Quinoa Spinach Wraps, by Diane

 

The aftermath coming out of the pan...an intentionally ugly food photo for the blog

When wound around the fork like "pasta"

I saw this recipe for a protein-filled healthy wrap on @veganbunnychef and was dying to try it with something! When I decided to try to make Smoked Turkey Wraps this week, I knew this was the combo I needed. Well, this was a fuckin fail...I saw a few reviews saying they were unable to flip them and they broke apart into a green mess, but I have fancy nonstick pans so I thought it would work. Nope. But, I did experiment with the batter since I had it, and upon further inspection these did in fact make a sort of spinach pasta type taste and texture, so after several trials I heated up strips of batter in the microwave on an oiled plate and when wound around a fork with marinara...well it was alright. Did it taste like spinach pasta? Yeah. Would I do it again? No. So- off to the store for wraps since I set this week's lunches around these I go.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

water for soaking

1 cup water

2 cups spinach

Directions:

1. Soak quinoa in a large bowl of water leaving several inches of water above the quinoa for at least 2 hours but better if overnight.

2. Strain and rinse the quinoa, then blend with 1 cup of water and spinach in a blender until smooth.

3. 

Moroccan Quinoa Chickpea Salad, by Cheryl

This is a fantastic meal to have for lunch or as a dinner side! The flavors are so warm and the different ingredients pop in your mouth while eating it. It was super easy too as it's all made in one pot. Healthy, easy, and delicious! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, finely diced
1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
olive oil

Directions:

1) Heat oil over medium heat. When oil is hot add onions and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the spices and cook for 30 seconds more.

2) Add in the broth and quinoa and mix until combined. Cook for 15 minutes (I needed to cook it for 25-30). Fluff with a fork.

3) Stir in the cranberries, chickpeas, and parsley and mix. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with toasted almonds and parsley.

Breakfast Quinoa and Egg Bowl, by Cheryl

How are we midway through January and this our first post of 2018? We've gotta get blogging! This breakfast was so hearty and delicious... a savory breakfast indeed. The runny yolk from the provided a nice sauce for the quinoa, and the healthy dose of veggies gave it some extra crunch. I cooked the vegetables in white truffle oil, but regular oil will do. Any mixture of vegetables work. Yum!

Ingredients:

1/2 - 1 cup cooked quinoa
2 eggs
Mixture of cut vegetables: I used bell pepper, spinach, and mushrooms
Salt to taste

Directions:

1) Cook quinoa according to package directions.

2) Cook vegetables in light oil over medium heat until cooked through.

3) Poach two eggs: Break two eggs into a small bowl. Bring water to a boil in a pot. When boiling, turn off the heat and slowly pour the eggs into the water. Wait about 1.5-2 minutes until whites are cooked, but inside is still runny. Carefully pick up with slotted spoon and place in bowl with quinoa and vegetables. Sprinkle with salt if desired.

Creamy Chicken Quinoa Broccoli Casserole, by Cheryl

First post of 2017! And it's already getting close to the end of January... we need to step up our game! A new baby in the house hasn't left me much time to try new recipes, though I have been looking for easy and quick slow cooker meals and large dishes that I can prepare and then have many leftovers from. One such dish is this creamy chicken, broccoli, and quinoa dish I made the other night. So this dish was good, not great. I found it to be easy to make with plenty of food to go around while being very healthy. Mine just didn't come out as creamy as I would have hoped... in fact it was a tad dry. I also would have preferred it to be more flavorful so maybe next time I'll add extra seasoning. I think I'll make this again because it was gobbled up by all of us and gave us leftovers for the next night! Yum!

Edit to add: I forgot to use the flour in my sauce mixture! Could be a reason for my my sauce not being creamy!

Ingredients (recipe from here):

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I made my own)
1/2 cup flour (just realized I forgot to use this! Maybe that's why my liquid was loose and not creamy!)
2 cups water, divided
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup crumbled bacon, optional
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons seasoning
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (or any kind)
3 cups fresh broccoli florets

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

2) Bring the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk to a low boil in a saucepan. Whisk the other 1/2 cup of milk with the poultry seasoning and flour; add the mixture to the boiling liquid and whisk until a creamy sauce forms.

3) In a large bowl, whisk the sauce, one cup of water, quinoa, and bacon, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips and lay them over the top of the quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

4) While the casserole is in the oven, place the broccoli in boiling water for one minute and then run under cold water.

5) After 30 minutes take the casserole out of the oven and stir it around, and if needed bake for an additional 10-15 minutes (I did 5). Add the broccoli and up to a cup of water, stir, and bake for 5 minutes.

Red Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables, by Cheryl

This is a Cheryl original! It's a super easy recipe that is healthy and ensures that you get your dose of delicious veggies and some yummy quinoa. It's in a white wine and butter sauce with an onion and garlic base. I wasn't in the mood for meat the night I made it, but I added some shredded boiled chicken to the mix for Jon and it tasted great. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
water to cook quinoa
1 eggplant
1 red pepper (I would use more next time)
1 zucchini
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup wine
olive oil
salt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400.

2) Cut up all the veggies into one inch pieces. Spread out on onto baking sheets, cover lightly with oil and salt. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender.

3) Cook quinoa according to package directions.

4) Saute onions and garlic in butter until softened. Pour in wine and simmer until reduced, about 15 minutes. Mix quinoa into pan and cover with sauce.

5) Mix quinoa and veggies together and enjoy!

Black Bean, Shrimp, & Quinoa Bowl, by Cheryl

This recipe comes from Eating Well magazine. It's really easy to make and is very healthy! This is a great filling too if you want tortillas with it... I had it plain as the bowl, but Jon had it with the tortillas. I made a few adjustments: I added shrimp to make it a little more filling for dinner, and avocado because I can't have a Mexican inspired meal without avocado! I wasn't sure how the cabbage would tie in, but it added a nice flavor and crunch! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (I found this to be too much)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 medium poblano pepper, chopped
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa

Directions (original recipe):

1) Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with fork and stir in cumin. Partially cover and set aside.

2) Whisk rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add cabbage and onion. Toss to coat.

3) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add the poblano pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and chili powder and cook for about 2 more minutes.

4) To serve, layer in each bowl: 3/4 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup bean mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese. Top each portion with cabbage mixture and salsa.

5) I marinated the shrimp in lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt, and then cooked in a pan.

Töltött paprika/Stuffed Peppers (Hungary), by Cheryl

Not a traditional looking hungarian stuffed pepper. 

Hungary is next on my world cuisine theme! I've been wanting to make stuffed peppers for a while. So when I came across an easy stuffed pepper recipe in my research of Hungarian recipes I decided to go for it! I didn't follow the recipe to a tee and modified it to fit our tastes and needs for dinner that night - I used quinoa instead of rice, beef instead of pork, and used a plain basic tomato sauce with diced carrots, celery, and onions instead of a tomato juice/celery/butter sauce. I mixed the tomato sauce in with the beef and quinoa so my dish isn't actually in the juice and sauce like a traditional Hungarian stuffed pepper. I also topped it with cheese because... cheese. This was sooooo good and I will definitely be making it again! Yum!

Ingredients (Original recipe from here):

8 medium bell peppers
1 medium onion
4 tsp oil
1/2 cup rice (I used quinoa)
salt
5 cups ground pork (I used a lb ground beef)
pepper

Sauce:

4.5 cups tomato juice
celery leaves
3 tbsp flour
1-2 tsp sugar

Directions:

1) Hollow out the peppers. Finely chop a quarter of an onion and saute in hot oil. Add the rice with a little salt and cover with water. When cooked, set aside to cool.

2) Add the ground pork to the rice then season with salt and pepper. Fill the peppers with the meat mixture. Bring the tomato juice to a boil and pour around the stuffed peppers. Add the remaining onions and celery leaves. Cover and finish cooking over medium heat, about 50 minutes (I cooked the meat on the stove and then baked in the oven for 30 minutes at 350).

3) Remove the peppers from the tomato liquid and discard the celery leaves and onion. Add flour to the hot butter, stirring continuously until it turns golden. Use to thicken the tomato juice. Season with sugar.

4) Return the stuffed peppers to the sauce and let set for 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites, by Cheryl

I originally made these for Julia, but after tasting them I decided that they are a great snack to have around for me as well! They are quick and easy to make and might be good with some kind of sauce, but they are mighty tasty on their own. If you make the quinoa ahead of time then this is super easy. The only adjustment I made was that I put the veggies in the food processor and chopped them that way so the pieces were smaller, rather than cutting them up. Delicious! Recipe is from Alida's Kitchen Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water or chicken broth (I did one of each)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups broccoli florets, finely diced
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I did a mix of whatever I had on hand)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Crushed red pepper

Instructions:

1) Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Preheat oven to 350.

2) In a large bowl combine quinoa, eggs, broccoli, onion, garlic, cheese, paprika, and red pepper.

3) Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

4) Fill each muffin tin with quinoa mixture. I filled mine to the top because it made a lot. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes and then gently remove from pan to cool completely.

Spiced Breakfast Quinoa with Currants, by Diane

When it gets cold out, I crave breakfasts that are warmer than my typical morning smoothie. However, there are only so many bowls of oatmeal and plates of eggs I can eat in the winter for breakfast. So I found a great website, www.onemedical.com, that is run by a medical group and includes lots of fun healthy posts. I found this recipe here.

This breakfast changed my whole week. It is warm, filling, protein-packed, and really really good. I used special honey from Saudi Arabia that a friend brought back- it tastes like lavender flowers because it's cultivated in a certain desert region. If you can get your hands on flavored honey- definitely use it in this recipe! Regular honey or any other sweetener works well too.

Note- to make this last a whole week I tripled the original recipe (which makes 1 cup 2 servings) with the exception of the egg white which I left as 1. Also, it will come out with some liquid in it, which keeps it from drying out in the fridge and moist when it's reheated the next morning! Genius!


Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons currants or raisins


Directions:

1. Place quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse well with cold water. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and cook, stirring, until the grains are separated and smell fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in milk, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in honey and vanilla.

2. Whisk egg white in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the hot cereal. Repeat with 5 more tablespoons until the egg white is completely incorporated. Stir in currants (or raisins). Return the cereal to the saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Quinoa Pine Nut Pilaf, by Cheryl

This post goes hand in hand with the California Turkey Chili recipe that I just posted. It's an excellent accompaniment to the chili as well as a side dish to other recipes as well - I think chicken dishes would be great with it! And it's sooooo easy to make! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups quinoa
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (or Italian parsley)
1/3 cup pine nuts

Directions:

1) Cook quinoa according to package directions using chicken broth instead of water, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter pine nuts on a small rimmed baking sheet (I used my toaster oven). Toast the nuts until golden, about 5 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.

3) Mix the cilantro and pine nuts into the quinoa.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chimichurri Salad, by Diane

This is a Diane creation, inspired by an organic restaurant I love that always mixes these cool "bowls" of things I wouldn't think to combine. This is a protein-packed, healthy vegetarian dish that will keep you full forever and is pretty easy to make too! This was my first time making chimichurri sauce, a typical south american sauce, and I thought it would go really great with these ingredients- which it did!!

As a note: I only had salad shrimp which cooked down so tiny that you can't see them in the recipe- so make sure you start out with bigger ones!

Look to the right of the fork to see how small the shrimp got- they got confused with the rice at times!

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh parsley 
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar  
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin  
1 teaspoon salt  
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic  
1/2 tablespoon pepper sauce
1/2 cup black bean liquid
1 package baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup shrimp, cooked and cleaned
2 cans black beans, lightly drained
1 package quinoa brown rice blend (I used rosemary and olive oil flavor), cooked according to package
3 sweet potatoes, steamed until just soft and cubed
1 avocado, cubed




Directions:

1. Combine parsley through black bean liquid in a food processor, and pour into a medium hot skillet along with the mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms are softened. 

2. Add in shrimp, beans, and quinoa. Mix through and cook for 2 minutes.   

3. Gently fold in sweet potatoes and avocados and heat on low for 5 minutes. 

Breakfast Quinoa, by Diane

I've been seeing a lot of recipes lately for using grains other than oats at breakfast. I couldn't really imagine eating this at breakfast time, but decided to give it a try. I picked quinoa since it's a complete protein and packed with nutrients. This recipe was surprisingly good, and very filling. I can't wait to make it again and add more types of fruit in the summer!


Ingredients:

1 package quinoa (roughly 2 cups)
1 can light coconut milk
2 tbsp. agave
Pinch salt
Raw shredded unsweetened coconut
Sliced strawberries


Directions:

1. Combine quinoa through salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Let boil until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Let sit covered for 5-10 minutes until tender.

2. Top with coconut and strawberries, or any fruit you like. :)

The Jammed Yam, by Diane

This recipe is a recreation of a meal I had at my favorite little organic lunch cafe. In the original recipe, it's a yam stuffed with all kinds of amazing things. But in this photo, I didn't have enough yams for each day of the week (I made it for lunches) so I just chopped the yams and mixed it in. Either way- this is a great tasting, really healthy, very filling lunch that makes you feel good. :)

Note- if you can't find mango salsa you can use salsa verde and chop some fresh mangoes!


Ingredients:

3 yams
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed
2-3 cups quinoa, cooked
2-3 avocados, diced
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup mango salsa
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Pinch salt


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Wrap each yam in foil and place on a baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, steam the red pepper (or you can cook in microwave for 2 minutes to soften). Add red pepper through salsa into a large bowl.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the rest of the ingredients. Mix to combine.

4. Cut each yam in half and top with the mixture. :)