Tag: quinoa

Chopped Spinach and Quinoa Salad

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This salad is delicious and packed with protein, especially when you add the chickpeas.

While I was preparing to make the salad for dinner, I also cut up veggies for a morning juice. Sometimes it is easier to cut, wash and prep fruits and vegetables all at once for multiple uses, such as juicing or a salad or soup.

For the salad, I used a box grater to grate the carrots and apples. While I typically leave baby spinach whole, this time I chopped it up. Proportionally it worked better for me to chop the spinach and it makes for a beautiful presentation. I used a trail mix that we had on hand. Nuts are such a nutritious add to any salad. So, whatever you have available, throw it in! This recipe makes a great lunch, dinner, or side salad. I had this salad two ways, once without the chickpeas with apple cider vinegar as my dressing (it made for a good side salad). Then I had it with a creamier tahini dressing with the added chickpeas (which was great alone for dinner).

Enjoy!

Chopped Spinach & Quinoa Salad

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Chopped Spinach & Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups Baby Spinach, chopped
2 Large Carrots, grated
1 Large Apple, grated (I used a Honeycrisp)
1.5 cups cooked Quinoa
1/2 English Cucumber, diced
1 Cup Nuts / Nut mix or Trail mix (walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries)
Chickpeas, optional (1 15oz can drained/rinsed)

Directions:
-Grate carrots and apples and set aside in a large mixing bowl. To this add the cooked quinoa, diced cucumbers and chopped spinach.
-Add chickpeas and desired mixed nuts.
-Top with your favorite dressing or add equal parts of oil and apple cider vinegar.
-Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Chopped Spinach and Quinoa Salad with a creamy tahini dressing.

Proverbs 31:25

“Strength and dignity are her clothing,

    and she laughs at the time to come.”

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Stuffed Tomatoes ~ Vegan

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Sundried tomato and Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
(Serves 4) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

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You may find this hard to believe, but in all my years of cooking it never occurred to me before to stuff tomatoes, lol. I’m sure I’ve had to at least see them before at some point in my life, right? Not until a few months ago when I was perusing through blog posts and saw that one of my fellow bloggers stuffed tomatoes. This was literally the moment when the light bulb went off in my head. Why? My husband does not like stuffed peppers, maybe it’s the way the flavor of the cooked peppers permeate throughout the filling. He loves raw peppers just not cooked/baked. I’ve made them in the past for myself and really do like them, guess I never just thought to stuff tomatoes. Stuffed squash is pretty good too. This recipe is very flavorful, filling and heart healthy. The sundried tomatoes, sunflower seeds and quinoa offer a great texture.

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Ingredients:
4 Large Tomatoes
3 White Button Mushrooms, wiped clean/chopped
3 large Cauliflower Florets (about 1 cup), raw
7 Basil leaves, chiffonade
1 handful fresh Parsley (about 1/3 Cup), chopped
7 Pieces Sundried Tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Cup Cooked Quinoa
½ Cup Sunflower Seeds (I soaked the seeds for about 30 minutes)
1 Garlic clove, minced
½ Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp fresh Ground Pepper
¼ Tsp Chili Powder

Directions:
 -Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
-In a large bowl combine all ingredients. [except for the large tomatoes of course J ]

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-Carefully cut around the top of each tomato to core. Scoop the inside of your tomatoes with a spoon to core. (I used my ice cream scoop to core out the insides. Only because my scoop comes to a slight point. I don’t have the traditional disher style scoop with the mechanical lever which I suppose could be bulky and get in the way.)

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-Fill each tomato with stuffing mix – I used my measuring cup so I can give you all a pretty accurate measurement. I was able to fill each tomato with about 2/3 Cup of the mixture. (I used my 1/3 measuring cup – make sure to pack it down with each scoop).

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-Place tomatoes on baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle again with a dash of salt/pepper and chili powder.
-Bake for 25 minutes @ 375. Enjoy!

Tip: In this recipe I used jarred sundried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil. Instead of using EVOO from my pantry – I used 3 Tbsp of the olive oil that the sundried tomatoes were packed in! Extra flavorful. J -I also used curly parsley in this recipe you flat leaf should work well too.

Sundried tomato and Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Credit: veganrescue.com

Ingredients:
4 Large Tomatoes
3 White Button Mushrooms, wiped clean/chopped
3 large Cauliflower Florets (about 1 cup), raw
7 Basil leaves, chiffonade
1 handful fresh Parsley (about 1/3 Cup), chopped
7 Pieces Sundried Tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Cup Cooked Quinoa
½ Cup Sunflower Seeds (I soaked the seeds for about 30 minutes)
1 Garlic clove, minced
½ Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp fresh Ground Pepper
¼ Tsp Chili Powder

Directions:
 -Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
-In a large bowl combine all ingredients. [except for the large tomatoes of course J ]
-Carefully cut around the top of each tomato to core. Scoop the inside of your tomatoes with a spoon to core. (I used my ice cream scoop to core out the insides. Only because my scoop comes to a slight point. I don’t have the traditional disher style scoop with the mechanical lever which I suppose could be bulky and get in the way.)
-Fill each tomato with stuffing mix – I used my measuring cup so I can give you all a pretty accurate measurement. I was able to fill each tomato with about 2/3 Cup of the mixture. (I used my 1/3 measuring cup – make sure to pack it down with each scoop).
-Place tomatoes on baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle again with a dash of salt/pepper and chili powder.
-Bake for 25 minutes @ 375. Enjoy!

Quinoa & Peas (2x) with Citrus Dressing

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Quinoa & Peas (2x) with Citrus Dressing
(Serves 4-6) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

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Nope, this is not another peanut butter dish instead let us swap one great source of protein for another. Cue in the Quinoa! Fluffy quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids and has been deemed a complete protein. This recipe is filling and refreshing and great for the summer. I have two kinds of peas in this recipe (I ❤ peas) but you can swap for so many other recipes like another love of ours, broccoli. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:
(16oz) or 2 ½ Cups Peas, steamed
(12oz) or abt 2 ½ Cups Sugar Snap Peas, steamed
1 Cup Quinoa, cooked
7 Scallions (white/light green parts only), chopped
½ Tsp Course Ground Pepper
½ Tsp Salt
1 small handful Fresh Curly Parsley, chopped

Citrus Dressing:
Juice of ½ Lemon
Juice of ¼ Grapefruit
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good quality)
½ Tsp Course Black Pepper
½ Tbsp Sugar
¼ Tsp Salt

Directions:
-Prepare quinoa according to package or see directions here. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add scallions – during steaming.

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-For Dressing: whisk ingredients together to combine and toss with quinoa and peas.
-Add salt/pepper, parsley and optional (coconut bacon) – [see recipe here] to taste. Enjoy!

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Quinoa and Peas with Citrus Dressing

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Credit: http://www.veganrescue.com

Ingredients:

(16oz) or 2 ½ Cups Peas, steamed
(12oz) or abt 2 ½ Cups Sugar Snap Peas, steamed
1 Cup Quinoa, cooked
7 Scallions (white/light green parts only), chopped
½ Tsp Course Ground Pepper
½ Tsp Salt
1 small handful Fresh Curly Parsley, chopped

Citrus Dressing:
Juice of ½ Lemon
Juice of ¼ Grapefruit
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good quality)
½ Tsp Course Black Pepper
½ Tbsp Sugar
¼ Tsp Salt

Directions:
-Prepare quinoa according to package or see directions here. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add scallions – during steaming.

-For Dressing: whisk ingredients together to combine and toss with quinoa and peas.
-Add salt/pepper, parsley and optional (coconut bacon) – [see recipe here] to taste. Enjoy!

Ultimate Protein Bowl!

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Ultimate Protein Bowl!
(Serves 8-10) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free ~ This recipe serves 8 but can be adjusted accordingly +/- your favorite veggies.

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This recipe is packed with protein and an innumerable amount of other nutrients, vitamins and macro minerals. This nourishing bowl was great warm the first day but also amazing the next day cold, like a salad. If you need a boost or are simply in the mood for something fresh, this bowl has it! I served this family style and we enjoyed this delicious meal two days in a row for dinner (I snuck a small bowl in for lunch too). Enjoy! 🙂

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Ingredients:
Roasted Beets
Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli
Edamame
Mushrooms
Tempeh
Quinoa
Chickpeas
Almonds
Dill

Immune Boosting
Protein
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Potassium
Fiber
Riboflavin
Calcium
Etc. Etc. So many countless essential vitamins and minerals

My Plate 🙂
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Ultimate Protein Bowl

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: Medium
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Ingredients:
3 Roasted Beets, roasted (Check out how I roast my beets here)
2 Sweet Potatoes (or 1lb), roasted
8oz Mushrooms, roasted
16oz Broccoli, steamed
16oz Shelled Edamame, steamed
8oz Pkg Tempeh
2 Cups dry Quinoa, prepared according to package (yields 8 servings)
1 (15.5oz can) Chickpeas, pan roasted
1 Cup Sliced Almonds, lightly toasted

Sriracha Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 Cup Peanut Butter
½ Cup Hot Water
½ Tbsp Sesame Oil
½ Tbsp Tamari/Soy Sauce
¼ Tsp Course Black Pepper
½ Tbsp Sriracha

Directions:
-Steam Broccoli and Edamame.
-Follow directions for Roasting Beets here.
-Toss Sweet Potatoes (cut into 1 ½ inch cubes) with 2 Tbsp Oil of choice + ½ Tbsp Agave Nectar + ½ Tsp Salt and ¼ Tsp Course Black Pepper. Mushrooms – cleaned and stems trimmed, toss with 1 Tbsp Oil of choice. Roast for 30-40 minutes – I tossed these into the oven during the last 40 minutes of my beets roasting.
-Prepare Quinoa according to package. (2 to 4 ratio) combine quinoa and water – bring to boil, lower heat, cover and allow quinoa to cook for about 20 minutes until quinoa spirals out.
-Tempeh: Heat about 2-3 Tbsp Oil in pan over medium heat. Cook tempeh for about 5-7 minutes until golden – add ¼ Tsp Salt & Pepper or to taste during cooking. During the last minute of sautéing I add 1 Tbsp Tamari/Soy Sauce + ½ Tbsp Agave Nectar – toss to combine.
-Remove tempeh from pan – to the same pan I add the chickpeas (I did not add any additional oil). Add ¾ Tsp Curry Powder + ¼ Cup Water – toss to combine for about 5 minutes to toast up chickpeas.
To a dry pan toast up Almonds lightly.

Directions for Sauce:
Blend ingredients together – I used my nutribullet or you can whisk ingredients together to combine.

Day 2 – Leftovers!
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Quinoa Kiwi Breakfast Bowl!

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Quinoa Kiwi Breakfast Bowl
(Serves 2-4) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free
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When I created this recipe I had my Raw Energy Balls in mind. Sometimes you need a boost and a boost for breakfast would be even better I thought. As I’ve mentioned in a prior blog post about Quinoa it is indeed a Super Food. It contains all 9 essential amino acids and has been deemed a complete protein. It’s iron rich and is packed with Fiber, Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese and Vitamins B2 (Riboflavin), E and B6. I like to think of it as oatmeal/porridge when eating Quinoa for breakfast. The best thing about this recipe is with having the simple quinoa base, you can add-in countless other ingredients to the mix. This day I added Chia Seeds, Dates, Almonds, Kiwi, Maca Powder and applesauce. The kids enjoyed theirs with Chia seeds, dates, almonds, kiwi and a drizzle of Raw Agave Nectar. You can add pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, bananas, etc. Get creative and enjoy!

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Ingredients:
 1 Cup Red Quinoa (rinsed)
1 ½ Cup Almond/Coconut Milk (or water)
½ Tsp ground Cinnamon

Directions:
 Place rinsed quinoa, cinnamon and almond milk (or water) in pot and bring to boil. Stir, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat – keeping lid on. Let stand for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with fork.
Note: When using the almond/coconut milk I had to keep stirring occasionally to prevent milk from bubbling over.

Add-Ins:
 My bowl included:
2 Dates, Chopped
¼ Cup Raw Almonds, soaked overnight
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Tsp Maca Powder
¼ Cup Applesauce
1 Kiwi, sliced Raw Agave Nectar, optional
Here’s a pic of my raw energy balls – click the pic for the recipe!
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Kale & Quinoa Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

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Kale & Quinoa Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
 (Serves 2-4) – Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free
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Kale is nutrient dense and it is loaded with tons a good stuff. It’s no surprise that it’s considered a Super Food. Packed with Vitamin K, A, C, B6, Lutein and one cup boasts about 3 grams of protein and fiber. Excellent calcium and iron absorption also. I know I mentioned the power of spinach and Popeye yesterday, but imagine the strength he would’ve had if he ate kale instead, wow! It could’ve change the world, hehe.
Some additional ideas or variations of this salad: swap the dried cherries with cranberries or use an apple instead of a pear. Also, if the dressing is too tart or acidic add some sugar or additional Agave. Soak your peanuts, enjoy them raw or swap with chopped walnuts. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 Pieces Lacinato Kale, rinsed, stems removed and chopped
4 Pieces of Curly Kale, rinsed, stems removed and chopped
2 Tbsp Capers
½ Pear, julienned
½ Cup prepared Red Quinoa
¼ Cup Raw Peanuts
½ Cup Dried Cherries
½ Tsp Sea Salt
½ Tsp fresh Ground Pepper

Curly Kale – Washed, Dried, Chopped
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Dressing (Makes about 1 ½ Cups)
6oz Fresh Raspberries
¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Juice of 1 Lemon
3 Tbsp Blue Agave Nectar
½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
For Dressing – Combine all ingredients in high speed blender (I used a Nutribullet).
For salad – rinse and drain chopped kale, I used my salad spinner.
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Lacinato Kale – Wash, Dried, Chopped
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Combine all ingredients and toss together with ½ cup of prepared Raspberry dressing. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes for flavors to combine. Enjoy!

Kale & Quinoa Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

  • Servings: 2-4 ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Credit: https://veganrescue.com/

Ingredients:

3 Pieces Lacinato Kale, rinsed, stems removed and chopped
4 Pieces of Curly Kale, rinsed, stems removed and chopped
2 Tbsp Capers
½ Pear, julienned
½ Cup prepared Red Quinoa
¼ Cup Raw Peanuts
½ Cup Dried Cherries
½ Tsp Sea Salt
½ Tsp fresh Ground Pepper

Dressing (Makes about 1 ½ Cups)
6oz Fresh Raspberries
¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Juice of 1 Lemon
3 Tbsp Blue Agave Nectar
½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
For Dressing – Combine all ingredients in high speed blender (I used a Nutribullet). For salad – rinse and drain chopped kale, I used my salad spinner.
Combine all ingredients and toss together with ½ cup of prepared Raspberry dressing. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes for flavors to combine. Enjoy!

Q is for Quinoa!

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Quinoa
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Raw (can be prepared raw)

Q – Quinoa 🙂 . Sometimes I will buy a small 14oz package of Quinoa and will prepare the entire package to be used throughout the week in various recipes. I love Quinoa with herbs, olive oil and veggies added or as a salad garnish and it’s also fantastic added in a wrap.
Quinoa is indeed a Super Food. It contains all 9 essential amino acids and has been deemed a complete protein. It’s iron rich and is packed with Fiber, Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese and Vitamins B2 (Riboflavin), E and B6. So versatile and quick to prepare – I’ve added pics below of a couple dishes. Make a pot, be creative and stay healthy. Enjoy!

Basic Preparation: 1-Cup Quinoa to 2-Cups Liquid (Water or Vegetable Broth). In medium saucepan, combine both liquid and quinoa and bring to a boil. Cover then Reduce Heat to Low. Continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove lid then fluff with a fork. Liquid will absorb and germ will spirals out.

Veggie Quinoa Wrap
Wrap
Creamy Italian Dressing (recipe here)
Fresh baby Spinach
1/2 Avocado
Cucumber
Carrots
Quinoa

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Tossed Spinach Salad with Quinoa and Roasted Chickpeas
Fresh Baby Spinach
Radish
Carrots
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Roasted Chickpeas (recipe here)
Quinoa

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