Quinoa Blueberry Salad

This past weekend, I hosted a 30th Birthday party for my wonderful husband in our backyard.  I wanted to make a side dish that was healthy, delicious, and complemented barbecue food well.  I think this was a hit!

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 1 1/2 c. Quinoa
• 3 c. Blueberries (fresh)
• 1 c. Parsley (chopped)
• 1/2 c. Scallions (chopped)
• 8 oz. Feta (crumbled)

For the Dressing

• Zest from 1 Orange
• Juice from 1 Orange
• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Freshly Grated Ginger

Instructions:

• The night before you plan on serving, bring 3 cups of water and the 1 1/2 cups of quinoa to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, put the quinoa in a large bowl.  Add the blueberries, parsley, scallions, and feta
• Whisk together the dressing, pour over the salad, and toss to coat.

 

Sweet Potato, Power Greens, and Quinoa Burgers

I love everything about these burgers...I'll be eating them this week on whole wheat pita.



Ingredients :

• 3 Medium Sweet Potatoes
• 1 c. Power Greens (blend of baby spinach, baby kale, and chard)
• 1/4 c. Quinoa (uncooked, rinsed)
• 1/4 c. Almond Meal
• 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil
• 1 tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 2 tsp. Hot Sauce
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400. 
• Peel, slice, and boil sweet potatoes until soft.  Drain and let cool
• Put quinoa and 1/2 c. water in a small pot.  Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer 15 minutes until all water is absorbed
• In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes and blend with chopped greens, quinoa, almond meal, hot sauce, and spices
• Pour the coconut oil and maple syrup over the mixture and stir until combined
• Form into 4-5 patties (depending on size) and place on lightly greased cookie sheet
• Bake 40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes

Vegan Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

I find myself wanting to bake at the randomest times.  Take for example, this evening...I had an insanely long day at work, but still felt like baking when I got home.  I hadn't made a bread in awhile, so I decided to throw some stuff together, and it came out pretty delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 c. Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 c. Quinoa (ground into a flour)
• 1.5 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1.5 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1.5 tsp. Cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp. Nutmeg
• 0.25 tsp. Allspice
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1.25 c. Stevia in the Raw
• 0.75 c. Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1.5 c. Pumpkin Puree
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 medium Zucchinis (shredded)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, quinoa flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt

In a large bowl, mix Stevia, applesauce, and pumpkin puree

Add the vanilla

Add the dry to the wet and stir until just combined

Cut the tops off of 2 medium zucchinis

Coarsely grate the zucchini into the bowl

Fold in

Spray 2, 9"x5" loaf pans with cooking spray, and divide the batter evenly

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool, and slice

Clean Chicken and Vegetable Stew

This past weekend, I was again craving soup.  This time, I added extra lean ground chicken, amped up the veggies, and tried some new spices.  I threw in a teaspoon of cinnamon, and it unexpectedly (and amazingly) turned out to be a really dominant flavor of the dish.  It gave it sort of an earthy, middle eastern vibe, and the red pepper flakes really cleared my stuffed up sinuses.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Extra Lean Ground Chicken
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 small Onions, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Coriander (Cilantro)
• 2 small Zucchini, chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 10-15 Baby Carrots, sliced
• 2 c. Broccoli, chopped
• 4 c. Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1 28-oz. can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 c. Quinoa
• 1.5 tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, minced
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, and Pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the chicken, onion, green onion, and garlic in the olive oil until cooked through.  Then add the cinnamon and coriander

Add all fresh vegetables to the pot and stir until combined

Add tomatoes, broth, and quinoa and bring to a boil.  Then let simmer for 20 minutes

Add lemon juice and seasonings, and Enjoy!

Quinoa Cookies!!

I saw these on Pinterest, and had to try them!  I adapted the recipe a bit, and they are delicious!!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. of Quinoa, cooked according to package directions (I put a bit of Ideal Brown Sugar in the water)
• 1 c. Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 c. Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut
• 1/2 c. Natural Almond Butter or Peanut Butter (I've made it both ways, and prefer the PB)
• 1/3 c. Honey
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 tbsp. Ground Flaxseed
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 c. Mini Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 170 degrees

Combine cooled quinoa with oats, coconut, and cinnamon

Using Magic Bullet, food processor, or coffee grinder, grind flaxseed until powdery

In a separate bowl, combine almond/peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and flax

Mix all ingredients together and fold in chocolate chips

Form the mixture until balls and flatted on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour

ENJOY!

Protein Monster

After my workout tonight, my body was craving protein.  The resultant dinner was Garlic and Cayenne Pepper Tilapia over Quinoa with broccoli, edamame, tomatoes, and onions.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. quinoa
• 1/2 c. organic salsa (with chunky onions and tomatoes)
• 1 c. frozen, chopped broccoli
• 1/2 c. edamame (shelled)
• 4 oz. Tilapia fillet
• Garlic Powder and Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 425
Coat Tilapia with garlic powder and cayenne pepper
Bake Tilapia for 8-12 minutes until white and flaky
In a small pt, bring water, quinoa, broccoli, salsa, and edamame to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.

Mix together and enjoy!

Green and Proteiny

My dinner tonight is a Veggie and Quinoa Stir Fry...completely delicious, and for those of you Weight Watchers enthusiasts, it's only 5 points for that whole dish!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Quinoa
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen green beans
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• Spices to taste - garlic powder, paprika, black pepper

Spray the bottom of a large pan with cooking spray.  Add garlic, onion, and green bell pepper and saute over medium heat for 7-8 minutes.  Add all other vegetables and continue to saute another 5-6 minutes.  Add vegetable broth and quinoa and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover and let simmer for 15 minutes until all water is absorbed.

ENJOY!

Have a Healthy 4th of July! :)

Hello All!  I bring you some deliciously healthy, vegetarian, and summery dishes to spice up any summer party:

First, here is a Quinoa Black Bean Salad (serves 8):

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked Quinoa
• 1 can low sodium black beans
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 handfuls sugar snap peas, halved
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 medium sized carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp. lime juice
• chili powder
• cumin
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• celtic sea salt

Instructions:

• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil; add Quinoa and reduce heat to simmer; cover and simmer 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed; set aside
• Place all vegetables and garlic in large skillet with 2 tsp. olive oil and lightly saute for 3-4 minutes to release flavors (vegetables should remain crispy).  During last minute of saute, add cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, and a dash of sea salt (all spices are to taste)
• In a small container, make the dressing:  whisk the remaining olive oil with the lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper
• In a large container (or serving bowl) mix the quinoa, veggie mixture, and dressing together
• Refrigerate and serve chilled

sauteeing the veggies

Quinoa is such a cool looking grain...additionally, it is high in protein and in fiber

Finished Product!

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 Next up is a chilled lentil salad with spinach, broccoli, zuchini, and red onion in a lemon-garlic vinaigrette (serves 8).  Lentils are great because they have the highest protein content of any legume and they also don't require pre-soaking like most other dried beans

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry lentils, uncooked
• 2 handfuls baby spinach, shredded by hand
• 1 cup chopped broccoli 
• 1 small zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 oz. feta cheese, finely diced
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic

 
 Instructions:

• In a pot, place the lentils in enough water to cover them by 1 inch; bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are tender (this should be done slightly in advance to allow the lentils to cool)
• Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, and minced garlic
• In a large container, mix the lentils, spinach, onions, zucchini, broccoli, and feta
• Add the dressing, and stir to mix
• Serve chilled!

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Another delicious summer salad, inspired by my friend Dan, is a 5-Bean Salad with Orzo:


Ingredients:

• 1 can low sodium Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium White Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium Golden Corn, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 4 celery stalks, diced
• Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• White Pepper
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 package of Orzo, cooked according to package directions

Instructions:

• Whisk together white pepper and balsamic vinegar
• Mix the cooked orzo with the beans, cilantro, and onion
• Pour the dressing over and mix gently
• Serve chilled!

Hope these delicious recipes inspire you to bring a little health and clean eating to your next barbeque or party!

Happy Independence Day!!