#2,637: Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

I made this healthy quinoa salad for lunch, and whipped it together in just a few minutes.  Don't you love recipes like that?!  I used leftover quinoa that I had in the fridge, chopped up some veggies, and then added some dressing on top.  I took the picture on a cute (long) summery tray and was too lazy to put it back in a bowl (I didn't want to get another bowl dirty) so I just ate it off the tray.  My husband looks over and starts laughing at how ridiculous I look eating this off a gigantically long tray.  Ha!  This salad is super light and the lemon gives it is nice refreshingly summer flavor, while the almonds, cucumber, and peppers give the texture the crunch I love.  I was out of parsley so I just used some cilantro instead.  I also decided to omit the mint, since all I have is chocolate mint in my garden and thought that might be too weird to a taste for this dish.   

For the quinoa salad

3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked)

1 large seedless cucumber, diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 (15 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch of mint, finely chopped (I omitted)

1 bunch of Italian parsley, finely chopped (I used cilantro)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 lemon, juiced (I used 6 drops of lemon vitality essential oil)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (I omitted)

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients from the “for the quinoa salad” portion of the recipe.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over the quinoa salad and toss to evenly coat. 

#2,731: Spring Quinoa with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

This recipe has all ingredients I love: quinoa, bacon, feta, peas, and almonds.  Seriously, I love everything about this salad!  It was SOOOO good, and I can't wait to eat the leftovers again today.  I debated about eating it for breakfast but figured I'd resist the urge and wait until lunch.  The feta and almonds get soft in this if it sits too long, so just keep that in mind!  This is SUPER good!  

For the salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2-3 cups frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup feta cheese

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup freshly chopped basil and cilantro

1/2 cup almonds, pulsed in a food processor until crushed

For the dressing

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 large juicy lemons)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

a few tablespoons honey (I did 3, but adjust to taste)

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. You can make this ahead of time and just let it chill in the fridge.

Toss the quinoa with the thawed peas, feta, bacon, herbs, and almonds.

Puree all the dressing ingredients in the food processor. Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients. Season generously with salt and pepper. 

#2,681: Quinoa Veggie Chili

With it being Lent this time of year, I'm looking for vegetarian dishes I can make to eat during the week, but primarily on Fridays.  I liked that this recipe had everything I already had in the house except for the zucchini, so it was a clean-out-the-pantry kind of a meal too! 

I felt like the flavors of this were a bit dark and strong, but I'm assuming that's partially because I only used one can of the diced tomatoes.  Next time I would add a bit more water to dilute the flavors a bit.  I also added about 4 oz of plain greek yogurt right to the dish when it was done cooking to help mild the flavors out a bit and I did definitely enjoy that addition.  I loved eating this topped with some cilantro, a little bit of avocado, and some crushed tortilla chips!  

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 zucchini, sliced and quartered

1 green pepper, diced (I used and orange bell pepper)

1 red pepper, diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I only used 1 can)

14 oz water 

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup medium salsa (I used picante sauce)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup cooked quinoa

Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream (or greek yogurt), cilantro

In large pot, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute yellow onion until translucent. Add in chopped green and red peppers and zucchini, and saute for another 5-6 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Stir in 2 tbsp of tomato paste.

Add two 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, beans, cooked quinoa and spices. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add that to the pot. Last, stir in ½ cup of medium salsa and bring the whole pot to a simmer. Let the chili cook for at least 20 minutes on medium-low heat.

Top with desired toppings.  

#1,854: Quinoa-Corn Salad

I came across this recipe in my recent issue of Food Network Magazine, and was super eager to try it because I LOVE quinoa and I LOVE corn.  Some of my favorite food groups combined together!!  Although I certainly enjoyed this recipe, the second day I had some leftover sesame ginger salad dressing and added it to this as well, and I enjoyed this even more!  So the next time I make this I'll probably add some sesame ginger dressing to it as well.  And red onion.  As you can see from my photo I used red onion instead of the scallions...it was just as good...but I like red onions! 

1/2 cup red quinoa
3 shucked ears of corn (I used frozen shoepeg corn, about 5 oz)
1 chopped large heirloom tomato (I used about 10 grape tomatoes)
2 sliced scallions (I used red onion)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of cayenne

Cook 1/2 cup red quinoa as the label directs. Put 3 shucked ears of corn in a bowl with a few tablespoons of water; loosely cover and microwave until tender, about 3 minutes. Cool, then cut off the kernels.

Toss the quinoa and corn with tomato, scallions, olive oil, lime juice, salt and a pinch of cayenne.

#1,826: Crockpot Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa Bake

I hate when I let so much time go by between posting new recipes!  It's been over a month since I posted, but you can tell my busiest time of the years...and back to school is definitely a busy time for us all!  I made this recipe after my cousin posted making it and liking it.  I loved all of the ingredients in it, so I knew I had to give it a try.

This was really, really good, but I had to cut WAY back on the enchilada sauce, as I didn't think it needed it.  And personally, it didn't need it!  I used about 1/3 to 1/2 of a can and I would definitely do that again next time I make this.  

Such a simple recipe to make to have for lunches (or dinner) for the week! 

1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef) 

1 and 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed well

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies

1/2 cup salsa

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup onion

1/2 cup sweet bell peppers, I used orange

1 cup water

1 can (19 ounces) enchilada sauce*

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cups cheddar or Mexican cheese

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, sour cream, green onions, 1 small jalopeno

In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey until browned through. Drain out any grease and place in the slow cooker.

Add in the uncooked quinoa, the black beans, the frozen corn, the diced tomatoes and green chilies, the salsa, and minced garlic.

Chop up the onion and sweet bell pepper into small pieces. Add to the slow cooker. If desired chop up a jalapeno and add it too.

Add in the water, enchilada sauce (I used half a can of mild), chili powder, and cumin.

Stir everything together really well. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours or until the liquid is all absorbed into the mixture.

Once it is done cooking, remove the lid and stir everything again. Stir in the cheese and fresh cilantro (stems removed and chopped).  If desired add in the fresh lime juice.

Add a dollup of sour cream and some chopped green onions if desired.

#1,747: Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Turkey Chili

I was supposed to use my new pressure cooker with this recipe, as it seemed the least intimidating to try using it with, but I chickened out.  So I decided to throw it in my crockpot instead.  I LOVED this recipe.  It was healthy, and comforting and filling.  I will definitely be making this recipe again and is a great meal to make on the weekend and then have for lunches and/or dinners during the week.  I'm a big fan of this one!

1 tablespoon olive oil (I omitted)

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (I used 1/2 jalapeno)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock

1 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup quinoa

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast, uncooked and diced (I used cooked ground turkey)

1 tablespoon lime juice

avocado, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, optional (I omitted)

If using the pressure cooker, here are the instructions.  I however put the sweet potato, onion, garlic, chili powder, jalapeno, cumin, salt, broth, black beans, diced tomatoes and cooked (crumbled) ground turkey in a crockpot and cooked on high for about 3-4 hours (until the sweet potatoes were done).  Then I added the cooked quinoa and the lime juice. 

Saute and add oil to the pressure cooker pot. When oil is hot, add the sweet potato and onion and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Stir in chili powder, chipotle, cumin and salt. Add chicken broth, black beans, tomatoes, quinoa, and chicken and stir to combine.

Lock lid in place, select High Pressure and 4 minutes cook time and start. When timer beeps, turn off pressure cooker, wait 5 minutes, then do a quick pressure release.

Stir in the lime juice and add additional salt as needed. If necessary, let chili rest unplugged for several minutes uncovered and the quinoa will absorb additional liquid.

Garnish individual bowls with avocado, cilantro, sour cream or shredded cheese.

#1,731: Quinoa Salad with Apples, Almonds and Dried Cranberries

Now here is a quinoa recipe that I absolutely loved and had to stop myself from eating the entire bowl.  It was THAT good.  I loved the nuttiness of the almonds and quinoa, yet the sweetness from the fruits and the bitter/sourness from the dressing really balanced it out.  Delish!!  Definitely make this one. 

2 crisp apples, cored, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 tablespoons lemon juice (I omitted)

1 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed well

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup dried cranberries

2 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss apples with lemon juice.
Mix quinoa, 1/4 tsp. salt and 2 cups cold water in a pan. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until most of water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then turn out onto a baking sheet to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Spread almonds on a baking sheet. Toast until golden, 7 to 10 minutes, shaking pan once. Transfer to a plate to cool. In a bowl, whisk vinegar and mustard. Gradually add olive oil, whisking, until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain apples, if necessary, and add to bowl. Add quinoa, almonds, cranberries and scallions. Gently toss; season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. 

#1,672: Quinoa chili

My friend Lora posted this on her pinterest board and when I saw it, I knew I wanted to try it too.  I replaced some of the beans with some cooked ground turkey, and just made a few other minor changes.  This is really good.  It's a hearty, easy to make, healthy chili that is a perfect winter comfort meal.  

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (I used 1 can)
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 - 2 cups water
1 (7 oz) can diced green chiles
2 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp granulated sugar (I used stevia)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I omitted)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
I also added ½ lb cooked ground turkey
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add onion and saute until tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cooked quinoa, water (start with 1 1/2 cups then add more later if desired), green chiles, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, paprika, sugar, coriander, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot and allow to simmer 30 minutes.

Add in all beans, corn, cilantro and lime and cook until heated through. Serve warm with optional toppings and sides if desired (cheddar, sour cream, diced avocados, saltine crackers or tortilla chips).

#1,601: Quinoa Patties

When I made quinoa for the chicken quinoa recipe, I had some leftover so I needed to find another recipe in order to use it up. I decided to make this super simple recipe and was so glad I did. These are delicious! A tad under seasoned but overall delicious.  My kids weren't big fans, but I was perfectly content to hoard these all for myself.  So good!

2 1/2 c. cooked quinoa at room temperature
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. finely chopped chives or green onions
1/3 c. finely chopped yellow or white onion
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 c. bread crumbs

1 T. olive oil, for cooking

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Set aside to cool.  (I cooked mine in chicken broth to give it more flavor…so good)

Once cool, combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT THE OIL in a bowl and mix well to combine.  Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, scoop about 1/8 cup (use a measuring cup) of the mixture, quickly press it into small patties, and slide it into the hot oil. 

Cook for 4-6 minutes on one side until the underside is golden brown, flip, and repeat until the other side is also a golden brown.  Place on a paper towel lined plate until ready to plate and serve.  You can serve these hot or cold.  

#1,599: Crispy Quinoa-Coated Chicken Bites

Here is a fantastic recipe that was really quite simple to make, and everyone in my family went crazy for it.  The breading was so crispy and the chicken was super tender.  This is definitely going into a "make again/favorite" category!  I do think it is a tad bit under seasoned, but overall still really, really, really good!

1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 large eggs
2 tbsp water
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 c. quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a shallow dish, combine flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and water. In a third shallow dish, stir together the panko, Parmesan and cooked quinoa.

Working in batches, place chicken pieces in the dish with the flour mixture and toss to coat. Dip a flour-coated chicken in egg mixture and turn over several times until thoroughly coated. Lastly dip chicken into the quinoa mixture, gently pressing the crumbs into the chicken; as they are coated. Set each piece on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Bake for 20 to 23 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and browned. 

#1,577: Green and Gold Quinoa Salad

I decided to make this recipe for lunch because I happened to have all of the ingredients already on hand! (Love those kind of recipes/meals!)  I absolutely loved this recipe.  LOVED it!  It was so simple to make and it was great as a leftover as well.  I will probably be making this when I go back to school because I can easily have it as a leftover/lunch for 2 or 3 days.  The quinoa and almonds give this a nice crunchy texture/flavor and the corn gives it a really nice sweetness.  I didn't love the parsley (I don't love parsley though) so I think next time I might try it with fresh basil instead.  Definitely a keeper recipe for me!

1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1 bunch  scallions trimmed, sliced crosswise
5 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
lemon wedges

Cook quinoa according to package directions; let cool. In skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add zucchini and scallions. Cook, stirring, until zucchini is crisp-tender, 5 minutes; let cool.

In large bowl, toss quinoa, zucchini mixture, corn and parsley; season.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Can be made 2 days ahead.) Before serving, toss in almonds. Serve with lemon wedges.

#1,563: Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad

Here's another recipe that I made/tried for my friend Jaime.  This one was outstanding and I'm really looking forward to lunch tomorrow already!  The dressing is super simple to make and requires very few ingredients.  BUT I was ridiculously lazy tonight and decided to use a cranberry vinaigrette (bottled) instead.  I'm sure it lost a little of its "power" and health factor that way, but it was still SOOOOOO good.  I mean just look at it...how can that NOT be good?!?!

What else I love about this recipe is that you don't have to measure anything.  Yes the recipe below can be followed exactly, but why bother?!  I filled my bowl with spinach, used as many tomatoes that looked good enough to me, added some red onion along with the green onion, and used about 1/4 of an avocado because that's what I wanted to eat.  The photo above has about 1/2 c cooked quinoa which isn't a ton, but it sure was plenty for this salad. 

I also finally got to use my new Farberware avocado food huggers and can't wait to see if the other half of my avocado will still be fresh tomorrow.  Have you heard of these?  (See photo at right) I found a review of this in one of my magazines and couldn't wait to get it.  I waste a lot of avocados.  Yes I know you can freeze them, but mine always turn out brown still and it changes the texture.

1 cup dry quinoa
1-2 avocados
3 oz. baby spinach
8 oz. cherry tomatoes
3 green onions

For the dressing
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: in a small bowl whisk together ingredients and set aside.

(I used baby spinach and just pulled the leaves off) Roughly chop the spinach and place in a large bowl.

Slice the green onions, halve the cherry tomatoes, and dice the avocado.

When quinoa is done cooking, add it to the large bowl with spinach and toss. The heat from the quinoa will lightly wilt the spinach.

Add the green onions, tomatoes, and dressing. Stir to combine. Add the avocado and lightly toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate for flavors to blend.

#1,444: Creamy Tex-Mex Quinoa Dinner or Dip

This recipe is actually supposed to be more like an appetizer served with Scoops tortilla chips.  But I loved the idea of this as more of a dinner/casserole, so I served mine to be eaten as is.  This was good as a casserole, but it was definitely even better served with tortilla chips!  I will definitely make this again.  

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced or petite-diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed and drained

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4-8 ounces light or regular cream cheese, cubed (depending on how creamy you like it)

Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

In a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, toss the chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes and quinoa together.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker and give it all a good stir (scrape down any quinoa that may be stuck to the sides of the slow cooker above the liquid).

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Toss in the cubed cream cheese and cover the slow cooker for 5-10 minutes to let it soften.

Stir all the ingredients together until the cream cheese is mixed in well.  Add the lime juice and cilantro and give it another quick stir.

Serve as is, with tortilla chips, in a corn tortilla, etc. 

#1,414: Quinoa and Vegetable Soup

I originally set out to make a different quinoa soup recipe, but then realized I was out of one of the main ingredients.  So I ran to google to search for a different soup recipe instead.  I was already mid-recipe so this recipe seemed like the perfect one to continue making, since the start of the recipe was the same.  Although I think this is lacking a little bit with the seasoning, I really am enjoying eating this.  I like the slight nuttiness from the quinoa and texture it gives this soup.  Although it absorbs A LOT of the liquid so there isn't a ton of broth in this soup.  (I'm ok with that though!)  

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
1 pinch dried thyme
2 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I used 14 oz of petite diced)
2 cups shredded cabbage (I omitted)
1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained (I omitted)
1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked

Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir onion, garlic, carrot, and celery until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add parsley, basil, bay leaf, thyme, chicken broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until heated through, 10 minutes.

Stir cabbage, kidney beans, and quinoa into the soup. Cover and simmer until quinoa is tender, 30 minutes. Garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese.

#1,236: Turkey & Quinoa Taco Bake

Photo coming soon....I can't find where I took it.  :) 

I made this to eat for lunch last week and I ate it every single day!  I really, really enjoyed eating this easy, healthy meal!  I will be keeping this for my lunch meal rotations for sure! 

1 cup uncooked Quinoa

20oz package 93% Lean Ground Turkey (that it way too lean for my liking. I used 85/15)

1 can Tomato Sauce

1 ½ cups chopped Red or yellow or green pepper

½ cup chopped onion 

diced Jalapeno (to taste)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Juice of 1 lime

Garlic 3 cloves minced

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Hot Sauce to taste (optional)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Add Quinoa to 2 cups water in a Medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

Spray frying pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno and sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up as it browns. Cook for about 5 minutes and add the peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until meat if no longer pink.

Add the juice of 1 lime, cumin, chili powder and cilantro. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Remove from heat and add the quinoa to the meat and veggie mixture. Pour in the tomato sauce and hot sauce if using and stir. Add ¼ c of shredded Cheddar Cheese.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

#954: Quinoa with Mixed Veggies

This was a recipe I made about a week and a half ago and realized I never posted it.  Although it was easy, healthy and good, I didn't love it.  It needed cheese.  :)  It needed feta.  And maybe some nuts.  It won't be as healthy, but I think it will have a  better flavor (in my opinion). 

1 cup quinoa (I used red quinoa)
2 cups organic, low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup edamame
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine the quinoa and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and lightly simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Mix together edamame, red pepper and cucumber. Once quinoa is cooked add garlic, black pepper and sea salt and mix throughly.  Then add in your vegetable mix (edamame, red pepper and cucumber).

#927: Quick & Easy Tabbouleh

Quinoa is one of my favorite foods right now.  I am desperately trying to find red quinoa, which my friend Lora claims she finds at Kroger, but I cannot find it.  Anyhow, I was super excited to try this recipe because it contains quinoa and feta...two favorites in one!

This was delicious.  I loved it.  It wasn't as filling as I had hoped but I just ate it as a side dish to something else.  I will definitely be making this again.  Yummy!!

2 cups cooked Quinoa, cooled
2 tablespoons Light Italian Dressing (I used Greek salad dressing)
1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Feta Cheese
1 large tomato, chopped
1 medium size cucumber, chopped

Combine all ingredients, cover and refrigerate 1 hour to allow all the flavors blend in with the quinoa.
 Makes four 1 cup servings,  4 points+ each

#834: Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole

I found this recipe on my sister-in-laws Pinterest board and was so excited to make this since I love Quinoa!!  (By the way, Leslie, I don't ever see you making this!)  :)  The most time consuming part of this recipe is making the quinoa ahead of time and letting it cool. 

Then I realized I was completely out of any sort of "cream of..." soup.  So I googled it and made my own.  This is the recipe I used, and I halved the recipe.  It was actually quite simple to make, even if it was a tad bland (but that's because I didn't add anything like chicken or celery into it).  I also cut down on the cheese (I omitted a lot of it) and didn't use the Parmesan cheese that's called for on top to help make this lighter/healthier. 

Anyhow, I got 6 nice size servings out of this.  The edges are really nice and crispy so next time I think I'll try making this in muffin tins instead.  This is going to make for a nice, healthy lunch this week. 

One 10 oz can condensed Cream of Broccoli soup (I made my own at 1.5 ww+ pts)

1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (I used 1/2 c of Mexican blend cheese)

1/2 teaspoon Splenda/sugar (I omitted)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

.
2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups COOKED quinoa (see note)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I omitted)

.
To cook quinoa:

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

.
Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear. In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible. Fluff with a fork.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in or 5-6 cups) casserole dish – or individual ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.

 

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.  Spoon mixture into prepared casserole. Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden. 

 

I got 6 servings out of this at 3.5 ww+ pts each (my version without the Parmesan cheese and less of the shredded cheese).

#817: Turkey and Quinoa Muffins

The picture about does NOT do this recipe justice. In fact, if I saw this picture I would never try it. So don't let this stop you from trying it. I was pretty sure Brian was going to hate this recipe. I usually try not to tell him what is in a recipe until after he starts eating it, but he saw the word "quinoa" before we ate and I would have put money on him not even trying this AT ALL. He happily surprised me by not only eating this, but liking it. We all enjoyed it. So much so, that the kids kept asking for more and there were no more left to give them. So next time I'm going to double this recipe. Matthew loved it too! It was a little crumbly and a little dense but we still enjoyed it a lot. I was trying to outsmart the stupid muffin tin by making these in an 8x8 pan instead and that did NOT work out for us. I had to crisp up the bottom of the muffins in a pan for a few minutes. DON'T make this in a pan unless you put this into an actual loaf pan instead of muffins.

1lb ground lean turkey 2 egg whites
1/3c cooked quinoa
Cumin
Balsamic vinegar
Garlic powder
Spicy mustard
Chile powder
Crushed red pepper
Fresh chives
Poppy seeds (I omitted)
Dash of hot sauce (I omitted)
 

This is exactly what the recipe directions stated: "For the spices, vinegar, & mustard... I didn't measure. I just sprinkled until I thought it looked like enough. So... "to taste.'"

This is my kind of recipe.  I can just dump stuff in??  Yes please! 

Preheat your oven to 425. Coat a muffin pan with non stick spray. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Fill the tins almost full. Then bake for about 30 minutes or until cooked thru.

#754: Quinoa, Green Beans, Walnuts and Feta

 
Quinoa, Green Beans, Walnuts and Feta....these are a few of my favorite things!  (I'm quoting Sound of Music here obviously). 

I could not wait to try this recipe for dinner.  I love quinoa, walnuts and feta. The worst part of this recipe is that you have to make the quinoa ahead of time.  That's ok for me though.  This was fantastic.  I ate it for 3 days.  It is so good.  It's good hot, warm or cold.  Loved it!
 

1 cup dry Quinoa(prepare to package directions)

1 pound fresh Green Beans, washed and trim ends
a few pinches of fine Sea Salt
1/4 cup toasted Walnuts
drizzle of Walnut Oil
a few ounces crumbled Blue Cheese (I used Feta)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the middle. Toast nuts for about 10 minutes or until slightly browned and fragrant.

Prepare your quinoa and fluff with a fork.

Green Beans (I used the pre-washed steamer bags you can buy in the produce section.  So much easier!)

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water. Add a few pinches of salt and bring to a rolling boil. Prepare an ice bath full of water to dunk beans in when they have finished cooking. This will set the color and keep them crisp.  Add the beans to the water and make sure they are fully submerged, add some more warm water if needed. Boil beans over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. They should be bright green and tender enough to be speared with a fork.  Drain beans in a colander and immediately put them into the ice bath. Swish them around in the bath until cool. Remove, and blot with a clean dish towel to remove dampness.

Chop beans into little bite sized pieces. Toss with oil and nuts and some blue cheese. Serve over a bed of quinoa. Top with each serving with extra nuts and cheese.  Serve at any temperature.