make ahead lunch: quinoa salad

Quinoa.  It is quite the versatile food.  It can be eaten warm or cold, as a main dish or a side, it can be sweet or savory...

I think one of my favorite things about quinoa is that it eats like a grain, but isn't.  It is actually a seed... one that is full of protein and lots of other good things.  Last night for dinner I made quinoa as a sub for rice to go with our shrimp stir-fry, and used the leftovers to make a quinoa salad today.

Quinoa salad is super easy to make.  I always just use whatever herbs/veggies/cheese/meat/nuts I have on hand, toss it with a little olive oil & citrus or salad dressing, and the quinoa salad is complete.  Another great thing is that it lasts for several days in the fridge and the quinoa's texture doesn't change... like when pasta salad gets kind of soggy and the noodles fall apart after a few days.


tomato.spinach quinoa salad


Ingredients:
2 c. cooked quinoa
1 c. halved grape tomatoes
1 c. finely chopped fresh spinach
1/2 c. cooked chicken or turkey, cubed
1/3 c. shredded parmesan
2-4 T. olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp coriander
pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine the quinoa, tomatoes, spinach, meat, and parmesan.  Stir until combined.  Sprinkle with seasonings and lemon juice.  Drizzle with 2 T. olive oil and stir together.  Taste and add more olive oil, salt & pepper until satisfied.

You can enjoy this salad right away, or refrigerate before eating.

Serves 2-4.


Other quinoa salad ideas (using a dressing/citrus that pairs with the salad):
mexican - black beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, lime, avocado (wouldn't keep as long with avocado)
mediterranean - sun-dried tomatoes, olives, fresh spinach, artichokes, pine nuts, basil, feta
cobb - bacon, tomatoes, corn, avocado, arugula, blue cheese, chopped walnuts
greek - chick peas, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, feta, oregano
fruity - dried cranberries, apples, blueberries, chopped almonds, fresh parsley
asian - carrots, edamame, shredded cabbage, snap peas, cilantro, lime, chopped peanuts
random - roasted beets, goat cheese, orange segments, green onion, chopped walnuts


purchasing side note:  If you live by a Costco, I would recommend buying your quinoa there, as you can get a big bag for $10.  Otherwise, grocery stores like Whole Foods sell it in bulk, or ones like Kroger would have it in their health food section.

granola

I go through phases of making homemade granola.  My last phase was a long time ago, so another batch of granola was overdue.  It's not hard at all - super fast and much cheaper than store bought granola... it's just remembering to take the time to make it. :)

I like this recipe because it isn't overly sweet and doesn't have much oil.  It has just enough flavor and crunch to make it tasty.  My version below is pretty basic - just oats and and almonds, but dried fruit or coconut would be great additions (I would probably add the dried fruit after baking).

maple almond granola

Ingredients:

4 c. oats

1/4 c. sliced almonds

2 T. ground flaxseed (optional)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c. water

1/3 c. real maple syrup

1 generous T. canola oil

2 T. brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Combine the oats, almonds, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, stir together the water, syrup, oil, and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Stir in the vanilla.  Pour over the oat mixture and stir until combined.  Spread onto a greased jelly roll sheet and bake at 325 for 35 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes (bake for a few more minutes after stirring the second time).

Enjoy over yogurt, ice-cream, as cereal, on top of cooked fruit as a "mock" fruit crisp... so many possibilities!

risotto

I always used to think that risotto was this rich, overly creamy and cheesy dish, just by the looks of it.  While it does have some cheese in it, the creaminess is merely from the type of rice and the cooking method, not actual cream at all, making it much lighter than I thought it was. 

There are many different types of risotto you can make, but I love it with a little white wine, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese - the combination is delicious.  My little 22 mo. old loved it and even ate the mushrooms!

Risotto can also get the rep of being a high maintenance and complicated dish, but it's really not bad.  As long as you are in the kitchen and can stir it while it cooks, it's easy to multi-task and do other things while making it.

mushroom, spinach risotto

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. chicken broth (or you can sub a little water for some of the broth)
1/2 c. aborio rice
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 small container sliced mushrooms
1 c. chopped fresh spinach
1/3 c. shredded parmesan
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Pour the broth into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Keep on a low simmer or warm while making the risotto.

In another pan, saute the mushrooms with a little olive oil and salt and pepper until they are tender.

While the broth warms and mushrooms cook, saute the onions and and garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat unil the onions are just becoming tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the aborio rice and saute a couple more minutes, or until the rice starts to lightly brown.  Stir in the white wine and cook until it is absorbed.  Turn the heat down to a little, just high enough that the broth simmers when it is added.  Add 1/2 c. warmed chicken broth to the rice, stir, and let cook until the broth is absorbed, stiring a couple more times while it cooks.  Repeat this process until all but 1/2 c. broth remains.  Add the spinach, cooked mushrooms, and parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted.  Add the remaining broth and stir until combined.  Taste and add more cheese, salt, and pepper if needed.  Sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

Serves 3-4.

tomato cucumber salad

After being with family on labor day and receiving a big bag of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and peppers fresh from the garden, I knew Exactly what I wanted to make with it.  Tomato cucumber salad.    Or at least that's what my family calls it.

It's one of those foods that I think of when I think of summer.  A bowl full of fresh produce from the garden, with a light, zesty dressing.  It's so delicious.  And so light and refreshing that I can eat massive amounts of this salad without a problem.  The minute I finished making this salad I had to have a bowl.  And then another.  I think it's the tomatoes that make it so amazing.  There is nothing better than tomatoes fresh from the garden.  I think I can definitely call them my favorite food.  For sure.

tomato cucumber salad

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/4 c. canola oil

3 T. vinegar

2 T. sugar

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt (or 1/2 salt + 1/2 celery salt)

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. celery seed or celery salt (substitute 1/2 of regular salt with celery salt)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:

2 large or 4 small cucumbers, cubed (might want to seed if the seeds are really large)

4-5 large or lots of small tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 yellow or orange pepper, chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 can black olives, drained and cut in half (optional)

crumbled feta (optional)

Instructions:

Mix all dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until combined.  Cut up all veggies and add to the dressing.  Stir until combined.  Taste and add more salt if needed.  If using feta, add right before serving.  The "traditional" salad I grew up eating did not have feta, nor does the one picture as I didn't have any, but it is a good addition.  Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.  Serves 6-8 (normal people... If they all eat as much as I do, maybe 4 :)).

I always just make the dressing in a large bowl and start adding cucumbers and tomatoes until I think the dressing/produce ratio is right, so you might need more or less tomatoes and cucumbers.  I always like it to be heavy on the tomatoes. :)  

This makes for a great snack, side dish, or lunch if you want something quick and light.  

vegetable soup

It might seem a little early for soup, as it's not even fall yet, but my fight with hay fever earlier this week left me feeling sickly and in the mood for soup.

Soup is one of my favorite things to make because you can use whatever you have on hand and it's all about approximates... a little of this and that until it looks and tastes right.  No two pots of soup are ever the same in our house.  So forgive my recipe if it needs altered - more liquid, seasoning.  I, of course, did not measure out everything when I made it, this is just to the best of my knowledge.  :)

beef vegetable soup

Ingredients:

4 c. chicken broth (will need to adjust depending on the amount of grain used)

1 can V8, or other vegetable juice

1 can diced tomatoes

4 c. chopped baby kale or fresh spinach

2 c. shredded beef or chicken

1 pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 - 1 c. farro or barley (depending on how hearty you want the soup)

1 c. chopped carrots

1 large handful of italian parsley, finely chopped

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dried oregano or basil

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic salt

freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Saute carrots, garlic, onion, and seasonings (including bay leaves) in 2-3 T. olive oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  Add peppers and farro or barley and saute another 3-5 minutes or until peppers are a little tender and grain is lightly toasted.  Add parsley, canned tomatoes, V8 juice and chicken broth.  Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the grain is almost fully cooked, adding more broth or water if needed while the grain cooks. 

Add shredded beef or chicken (I had leftover italian beef I had made from a roast that I used), chopped kale, and more broth or water or salt if needed.  Cook until the kale is wilted and the grain is fully cooked.

Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese to serve, if desired.  This recipe should make 6-8 servings.

We ate our soup with garlic, parmesan multi-grain toasted bread that was good to dip in the broth (somehow it missed the picture).  Just spread a little butter or olive oil on slices of bread, sprinkle with garlic or onion powder and dried basil, then top with a little shredded parmesan.  Bake at 400 for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown.