Spinach Quinoa Pilaf

Naturally after a trip to Costco, I have a surplus of spinach in my little college fridge. I looked up spinach recipes online and tried this one. It was delicious. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 finely chopped small yellow onion
• 1 minced clove garlic
• 1 cup rinsed quinoa
• 1 1/4 cups water ( I used chicken broth)
• 5 cups baby spinach (5 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• Salt and pepper 

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add quinoa and cook 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in spinach and lemon zest, then season with salt and pepper. For extra deliciousness, I topped mine with grated Lake Country cheese from Costco; it's sort of like parmesan or asiago cheese but better!

Caprese Quinoa Salad

image and recipe via 

1/2C quinoa

8 oz fresh mozerella

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

fresh basil

2T olive oil

splash of balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper

Cook quinoa as directed on package.

Dice mozerella, grape tomatoes and fresh basil.

Toss all ingredients together and chill.

Cilantro Lime Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls

We had this for dinner last night and it was unbelievably good - and SO filling.

I topped the quinoa, lettuce and black beans with diced cherry tomatoes, sharp cheddar, avocado and a dollop of plain greek yogurt. My mouth is watering just thinking about having the leftovers for lunch.

Quinoa

1 c. quinoa

2 Tbsp. cilantro (chopped)

2 Tbsp. lime juice

Black Beans

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

1/4 cup onion (chopped)

1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

2 15 ounce cans black beans (rinse and drain)

1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

1/4 tsp. chili powder

2 Tbsp. cilantro

2 Tbsp. lime juice

Other

shredded lettuce

greek yogurt

salsa, pico de gallo

tomatoes (diced)

avocado

cheese

Directions

Cook quinoa according to directions 

(1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water or chicken broth, bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer)

In another pan, saute onions in 1 Tbsp. olive oil until they soften and turn golden brown.

Add garlic and saute a little while longer. Add black beans to the onion mixture along with 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tbsp. cilantro, and chili powder.  Bring the beans to a boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer until most of the liquid is gone (about 15 minutes). Stir in 2 Tbsp. lime juice, add salt to taste.

To make your burrito bowl, put down quinoa, then lettuce, then black beans and top with your choice of extras (greek yogurt, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, pico de gallo, etc.)

Serve warm and enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Avocado, Edamame & Cumin-Lime Dressing

I love all of the flavors and textures of this salad. It's delicious with the warm edamame and black beans and just as good for leftovers the next day cold, straight from the fridge. I served quesadilla wedges alongside the salad for dinner tonight and called it good.

(adapted from this original recipe)

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 3/4 cup water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, chopped into chunks
handful cherry tomatoes, quartered (we didn't have any, so I left the tomatoes out)
1/2 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks

1/2 cup shelled & steamed edamame
small handful cilantro, diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste

Warm the olive/coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the rinsed quinoa and toast for about 2-3 minutes until it starts smelling nutty and lovely. Add water, stir once, cover, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, prepare all other ingredients. Prepare the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt. Whisk it aggressively. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from heat and fluff with a fork. Add black beans and toss to warm them through.
Let the quinoa cool for about five minutes and then add all the remaining ingredients, including the dressing, and mix. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Mango Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups dry quinoa

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 medium mangos, peeled and diced (I like to buy the frozen mango chunks from Costco)

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 green onions, thinly sliced (I use red onions if I don't have green on hand)

1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Quinoa-a super easy, Superfood!!

It seems like I'm reading about quinoa all over the place. It's super high in protein and a multitude of other health benefits. I love the chewy texture and almost a nutty taste. We might not ever eat rice again!! Tonight as a side dish to bbq chicken I made this dish.

Saute in olive oil:

1 red onion-thinly sliced

1 green or red bell pepper-thinly sliced

4-6 cloves of garlic-minced

salt and pepper to taste

Add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes. I'm also thinking this would be equally as yummy served cold.

Serves 4