MONDAY RECIPE POST - MAKE-AHEAD QUINOA SALAD WITH CUCUMBER, TOMATO, AND HERBS

This salad has a dressing that is nice and light and had only two ingredients, red wine vinegar and olive oil. I found it here.

Make-ahead Quinoa Salad with Cucumber, Tomato and Herbs

Serves 4 to 6 people

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

1 cup Quinoa

1 pint grape tomatoes, split into quarters 

1 large cucumber, seeds removed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or use a hot house cucumber, or miniature cucumbers where you don't need to deseed)

Kosher salt to taste

2 small shallots, minced

1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine Quinoa and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan.  

Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 7 minutes.  

Shut off heat and let rest until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes longer.

Transfer Quinoa to a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until thoroughly chilled. Let drain for 10 minutes.

While Quinoa cooks, combine tomatoes and cucumbers in a colander set in the sink.

Season with the Kosher salt to taste and toss to coat.

Let drain in sink until ready to combine with Quinoa.

In a large bowl, toss drained Quinoa, drained tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots, parsley, mint, olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Serve immediately or, for the best flavor, let rest overnight in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Salad can be stored in the sealed container, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

What did we think of this recipe?  Very enjoyable, a pretty salad served with your main dish.  

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) I don't have very often, but I like the texture.  I once read that Quinoa was an important crop for the Inca Empire, and that they referred to it as the mother of all grains, believing it to be sacred.  It actually isn't a grain but is a seed that is prepared and eaten similarly to a grain.  It has been consumed for thousands of years in South America, but reached a 'superfood' status several years ago and is now very popular and considered very healthy.

I changed three of the ingredients by replacing the shallots with green onions and the fresh mint with fresh basil.  I also used a hothouse cucumber, the kind you don't have to remove the seeds.

Added note: I made this dish again a week later.  I was curious what it would be like using Orzo pasta.  I replaced the Quinoa with the Orzo.  This time we added a slice of crusty bread, thinly sliced Dubliner cheese and Branston chutney, which made a semi Ploughman's supper, similar to the one below.

You can change the ingredients to your own tastes but a Ploughman's basics traditionally are bread, cheese, a selection of deli meat and pickle.  My favorites are a freshly baked wholewheat bread roll, two wedges of cheese, usually Stilton and Sharp Cheddar, sliced ham, lettuce with onion, gherkins, cucumber and tomato wedges, and Branston Chutney.  I add a glass of cider if I am out and about.  

Here is a photo of the salad with orzo pasta.  

Thanks for looking and 

I wish you all a great week.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - QUINOA BREAKFAST BOWL - VEGAN

I don't have a link for this one.  It's something I came up with for the things I had on hand.  Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it enough to want to keep it on my blog, to make again sometime.  It's not entirely my own idea as I have looked through many breakfast bowl blog recipes for some time now.  I just added what I wanted as I fetched things out of the fridge, vegetable bin or pantry.

1 cup of uncooked quinoa

2 cups of water (to cook the above)

1 carrot, finely diced

2 slices of yellow onion, finely diced

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

1 cup of peas

1 pkg. of Moroccan Tofu Cubes 

Avocado oil cooking spray, or any kind of cooking spray

Drizzle of low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon chili crisp

Prepare and measure all the ingredients.  

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Mine said to bring 2 cups of water to the boil and add 1 cup of quinoa, stir.  Turn stove top down to a simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes.  Take off the heat and fluff with a fork, cover again and wait 15 minutes.

Heat frying pan, coat with cooking spray, add carrots and onion.  I steamed my sweet potato separately, and added the peas a few minutes before taking off the heat.  To cut out this step you can probably add both of these to the same frying pan along with the carrots and onions, sautéing until they are all tender, stirring occasionally.  I can't remember the actual minutes but by time the quinoa was ready, so were my vegetables.  

Place the tofu on top of the other veggies in the frying pan.  Stir to combine and continue cooking for a few additional minutes, just long enough to heat through. 

Mix the veggies with the added tofu into the quinoa until well combined.  Then serve in a bowl, adding a drizzle of low-sodium soy sauce, and a tablespoon of chili crisp on the top.

That was it.  A little fusion going on here.  I do this for myself usually when Gregg is out having father-son time.  

If I have written anything that is unclear, please ask in the comments.  

There are enough portions for four to five more meals. I was happy doing a little meal-prep, dividing my portions to eat over the next few days, or freeze if necessary.

This is the tofu I used and was very happy with it. It is easy to crumble.  The tofu was our son's recommendation as he and our daughter-in-law enjoy it occasionally.  (I don't get anything for advertising any products on this blog.  I like to share what I enjoy.)

It would be nice to add a fried or poached egg on the top.

This recipe is very easy to alter and you can use any favorite vegetable.  You can also easily leave things out, like the chili crisp for instance.

You might also prefer to substitute cooked rice or pasta for the quinoa.  

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your week!

MONDAY RECIPE POST - QUINOA-VEGGIE BOWL FOR ONE

I have no recipe link for this one.  It was basically using what I had in the fridge and pantry.  I have seen similar recipes here and there that no doubt put the idea into my head, and it all came together to suit my own taste.  My dear other half was out of the house for the day and I knew what I was fixing myself for lunch.

1 cup uncooked Quinoa 

2 cups water

1 container fresh mushrooms (even though I only used 1/4 cup for this recipe, I cooked them all and used what was left in our next meal)

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup canned sliced potatoes

1/4 cup canned black beans

1/4 cup canned diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon Chili Crisp

Start preheating a frying pan on medium hot.

Put 2 cups of water in a separate pot and heat on high until water is boiling.  Carefully pour in the quinoa, give it a stir, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook according to package directions (mine said 12 minutes).  

Slice the mushrooms and put in the previously heated non-stick frying pan (medium hot).  Stir them around a bit and then carefully pour a cup of water over the mushrooms (it should be on a low simmer. Do be careful so as not to splash when putting water into the pan).  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.  Check in the middle of cooking to see that the water hasn’t evaporate, and add a little more if needed.

After the ten minutes, and if there is any water left in the pan, turn the heat up a little until the water disappears.   

If you find the mushrooms burning instead of caramelizing, turn heat down using your own judgement.  (I add the water to use less fat when cooking, but if you don't mind adding extra butter, leave the water step out and just sauté them all in more butter until done.)

You will melt the tablespoon of butter in the same pan, and stir the mushrooms until coated.  

Add the other veggies and beans giving them enough time to heat through. 

Add the cooked quinoa (which should still be warm) and mix with the veggies and beans until combined.

Next add the tablespoon of Chili Crisp and mix in until combined.

If you like grains this was a very tasty lunch.  The ingredients are only a guideline and you can use any favorite.  

Next time I would probably add a green vegetable for more color, fresh diced tomato or a sweet red pepper.  Also a garnish of sliced green onions, or parsley, or cilantro would be nice.

Any leftover ingredients from the cans went into our mixed green salad at dinner time, along with a handful of chopped walnuts.  Come to think of it, walnuts would also have been a nice addition to this recipe.

There was enough quinoa left for two more meals and at other times I have measured 1-cup portions for the freezer.

The Chili Crisp was only enough to the mix to be very flavorful and wasn’t that hot (I don’t usually eat things too hot and spicy), but you can add more to taste, or leave that out entirely and add one of your own flavorings if you prefer.  

In the photo those are slices of potato on the top.  They had been bought by mistake and I wanted a way of using them up. They were quite good with everything else.

I am not a proper recipe writer so if there is anything confusing, please let me know in the comments.

Thanks for looking and enjoy your week.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - QUICK AND EASY MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA SALAD

A different kind of salad for us, and there were none of the mixed greens that we normally eat.  Quinoa is not something we have had a lot of but we enjoyed it very much in today's salad.  If you go here you will be able to see the original recipe.  

Quick and Easy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

½ teaspoons each salt and pepper

4 to 5 cups cooked chilled quinoa

1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

 

If you have an empty jar with a lid (I keep an old pickle jar in the cupboard for this purpose), add olive oil, vinegars, lemon juice, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper to a jar or container. Put the lid on the jar and shake thoroughly to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix gently.

Just before serving, give the dressing another quick shake and pour over the salad. Mix gently to coat all ingredients. Serve immediately.

Notes

When preparing quinoa, 2 cups uncooked quinoa equates to about 4 to 5 cups cooked.

To make this a full meal, add grilled chicken or salmon and serve on top of the salad. Alternatively (if you don’t eat meat), add one can of rinsed chickpeas directly into the salad and mix together.

This makes a very nice side salad, and I also enjoyed it for lunch on its own the day after.  I would definitely make it again and perhaps add the chickpeas suggested next time.  If you take a look at the website here, you will be able to see the original recipe.  Always interesting to look at the photos and read the author's process.  Fun to look at all the other recipes she has to offer.

I thought I would add this interesting information about quinoa. You can read this and much more at the following link:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-quinoa#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3

“What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is the seed of the Chenopodium quinoa plant.

Botanically speaking, it’s not a grain. However, it’s often called a “pseudograin” because it’s similar in nutrients and eaten the same way as cereal grains.Source

Quinoa was first grown for food 7,000 years ago in the Andes. The Incas called it “the mother grain” and believed it was sacred.Trusted Source

Although it’s now grown around the world, the majority is still produced in Bolivia and Peru. It was largely unknown to the rest of the world until very recently.Source 

Since then, it has experienced a huge surge in popularity because of its high nutrient content and health benefits. It is also easy to grow in a range of conditions. 

In fact, the year 2013 was named “The International Year of Quinoa” by the UN because of its valuable qualities and potential to fight world hunger.

Quinoa is also popular because it’s a gluten-free grain. This means people with celiac disease, wheat allergies or those who avoid gluten can consume it.”