quinoa tzatziki bowls

I see reels from various people on Facebook from various sources, and I like to see some of the food preparation ideas.

This was from Liam Layton, reposting from @mariannas_pantry.  

They stacked these in jars which were then dumped out and mixed up for a salad serving.  It looks tasty and satisfying so I may try.  I'll definitely be eating this when I'm drowning in cucumbers this summer, but I may not wait!  I haven't had tzatziki in forever.  

- container of tzatziki

- quinoa (I'd maybe cook a cup of it) 

- chopped cucumber, bell pepper, red onion

- chickpeas 

- Kalamata olives

- banana peppers

- feta

 

red cabbage and quinoa salad

 I saw this video with purple cabbage and quinoa salad which looks good and I want to try it.  She was pretty short on details but I will try to figure it out. NOte: this was pretty bland the first day, but the next day it was really good, ate two bowls of it for lunch and it was satisfying.  Worth making again. 

Ingredients:

• red cabbage (1 whole head, sliced)
• red onion, sliced
• salt
• olive oil
• dates 
• sumac - heaping tsp 
• garlic (2 cloves minced)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• juice from one lemon 
• pepper, salt  
• (1 tsp honey, date syrup, etc.) 
• nuts (she seemed to have a mix; pistachios or cashews or almonds or anything seems fine)
• fresh herbs: chives, mint, parsley 
• quinoa (or farro, or other grain)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice cabbage and slice red onion and put onto baking sheet.  Add olive oil, salt, and massage.  Roast, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes.

Chop herbs, put into a bowl.  Add some dates (she just pulled them apart).  

Cook quinoa (she said a cup - raw or cooked, unclear), add to bowl.  Add roasted cabbage and onion, then season with lemon juice, sumac, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, date syrup/honey, roasted nuts, mix well. 

broccoli quinoa salad

 This is a quite tasty salad from the NYT found here. Broccoli was looking good at the farmers market so it came home and I had just read this recipe on-line, so now it's made.  It's good.  A little strange, and we'll see how it is in a few days because it makes a lot.  I'll probably stuff it in a pita for breakfast, as I'm liking my days better when they start with vegetables. 

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings 

• Kosher salt
• 1cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1lemon
• 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3tablespoons Dijon mustard (maybe start with 2 - it seemed a little mustard heavy)
• (recipe called for 2tablespoons honey but I deleted that and added some extra ACV)
• 2tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1large bunch broccoli (about 1½ pounds)
• 1medium tart and crisp apple
• 4ounces sharp Cheddar
• ¾cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• ½cup dried cranberries (I used dried cherries)

Preparation

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil on high and season aggressively with salt. Add the quinoa, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer; cook until plump and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve; rinse with cool water and drain well.

2. While the quinoa cooks, finely grate the zest of the lemon into a large bowl then cut the lemon in half. Add the olive oil, mustard, honey and apple cider vinegar, plus the juice of ½ lemon; whisk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   
3. Peel the stem of the broccoli and trim off the dry end. Finely chop the entire broccoli and add to the dressing. Core the apple then finely chop the apple and the cheese; add to the broccoli and toss to combine.

4. Add the cooked quinoa, nuts and cranberries and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice, as needed. Store, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Jennifer Aniston's salad?

 I keep running across iterations of a salad that Jennifer Aniston was reputed to have eaten daily while filming Friends.  I have no idea the authenticity of any of them, but it seems a quite good idea to throw together some legumes, a grain, herbs, vegetables, nuts or seeds, and feta.  

Here's what I plan to make this week, having indulged in purchasing some pistachios and finding tasty Persian cucumbers on sale.  I'll put other versions below to have in one place for future reference.  If I could find a nutritious and tasty salad that I could eat every day of the week, I would be ecstatic.  Update: this is really good.  It's not cheap (pistachios? fresh herbs? etc.) but I think it's worth it.  Things to consider: if I'm still liking it on day #5 (I just made it) and how satisfying it is or if I need to eat it with something else for it to stick on my ribs.

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa or bulgar wheat
•  2 cups water
•  1 cup cucumber, chopped
•  ½ cup parsley, chopped
•  ½ cup mint, chopped
•  ⅓ cup red onion, chopped
•  ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios, chopped (I think almonds would be just as good)
•  1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or lentils?)
•  2 lemons, juiced (about 5-6 Tablespoons)
•  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste  
•  ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions 

• Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a small pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes. 
• In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and feta.
• Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving.Store salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. 
  

   ****Here is another version. Ingredients 1 cup uncooked green lentils, rinsed wellsea salt3 cups water3 T lemon juice (1 lemon)3 T extra virgin olive oil1 small red onion, finely diced1 cup Persian cucumbers 1/4 cup chopped parsley2 scallions, chopped 2 T chopped mint2 T chopped Kalamata olives1/4 cup feta 

Directions

    In a large saucepan, combine the lentils, ½ teaspoon salt, and water.
    Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
    Turn the heat to low and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft but still slightly firm. Do not overcook the lentils or they will become mushy.
    While the lentils are cooking, whisk together the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and olive oil in a large bowl.
    Mix the red onion, diced cucumber, parsley, scallions, and mint into the dressing.
    Once the lentils are cooked, drain off any excess water.
    Add the lentils to the large bowl and toss until fully combined.
    Top with olives and, if desired, crumbled feta cheese to serve.

winter squash black bean quinoa

 My garden was prolific last year and I'm trying to eat through it all!  Winter squash is especially urgent now as I caught some had started to mold so we need to eat through all the good ones.

Here is my latest venture, which I'm making right now.  I'm using buttercup squash (no need to peel, and great flavor) and any winter squash should work well.  (NOTE: when I've diced and mixed in, it was al pretty mushy.  Probably better to slice to roast, and then put the quinoa/beans on top of the squash slices.)  Each serving (1/4 of it) is 16 grams of protein, the recipe says, which is good for me and Friend will add a side of chicken or an egg. 

Ingredients

• winter squash, about 2.5 pounds
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups broth
  
• can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1 lime to juice
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
  
• 3 scallions, chopped
  

 Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine oil and spices in a large bowl, and then put in the squash and stir around to coat.  Place on sheet pan and put into oven for about 35 minutes.

Rinse quinoa and bring to boil with water/broth then to a simmer for 12-15 minutes.  Turn off heat and let it sit at least 5 minutes.

Mix black beans in bowl with lime juice.  Fold in quinoa and cilantro and scallions.