Mango quinoa

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup mango salsa

1. Rinse quinoa well. Three or four washes should do the trick to get rid of the bitter saponins.
2. Bring quinoa and water to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add salsa and bring to a boil.

I serve this over a bed of spinach, with a topping of some more mango salsa. Yum!

Mango salsa

1 28-oz can of tomatoes, drained
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
2 tsp tamarind paste or lemon juice
(optional) jalapeño peppers, to taste
1 to 2 tart mangoes, peeled and diced

1. Mix the first six ingredients together.
2. Process through a food processor until desired consistency. (You can skip this step for a pico de gallo.)
3. Add diced mangoes.
   
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

I've tried frozen mangos, but they're simply too tasteless to do the recipe justice. Please adjust the salt to your preference.

Hidden veggie pasta sauce

1/3 cauliflower
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 calabaza or zucchini squash, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 6-oz can of tomato paste
1 can V8 juice
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
(optional) 1 bag frozen meatballs

1. Steam cauliflower until tender, about 5 mins.
2. Puree cauliflower in a food processor or blender. (By the way, pureed cauliflower can be hidden in all sorts of foods, including pancakes and mac and cheese. Don't tell my kids!)
3. Cook onions, garlic and squash in olive oil over medium heat until translucent.
4. Puree squash mixture in a food processor or blender.
5. Bake meatballs according to package instructions. (I cut 5 minutes off the bake time, since the meatballs will continue to heat in the sauce.)
6. Mix all the ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

This is the veggie-est sneaky vegetable dish in my repertoire. Paired with the popular pasta shape of the day, my kids have no idea how much good stuff they're eating.