quinoa Archives - EAT YOURSELF WELL

This is a simple make-once, take-all-week healthy lunch choice. Experiment with veggies that are fresh and seasonal!

Hint – make the very fine dice super-easy by using one of my favorite tools, the Vidalia Chop Wizard (and no, I don’t make any money off of it, unfortunately … I just think salads taste so much better when the pieces are evenly diced and you can get a range of different veggies in every bite)!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa << Click to cart my favorite brand, available at Walmart

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp thyme

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1 carrot, very finely diced

1 large red pepper, very finely diced

1 zucchini, very finely diced

1 medium onion, very finely diced

1 lemon

1/4 cup fresh thinly sliced basil

1 tbsp olive oil

Optional:
Shredded lettuce
Sliced Avocado
Freshly ground pepper

Place the quinoa, water, salt, and 2 garlic cloves into a large saucepan or frying pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is soft and the germ has separated.

While the quinoa is still hot, add the spices and all vegetables, and cover and heat for about 5 minutes. The veggies will get slightly warm, but will stay crisp.

Remove all and squeeze lemon and sprinkle with olive oil. Toss in basil and stir.

Serve immediately, or save and serve this healthy lunch cold over lettuce.

LOVE this recipe for Spicy Black Bean Quinoa Burgers, and with this salad, it hits ALL the right tastes and textures: spicy, savory, salty, fresh, and even sweet, with the optional mango.

If you don’t have the exact ingredients below, feel free to sub with similar … chipotle can be replaced with a bit of Sriracha sauce … or even black beans with white beans. Play around – worst case, it falls apart but it still delicious!!!

Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry they are 🙂

RECIPE:

Patty Ingredients

½ cup onion, fine diced

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup jalapeno or bell pepper, fine diced

1 teaspoon cumin seed

½ teaspoon olive oil

1½ cups black beans, cooked and drained

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

½ cup cooked quinoa << Click2Cart my favorite brand, at Walmart

1/2 cup rolled oats, ground into crumbs

½ teaspoon salt

Optional items, for a different texture/taste/nutrition:

1 egg (makes the patties hold together better, but you can skip for a vegan version)

¼ cup chopped cilantro (add with quinoa)

¼ cup grated cheese (add with quinoa)

2 tablespoons minced almonds or pepitas (add with quinoa)

1 cup fine chopped kale (packed cup, about 2-3 leaves) (add with quinoa)

Salad ingredients

Cabbage, 1/4 medium head, finely sliced

Cashews, about 1/4 cup, raw, unsalted

Carrot (1 large), Grated

Cauliflower (1/4 medium head), medium dice

Green onions (3 average-sized) thinly sliced on a diagonal

Romaine lettuce (1 bunch), cut into strips

Optional: Mango, 1 medium, in a small dice

Optional: shredded organic sharp cheddar

Dressing Ingredients

Juice of one – two limes (depending on juiciness of limes)

3 tbsp olive oil

Pinch of cumin

Pinch of salt

Directions

Prep:
Cook quinoa and let cool … or ideally, use leftovers :-).

Heat olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin, plus a pinch of salt. Saute about 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Place into a large bowl, and add 1 cup of the black beans (reserve 1/2 cup for texture, later) and tomato paste. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash all of the ingredients together.

Stir in the remaining beans along with quinoa and ground oats until evenly distributed. Make 4-6 patties, packing them tightly with your hands, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least a few hours.

To Cook/Assemble:
Preferred: Bake on an oiled baking sheet at 400ºF for 20 minutes until heated. Flip halfway to brown evenly.

Alternate: In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry in a bit of oil for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

While patties are cooking, mix the dressing ingredients well in a large bowl, taste and correct seasoning if necessary, then toss all salad ingredients with the dressing. Note: the flavor of this dish is complemented by the dressing, but doesn’t depend on it, so it needs very little dressing. If you’re concerned you need more, feel free to make it, but hold it to the side until you’ve tasted the patties/salad together – you may find you don’t need it at all.

To Serve:
Plate the salad in large bowls and top with the warm, golden brown patties.