Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf

Okay, last quinoa post for the day.  But, like I said, I really, really like quinoa right now!  We had this tonight and again, everyone, including A and C raved about it.  A even had seconds and then after a class this evening came home and asked for it again!  That is an excellent review if I ever heard one...okay, speaking as her mom, of course!  I served this warm with a small amount of feta cheese and fresh squeezed lemon juice - delicious!


Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf
adapted from Gluten Free Goddess Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups vegetable broth

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small to medium yellow bell pepper, diced fine

1 small to medium green bell pepper, diced fine

2 cups sliced mushrooms

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon each of basil and oregano 

sea salt and pepper to taste

2 scallions (spring onions) sliced- white and light green sections

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Feta cheese

Instructions:

1.  Rinse quinoa, melt butter in saucepan and toast quinoa for about 3 minutes.  Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until vegetable broth is absorbed (this is my favorite way to make quinoa, I think the vegetable broth gives it so much more flavor that water).  

Set quinoa aside.
2.  Heat a small amount of olive oil in large skillet.  Add the garlic, yellow and green pepper; stir over medium heat until slightly softened.  Add in the mushrooms.  Season with basil, oregano, sea salt, and ground pepper to taste.  Stir and cook until the mushrooms are tender.
3.  Mix the quinoa, pepper/mushroom mixture, and scallions in a large bowl.
4.  Serve in individual bowls with feta and lemon juice.
ENJOY!!!

Quinoa Taco Salad

Keeping the trend going, I wanted to make sure and blog about the other two delicious quinoa meals we tried this week.  We all loved them and again, A and C asked for seconds.  I am such a proud mama!  Plus, A and C are just like me, we all love that flavor of cilantro and lime together.  We all add plenty of extra fresh lime juice to our salads and it is wonderful!  We will be eating this Quinoa Taco Salad quite a bit!

Quinoa Taco Salad
adapted from Gluten Free Goddess - Quinoa Taco Salad
Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups vegetable broth

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Juice from 2 juicy limes (I may use more depending on size of limes)

Sea salt, to taste

2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro (I use more of course!)

1 half small red or purple onion, diced fine

1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced fine

1 cup roasted corn kernels (I used frozen, roasted on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes, then cooled)

1 large head of crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried, sliced crosswise

tortilla chips

2 large avocados, pitted, peeled, diced

Instructions:

1. Rinse dry quinoa under warm water and drain.  Melt butter in saucepan and toast quinoa for about 3 minutes.  Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.  (just like previous recipe).  Season with sea salt and cool quinoa in fridge.

2.  Mix in plenty of cilantro, red onion, yellow pepper, and corn into quinoa.  

3.  Layer chips, lettuce, quinoa salad, and diced avocado into individual bowls and season with plenty of fresh lime juice.

ENJOY!!!

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/05/quinoa-taco-salad.html

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Okay, the good news is that I have been cooking quite a bit in accordance with my New Year's resolution. However, I have not been as good at posting the recipes on here.  Oh well, one step at a time, right?

I have been on a quinoa kick lately so I have three recipes that I have made that are delicious!  And, G and I were looking the other night and it turns out the quinoa is an excellent source of protein which is great for us to eat as vegetarians.  Now, I love it even more.  This recipe is one I have tried awhile back and loved and then promptly forgot to make for months and months.  I am blogging it now so I remember how much we all love it.  A and C even ask for seconds!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad
adapted from Southwestern Quinoa Salad on allrecipes

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 cup frozen organic corn
1 cup black beans (I make dried black beans in the crock-pot and then freeze them for different meals)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste
1/2 cup feta cheese
tortilla chips

Dressing: (I have started only using lime juice as the dressing which is fantastic however, this dressing goes with it nicely.  I would mix it separately and add sparingly to individual bowls of salad)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold water, and drain. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the quinoa until the water has evaporated and the quinoa is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the broth, about 15 minutes. Cool quinoa in refrigerator at least 10 minutes.
Mix together green pepper, red onion, corn, black beans, cilantro, tomato, lime juice, and feta cheese in a large bowl.  Mix together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, adobo seasoning, salt and pepper in a small jar and set aside.  Lightly stir in the quinoa to the veggies, beans, and additional lime juice to taste, if desired. Chill the salad at least 30 minutes before serving; serve cold along with tortilla chips to scoop up the salad.

ENJOY!!!

New Year and back on track!

Okay, so I think I am (and G and the girls) are finally back on track to eating the way I would like us to eat.  There has been the pregnancy, G's injury, G's re-injury, not to metion Christmas...just a few things that have detoured our eating habits of late.  But, this weekend, I sat down and resumed my weekly meal planning and I am happy with how it's going.  I am trying to tell myself that as I continue to become more and more pregnant, I will keep this going.  I am here to remind myself how much better I feel when I am eating right.  So, tonight, we had a fantastic salad that even the girls liked.  Notice, I didn't say loved but I am proud of them for eating it.  

Good for you Greek Salad
adapted from Good for you Greek Salad on allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 6 black Greek olives, pitted and sliced (or Kalamata olives)

Directions

1. In shallow salad bowl, or on serving platter, combine tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.
2. Mix the oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, and salt and pepper in a separate container.
3. Sprinkle feta cheese and olives over salad.
4. Pour dressing over salad.

ENJOY!!!