Even though the days are now prone to get shorter and colder, November is a month of big celebrations. Thanksgiving, of course, is the first thing that comes to mind when using the “c” word, but there are some other, less traditional reasons that make this month special. For example, November is Good Nutrition Month. Now this is the kind of celebration I really like. Even though I love a good pig-out every now and then, and however much I eat on these occasions there will always –ALWAYS- be space left for dessert, good nutrition is the motto I generally live by, and it’s nice to celebrate it and remind others of the importance of eating well.

“You are what you eat.”

“Let your food be your medicine.”

These wise ideas were shared by visionary men centuries ago, and remain as prevalent as ever in these times of sugar addiction, TV dinners, and the likes.

To celebrate this important month, I decided to try yet another recipe using my favorite nutritious ingredient in the world: quinoa. For those of you who don’t know, quinoa is an Andean super seed that has been used since the times of the Incas for its amazing taste, and health properties. I eat quinoa every morning for breakfast (instead of oatmeal, but cooked the same way), and I love to try new ways of making it whenever I get the chance.

Scrawling through the internet in search of inspiration, I found a delicious mushroom and Marsala soup that I decided would go incredibly well (and could be turned into a very filling meal) with the addition of some quinoa. Autumn is when I start craving hearty soups that keep me warm throughout the day, so this recipe sounded like the perfect candidate.

I’m also a big fan of any dish that uses a good wine in its preparation, and many times I add it at random to any recipe. I just love what a good cooking wine does for food! I really have come to consider them an important staple ingredient in my kitchen. For this soup I used the wonderful Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine, and the depth of flavor it gave to the mushroom and quinoa combo was a total delight. Why don’t you go and try it yourself?

And don’t forget to celebrate this Good Nutrition Month with the ones you love!

Hearty Mushroom, Marsala and Quinoa Autumn Soup Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pack (about 500 gr) mushrooms of your choice, sliced

1 diced white onion

2 diced carrots

2 finely chopped garlic cloves

1.5 lts vegetable stock

1/4-1/2 cup Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 tablespoons tomato purée

Grated fresh Parmesan cheese to serve (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. To make the quinoa, put in a pan with twice the amount of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes at medium-high heat. Drain any remaining water and reserve.

2. Slice and dice all the veggies. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, and sauté the garlic, onion, carrot and rosemary for about 5 minutes, until softened. Stir constantly. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes, stirring. Then add the Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine, stock, and tomato puree.

4. Cook for 30 minutes, adding more liquid (either water or stock) if it becomes too thick. Season with salt and pepper, and add the quinoa.

5. Serve in soup bowls, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Disclosure: As Mizkan Advocates, SpanglishBaby receives compensation for creating and sharing these recipes with you. All opinions are our own.

Mother´s Day is around the corner, and food is being thrown at us from every direction. As we all very well know, moms tend to have a special place in their hearts for sugary treats, and buying baked confections or making them at home is high on the list of best gifts for her on this once-a-year event. But before the awaited dessert, a whole meal needs to be prepared for the family, and even though this is, in fact, Mother’s Day, most mamás put their aprons on and work away in the kitchen to get the job done. After all, this is why we celebrate them: because they care so much for us, that they won’t stop working even on their day to show how much they love us. Motherhood is a very special thing indeed!

Thinking of this, one of my favorite rice pilafs came to mind, since it’s so easy to make, and sure to please everyone. Making this pilaf is easy for mom, if she wants a hassle-free meal that will still allow her to relax a bit and enjoy all the pampering of the day. But it is also great for teenagers and husbands who want to take control of the kitchen for the day and please her. What’s great about it is that it is the perfect dish not only for this day, but for any other occasion, and it’s good for pros and beginners alike. All you have to do is mix the ingredients, add the delicious red wine syrup made with Holland House red wine vinegar, y listo! A healthy, nutritious, -and most importantly- delicious meal that will leave everyone satisfied and with a smile.

The very adaptable recipe also allows you to add or skip ingredients according to your family´s taste. I love it with lots of olives and roasted and fresh peppers, but you may add bacon, cheese, or any other vegetable, like green peas or artichoke hearts. Sometimes I even transform it into a salad, using the same ingredients, with added baby spinach and blue cheese (or goat cheese, which I love and goes amazing with red wine vinegar). When I do this, I splash the dish with a red wine vinaigrette, instead of the syrup of the pilaf…and just like that, you have a whole new dish!

Ingredients

2 cups white rice (Basmati or jasmine is fine)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tablespoon onion, diced
1 cup green olives, sliced
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup raisins or cranberries
½ cup almonds, sliced and toasted
Salt and pepper

**
6 tablespoons Holland House red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar

Preparation:

In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir until aromatic. Don´t let them turn golden. Immediately add the rice, stirring for a few minutes, add salt and pepper (be careful with the salt because the olives are salty), and boiling water to cover. Put the lid on, lower the heat to a minimum, and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the red wine syrup: In a pan over high heat melt the sugar, add the vinegar, add salt and pepper, and bring to a boil for 3 minutes.

Uncover and stir with a fork to separate the rice grains. It should be fluffy. Add the green and black olives, red pepper, raisins, or cranberries.

Serve the rice sprinkled with the toasted almonds and the Holland House red wine syrup.

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Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored series to develop recipes using Mizkan products. All opinions are our own.