when you are short on time. If you buy bulk quinoa you should rinse it first in a mesh strainer,  before adding to your saucepan to remove the saponines. 

Some boxed quinoa is pre-washed. This removes any bitter flavor, although I have never noticed anything different when I forget to rinse the quinoa. If I do forget, I just ladle off the foamy layer of bubbles on the water in the saucepan. The ratio for cooking is one cup quinoa, to two cups of liquid. Pretty simple.

After simmering your covered quinoa for 10 - 15 minutes you should see little circles appear, (as shown above) just at the time when most of your liquid has been absorbed. Move it off the burner in the covered saucepan, for a few minutes to continue to cook. Your quinoa is ready to add to whatever recipe you desire, a cold salad or a warm pilaf. Add to whatever fresh veggies are in season. If you plan to use it cold, you can store in the refrigerator, till you are ready to put together your ingredients.

Below is a cold salad recipe that is a bright colorful addition to any summer party. You can even make this dish the night before. Just hold off adding the chopped tomatoes till just before you leave for your event. Look how simple this is!!!

 Cold Quinoa Vegetable Salad

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups water

1 tomato chopped 

1 carrot chopped small

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

1 cucumber chopped

1/2 cup organic raisins

1 lemon or 3 tbs lemon juice

 2 tbs olive oil

salad dressing of choice

Add quinoa and water to saucepan, bring to boil, then cover and simmer 10-15 minutes. After the quinoa is finished cooking you can place the saucepan in the fridge until you finish preparing your veggies. Chop the vegetables from the list above, or just use what seasonal mix of vegetables you have on hand.

Once your veggies are chopped and your quinoa has cooled, mix everything together in a big bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add a few generous drizzles of my favorite dressings to taste. Could be one of these - Annie's Woodstock dressing, Annie's Goddess dressing, Tuscan dressing, or a ginger dressing. Whatever you are in the mood for really. It's all good. Toss together. Chill covered in the fridge. Serve on a hot summer afternoon or evening, and enjoy! So yummy you will want seconds!

It's The Reclaiming My Health Series!

The Epic Tale Of How This Blog Came Into Existence From The Void! The Tragedy! The Hope! The Juice! Yes, I finally completed all three parts of the internationally acclaimed "Reclaiming My Health Series." haha! I know you never heard of it! This is the twisted tale that has been posted on my sister blog called "The Painting Queen." It's the story of my personal evolution from chronic illness, to vibrant healthy me! This is the full on explanation of what it is like to have multiple diseases, combined with the weight gain from 'Hashimoto's hypothyroidism,'. and a bunch of other nifty junk. I can't even remember all of them, as that is not where I live anymore... let me see... Diabetes, high blood pressure, extreme menopause, IBS, RLS, low Vitamin D levels, no sleep for three years, pre-cancerous cells on my uterus, and a doctor turning me into a hyper-thyroid with heart palpitations.... If you or anyone you know has suffered from some of these things, they might get something out of this "story." Everyone is different...but the same too. If you know what I mean.

This series covers my three year journey from bodily system failures, to being revived by Juicing organic plants and eating organic clean vegetables! There are even before and after photos of me! Truly awful too! ha! So get the dirty low down of how I ended up birthing a food/health/social justice blog with the links below to all three parts of this "crazy-mega-mini-me-series!" As my hubby says, "It's all true!" Hopefully the tips, explanations of symptoms, and the proof that eating clean organic plants worked for me in many ways, will help others to reclaim their good health too! I still have extreme menopause, and that's another story. It's like a personal sauna every hour. It must be for some good reason?!!! Also as an artist, I will say that the digital artwork I created to begin each post of this health series, represents how I felt during that phase.

The Reclaiming My Health Series

Part One:  

"The Unknown" - How to mentally handle chronic illness.

Part Two:  
"Hashimoto's Is More Than A Cool Sounding Name" - Living with multiple medical issues, and dealing with being unable to do everyday tasks.

Part Three: 
"The Victory Garden For Reversing Chronic Illness" - 
A Cautionary Tale About 'Medical World,' and finding my answer in Juicing Organic Vegetables, while researching the not-so-nice industrialized food system.


Just a little sumthin' for inspiration!

The Green Polka Dot Box

There is another option for those people too busy to shop for their healthy food, natural personal care, and green household products in person. If you prefer to do your shopping mostly online, now there is 'Green Polka Dot Box.' This buying club includes a yearly membership fee, which start at $50.00. They do have a one month trial program, in which you can try out this online service, and see if it's right for you. Once you sign up, the products of your choice are delivered to your door at a discounted price, and will include a delivery fee if purchases are under a certain dollar amount. If you decide to use 'The Green Polka Dot Box' you can feel good knowing that they only stock Non-GMO food products. Unfortunately they only deliver their fresh organic produce on the western half of the United States. All the other products are available nationwide. If this is something that suits your busy lifestyle, you can read more about this new service at the 'Green Polka Dot Box' website.

Dandelion Parsley Golden Beet Juice

Today's juice contains a healthy dose of dandelion greens and parsley. The unusual color of the golden beet keeps this juice from turning the usual red. Use a small beet for those not used to juicing beets. Your liver also has to get used to the powerful effect of detoxing that beets can provide. Build yourself up gradually. Don't overdo parsley either.

Since this is an earthy tasting treat, you can add an optional Granny Smith Apple to sweeten the flavor. The celery and cucumber keep it light, and the ginger gives a little zing. Lot's of goodness in this juice! Dandelions, parsley, ginger and beets all have qualities which are known to fight cancer. Raw is best.

Dandelion Parsley Golden Beet Juice

1 handful of Dandelion Greens

1 Small Handful of Parsley

4 stalks of celery

1 small Golden Beet peeled

1 Cucumber

1 inch Ginger peeled

1 Granny Smith Apple

Always remember to peel any produce that is not organic. Place each item into your juicer. This recipe makes two to three glasses of fresh green juice. Drink up!

Baba Ghanoush Eggplant Hummus

Loving the homemade hummus! Once you make your own hummus you will not want that container from the store. It's the difference between store bought potato salad and your homemade potato salad recipe. I decided in an effort to cut back on the oil usually found in hummus, to make a version with no added oil. Yes there is some oil in the tahini, but we don't need to add another 1/4 cup to make this hearty appetizer.

Baba Ghanoush Eggplant Hummus

1 large can rinsed chickpeas, or 2 cups dried cooked garbanzo beans after soaking overnight
1-2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 lemon juice or 2-3 Tbs lemon juice
3 tbs water or organic low sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbs Tahini paste
1 tsp cumin 

Himalayan or sea salt to taste
2 tbs sesame seeds (you can roast if you wish)
1 1/4 cooked eggplant or flesh from 1 eggplant

2 tbs hemp seeds 

2 tsp curry powder

2 tsp garam masala 

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp Penzeys taco seasoning 

1 tsp Penzey's Sunny Paris 

paprika 

I used dried garbanzo beans, soaking them over night in the refrigerator. Covering  beans with water in a large bowl, so it is about 2-3 inches higher than the garbanzo beans. When ready to make your hummus, pour out liquid from bowl, rinse, place beans in cooking pot and cover with fresh water an inch over beans. Cook beans for one hour. Let cool. If you are using canned garbanzo beans to save time, rinse them first. When picking out your organic or local eggplant from from the produce department be sure to feel the top stem. You want to feel a sharp prickling sensation from those top green areas. If they are smooth and brownish then the eggplant is not fresh.

While your beans are cooking, you can roast your eggplant which is sliced in half at 400 degrees till soft, or for about 45 minutes. Just scoop out the insides when ready, and let cool. Or you can peel, chop and cube an eggplant, and then lightly sizzle in a frying pan with some organic low sodium vegetable broth until tender. If you do need to add oil to keep the eggplant pieces from sticking to your pan, use only a teeny tiny bit of olive oil. When finished set aside. Gather the rest of your ingredients. I have listed some estimated measuring amounts for the various spices. Honestly, I just add them as I go to my taste. So if you like more or less of something, just do your thing!

After your beans and eggplant are ready, place each ingredient listed into your food processor or good blender, and run for a minute or two until proper consistency. Taste for spices and salt. Add whatever you feel it needs, and pulse a few more times till mixed. If it seems too thick, I like adding a tablespoon of vegetable broth at a time, till it seems correct. Scrape out your hummus mixture into a glass container and sprinkle with paprika.

Now get out 'Doctor Crackers Seedlander Crisps' and dig in to your fantastic homemade appetizer! You can bring your hummus to a summer party, or just serve to your bad self with a few of your favorite organic multi-whole-grain chips. Even better would be to dip into the hummus with some carrot and celery sticks. We love adding some hummus to a wholesome veggie wrap too! So just be happy, and Indulge your afternoon snack fever!

Update: I have made this hummus without the tahini, added water, or vegetable broth. I used a water saute method (no oil) to cook the cubed eggplant for about 20 minutes. Cover and cook just until eggplant is translucent and remove from pan. Set aside in a bowl to cool, and drain off the water as you add to your hummus mixture. This type of cooked eggplant is very moist, and I found that it provides the liquid needed. If the hummus then comes out too moist, just add one tablespoon of hemp seeds and one tablespoon ground golden flax powder and pulse in food processor till desired consistency. Adjust spices as needed. Refrigerate in glass container, it will thicken more in the fridge. Yum!

Woohoo! Our CSA Started And We Just Love Being Locavores

We are so excited to be a part of a CSA this year, and it all started last week!  We meet people all the time who are not familiar with the term CSA. We understand, because last year we did not even know what CSA meant either. CSA means 'Community Supported Agriculture.' You pay your farmer up front before the growing season, so he can have the funds to grow your food for the rest of the season. We are fortunate that our CSA lasts well into the fall, since our farmer has a number of greenhouses. We feel we are getting a very good value for the money since this CSA runs longer than others and has a wide variety of produce available. By knowing your farmer you know their farming practices, and can ask questions directly about how your food is being grown. The farm we are supporting is of course organic. We have gone into this new fresh food adventure with my daughter's family, so we will be splitting our shares of weekly produce.  Every Thursday we pick up our share at the farm, and we find out what produce is waiting for us at that time.  Farmer Tom met with us last week to go over a few things about what to expect, and where we will pick up our weekly items. He was kind enough to then let us wander about his farm, and check out the place.  There are three large and different growing areas on the farm, along with multiple greenhouses. You can see one of the garden areas in the photo above, and others below.
Click on 'Read More' below to view entire post.

"Fat Sick And Nearly Dead" Is Now Free To View Online!

UPDATE: April 2013! This may be temporary, but Joe has posted the entire movie on You Tube this month. You can view it here for FREE.

UPDATE 2013! "Join the Reboot" has just launched a revision to their website in the United States, it is called Reboot With Joe. It features the movie "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" to watch for free on Hulu! Go there right now if you have never watched this film! It will inspire you!!! This is the one that truly moved me to action! After you are finished watching the film you can join the 'Reboot Community' to get information about juicing for your health!!!! This is so wonderful! Please take advantage of this opportunity!!! You will love this documentary! Get your friends to watch too! This is Joe Cross's gift to the people! "Thanks Joe for making it so easy to inspire others to help themselves!"

If you know others who would benefit by viewing this film you can buy a copy of Fat Sick & Nearly Dead to share with those you love! I did this for my family and friends! Sometimes it is much more comfortable watching on the big screen of your living room TV than on a computer. 

Me Just One Year After Watching FS&ND!

Read my story on how changing my lifestyle to one of juicing fresh organic vegetables and eating veggies and fruits changed my life here. After one year I have lost 65 pounds without trying to lose weight! My intention was to get healthy and try to reverse diabetes which I did! This post includes my medical lab report numbers which prove the many improvements that will occur! Let your body heal you from the inside out!

Also don't forget to go to my Inspiration Page where I list many other documentaries that will empower you to thrive in a more healthy radiant body! Learn why you should choose real food, and not processed dead food, to be a vibrant healthy person. The bonus is that when you change the quality of what you eat, you will just naturally lose weight too. The knowledge about your food is your power! There are so many helpful films free on the internet and Netflix. You can do this!!!! We are here to help you with the jam packed information page tabs at the top of this blog. Go to the various green tabs above for info on substitutions for the foods you have a habit of eating now, what foods to avoid, and how to get started on changing your conditioning when it comes to going food shopping! When you choose healthy foods there is no calorie counting, and no membership fees.  Join me on this journey to feeling great! You can also use this list of documentaries to purchase DVD's to own.

If you are new to The Queen's Table Blog you can become a follower on facebook, and learn about healthy eating, losing weight, and even get the scoop on some FREE product GIVEAWAYS! So be sure to "like" The Queen's Table on Facebook where I post articles and info about "food news you can use."