Zesty Quinoa Salad

This is quickly becoming a family favorite!  Stacey found this and brought it to a couple get-togethers, and I took it to another family pot luck where it was a big hit.  We both used different veggies.  I would never use black beans, but did add chopped cucumbers and green peppers.  My red pepper flakes were much more potent than Stacey's.  I'll cut way back next time.  
You can find the recipe by searching for Zesty Quinoa Salad at All Recipes.com
Link:  m.allrecipes.com/recipe/229156/zesty-quinoa-salad/ 

 
Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil


• 2 limes, juiced (or just one)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and ground black pepper to taste  

Directions:
Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

1. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.
2. Combine quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and green onions together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

I tried a garlic lime grilled chicken which sounded perfect, but turned out to be dry, and pretty boring.  I had quite a bit left over, so I looked for a chicken salad recipe to revive it.  This was amazing.  We made some open face sandwiches, and had some without any bread.  I hadn't thought about using Greek yogurt instead of mayo, but it was delicious.  I also didn't have dried cranberries, but the apples and grapes were enough sweetness. I also added celery.  You can find the recipe here:  http://damndelicious.net   (She's a cute food blogger.)

 
This lightened up sandwich won’t even taste healthy!

Ingredients

• 1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup diced apple
• 2/3 cup grapes, halved
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix everything together and season to taste.

Lemon Couscous (or Quinoa) Salad

I made this for Sunday dinner when Bry was here.  It's very refreshing, perfect for a summer picnic or barbeque.  It's good chilled or at room temperature.

 
Recipe can be found here:  http://wearychef.com/lemon-couscous-salad/ 

Ingredients

• 10 ounces plain couscous
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 fresh mint leaves sliced thin
• 1/2 English cucumber seeded and diced
• 3 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
• 3 ounces reduced-fat feta 
•  
• Instructions
  1. Bring broth to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool uncovered for about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil. Stir in mint, cucumber, tomatoes, and cooked couscous, and stir together to combine. Add feta and stir gently to evenly distribute the cheese.
  Recipe Notes
  If you plan to save leftovers, sprinkle the mint over each serving instead of mixing in to prevent it from browning. 

Parmesan Yellow Squash

I made these for a side dish at dinner, but I think they would be best just as a snack.  They were soooo good when they were warm, right out of the oven.  I didn't have panko crumbs, so just used Italian bread crumbs.  They already had oregano in them.  If you were growing squash and had extra, this would be a good way to use it up.  Bry was here for dinner and the three of us practically inhaled three squash.

 

Ingredients

• 4 yellow squash (small to medium), sliced into ¼-inch to ½-inch rounds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• cooking spray (I use Organic Olive Oil by Pam)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine squash, olive oil, salt and pepper; mix until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, and garlic powder.
5. Dip slices of squash in cheese mixture and coat on both sides, pressing on the coating to stick.
6. Place the squash in a single layer on the previously prepared baking sheet.
7. Lightly spray each slice with cooking spray. This will help with achieving a crunchier texture.
8. Bake for 10 minutes; rotate pan and continue to bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until chips are golden brown.

*I didn't do #7.  Ours were still plenty crunchy.

Healthy Thinking

"To ensure good health:  eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life."
~William London

That's what we're working on in the Inswain Asylum!

Quinoa Fried "Rice"

This recipe is fantastic. It's even Hudson approved. I add an extra egg and diced ham. You could also add chicken. I used about 1 1/2 cups of quinoa instead of the three. But kept all the other ingredients the same.

http://therecipecritic.com/2015/06/quinoa-fried-rice/

Protein Oatmeal

Protein Oatmeal

1/4 cup of oatmeal

1/2 scoop protein powder 

2 tbl of PB2 or chocolate PB2

1/8 cup milk

Put oatmeal in glass bowl. Add water til the oatmeal is completely covered and then some. Cool in microwave for about 1 min 45 seconds. Add protein powder, pb2 and milk and stir. Enjoy!!

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July 11 2015 - 07:07:46 PM