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Tag: quinoa

Strawberry Peach Avocado Quinoa Salad
We have a quinoa salad in the deli I work in that has Summer fruits in it and it is pretty popular. You wouldn’t think that quinoa and fruit would be a pair unless it was a breakfast quinoa or something but it actually really works as a savory salad! I actually have made quite a few quinoa salads with fruit at home too, and they are always delicious. The fruit has to be ripe and flavorful though. Buying fruit that is in season and ripe is the key to success when making dishes that include it. Especially if it is going to be raw. I decided to make one last weekend because I had extra peaches and strawberries from making a crisp, and didn’t feel like using them for dessert. They were perfectly ripe, the peaches had that delicious aroma and the strawberries were packed with flavor. So I thought that a simple salad would be best to let the flavors shine through.

I love that quinoa is quick to make, contains protein and is a neutral flavor so it can be combined with pretty much anything. I make it several times a week for those reasons. I had made some ahead of time for a different meal, so this salad came together fast! In addition to the fruit I felt like the salad needed something rich. I usually pair a home made vegan chevre (goat cheese) with fruit in quinoa and it is delicious but I don’t always have it on hand, so sometimes I use avocado instead. Trust me, it is just as satisfying as the cheese, and I always have some on hand because I buy a bag of avocados every week since I love them so much. You may be thinking avocado and fruit sounds weird together but they totally pair with each other!

I also added some greens in the form of arugula to the salad, because I always try to get a serving of greens in every day. I stir them into soups, toss them into salads like this or use them as a base for a salad, but they are something that I always have in my refrigerator and work into my diet every day. Lastly, I made a simple lemon dressing with a hint of thyme and it was so good once it was all mixed together! It is satisfying, balanced, and you will feel great after eating it! If you are looking for a more substantial Summer salad, give this a try! Only a few weeks of Summer left, so might as well enjoy it while you can!

Strawberry Peach Avocado Quinoa Salad
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp organic lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup organic peaches, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup organic strawberries, quartered
- 1 good handful arugula
- 1 large avocado, cut into large dice
Instructions:
1. To prepare the quinoa, place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and set aside.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, avocado oil, sea salt and thyme in a small bowl.
3. To assemble the salad, combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and the dressing, and toss together until well combined.
4. Enjoy!
September 3, 2018
Cherry Berry Quinoa Salad with “Chevre”
I have been eating more quinoa lately than I used to. It stems from trying to eat a variety of vegan protein sources instead of my usual few in my meals (tofu, tempeh, garbanzo beans, lentils). Plus, quinoa makes a great salad and that is usually how I enjoy it. I can make a big batch ahead of time, and it makes a satisfying meal later. So, I have been making many different new recipes with it. The most recent of which involved sweet berries and cherries. It may sound like more of a breakfast porridge combination than a salad, but it was savory, sweet and super delicious! In the past I have always jumped to making desserts first when I have fruit, but lately I have been trying to incorporate it into savory applications as well. After all, I eat more meals than I do desserts.

I decided to keep the flavors in this quinoa simple and just use lemon, mint and a little avocado along with some lime juice to flavor it. No overpowering alliums in this dish. I wanted the flavors of the strawberries and cherries to shine! The mint just gave it a lovely fragrance along with the berries and lemon plus added the little pop of green color that it needed. I tossed in some toasted walnuts for crunch and some nut “chevre” that I had on hand, and it was delicious!

This is the perfect make ahead of time salad for Summer if you want something delicious for lunch or even of you are having a picnic or party and want to impress guests. Just make sure your fruit is super flavorful, that is crucial to this tasting amazing!

Cherry Berry Quinoa Salad with “Chevre”
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp organic lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- 1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (if larger, tear them into pieces)
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- cashew chevre*
To prepare the quinoa, place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and set aside.

To assemble the salad, combine all ingredients in a bowl except the chevre, and toss together until well combined. When ready to serve, sprinkle with the chevre (you will have more left over for another use).

*Use this chevre recipe and omit the herbs: https://www.fragrantvanilla.com/vegan-herbes-de-provence-chevre/
June 17, 2017
Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
Last week, a coworker of mine made some roasted carrot fries for the hot food bar at work, and they were pretty amazing. I admit, carrots are not usually my go to favorite ingredient when it comes to starring roles, but I was surprised at how good it could be when prepared that way. It got me to thinking I should roast some of the ones I had at home up to crispy perfection and include them in my dinner. I mean, I have roasted carrots before, but I usually just slice them thin and go for chips. There was something really delicious about them being in larger chunks for the fries. I was going to just make carrot fries for a snack, but instead I decided to cut them into little smaller chunks, roast them with spices and include them in a bowl.

I love bowls. No, I am not talking about the piece of dishes that you eat off of, I am talking about the composed dish that goes into it. I love quinoa bowls, with lots of delicious toppings. The sort of thing that you would pay a lot of money in a restaurant for but at home it can be made super affordable. I decided to combine the carrots in one of those quinoa bowls with some vegan chevre that I had on hand, some chickpeas, and greens. All topped off with lemon and parsley. I was pretty hungry, so I was excited about this one. The carrots turned out super delicious as I had tossed them not just with olive oil, but with the aromatic spices coriander, cumin and chipotle as well. They smelled wonderful while roasting, and upon tasting them when they came out of the oven before they made it into the bowl, they were super delicious.

Once the bowl was all composed, I was pretty pleased with it! It turned out to be even more delicious than I imagined. I really ought to venture out more and make new dinners more often. I do tend to get stuck in a rut and make the same things all the time, and no matter how delicious they may be new things are always exciting!

Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
Serves 2-3

Quinoa:
- 2 cups water
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
Roasted Carrots:
- 3 cups carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- olive oil
- sea salt
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper
- 1/2 tsp thyme
For finishing the bowl:
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- lemon juice
- 1/2 cup vegan chevre
- 3 handfuls arugula
- fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions:
1. Place quinoa, garlic and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool.
2. To make the carrots, preheat the oven to 400F degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment. Toss the carrots with just enough oil to coat, spices and sea salt and spread out on the pan. Place in the oven and roast for about 20-30 minutes until the carrots are tender.
3. Spoon the quinoa into bowls, then top with the garbanzo beans, roasted carrots, chevre, arugula and parsley, and squeeze the lemon juice over it, and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!
March 31, 2017
Vegan Chocolate Quinoa Pancakes
I always think it is funny listening to people try to pronounce the word quinoa for the first time. “Qhinwah? Keenohah? Keen-way? I am not sure how to say it…” We have all been there honestly, and it is hard to pronounce for first timers. I first started making it when I started working at the health food store 11 years ago. It became part of my diet because it is high in protein, and fiber and I am not a huge rice eater. I make quinoa a lot for dinner with things like quinoa bowls or quinoa salad, but I don’t often venture much beyond that in the realm of quinoa. So, I decided to make something a little different with it a few nights back. Something sort of sweet, pancakes! I was just in a pancake making mood, and I was going to make chocolate pancakes anyway (I had decided at work in the middle of the day when I was really hungry), so I thought why not add some quinoa for extra protein? I was always a fan of whole grain pancakes, and although quinoa isn’t a grain (it is a seed), it has the same affect in pancakes, adding heft and deliciousness.

For the pancake base, I used gluten free flour because it is what I always have on hand. I like Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free, because I find that it works well, and it is made with bean flours which I appreciate. I added a little apple sauce in place of the eggs and oil, so these were pretty light pancakes. I have a really nice ceramic pan which worked beautifully for cooking them without having to oil. I added in chocolate chips, because the little kid in me wanted to. I mean, nothing was better than chocolate chip studded pancakes as a kid, right? The quinoa kind of blended in and added texture and protein. They smelled wonderful while cooking, like brownies. I decided to make a chocolate syrup to go over them, and it was the perfect addition because I wanted something really chocolaty. These were just that. Chocolate in 3 forms! Dessert for dinner, sometimes you just have to do it. Yes, I made these in the evening. I usually don’t have time in the morning or the patience to make pancakes. My mornings consist of going for a run, and heading off to work after showering and eating with little time in between. But breakfast for dinner is awesome!

If you wanted to be a little more healthy and less sweet with these, you could use a fruit puree instead of the syrup. I think mashed raspberries would be awesome! I love raspberries and chocolate together. But anything goes! Taylor these to your taste buds, maybe some just sliced fruit on top, or if you wanted to go the other direction and be more decadent, some coconut whipped cream! The possibilities are endless!

Vegan Chocolate Quinoa Pancakes
Makes 12

Ingredients:

Pancakes:
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup applesauce or mashed banana
- 1 1/3 cups thin coconut milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)
Chocolate Syrup:
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cacao powder
- pinch sea salt
Instructions:
1. In a food processor, combine all pancake ingredients except quinoa and chocolate chips and process until just blended. Pour into a bowl, stir in the quinoa and chocolate chips, and set aside.
2. To cook pancakes, preheat oven to 110 degrees. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the batter in 1/4 cup amounts (I did 3 at a time, but it depends on your pan), and let cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side until set and starting to brown, then flip with a spatula, and cook another 2-3 minutes. When cooked, place on a plate and keep warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining pancakes.
3. To make the topping, whisk together the syrup and cacao powder and sea salt until smooth (adding a little water if too thick, or more cacao powder if too thin). Top the pancakes with it!
*Note: If you do not have a non-stick pan, and don’t mind these not being oil free, go ahead and use a little coconut oil when cooking them to prevent sticking.
March 12, 2017
Autumn Quinoa Breakfast Porridge
We have this Summer berry quinoa salad in the deli I work in, and it is super popular. It is a sweet salad with creamy coconut milk, and fresh berries, and I always have said to myself, it would make a good breakfast. And told myself that I would make it at home. Well, Summer has come and gone, and berries aren’t in season anymore and I still have not made it. But I still wanted to try quinoa for breakfast. After all, it is high in protein and fiber and is a blank palate for creating deliciousness. I am usually an oatmeal eater, but this sounded good. So, I created a Fall version of the berry quinoa and added things to it in order for it to be a suitable breakfast instead of just a salad. I have never been a cold cereal girl, it is almost always something warm, so I was looking forward to this.

I used the quinoa as the base of course, but once it was done cooking, I added a quick almond milk to make it creamy. How do you make a quick almond milk? Simple, whisk almond butter into filtered water. Works every time. I do this often because I really don’t go through enough almond milk to make a big batch. I sweetened it with a little stevia (I do not usually prefer too sweet of things in my breakfast) and cinnamon. I had to add in some more healthy protein boosters, so I added chia seeds and hemp seeds which are a regular addition to my usual oatmeal for healthy omega 3 oils. Instead of the berries in the other recipe, I used dried pears, cranberries and figs. They plumped up nicely as they sat in the warm quinoa porridge for a little while.

It was delicious! Warming, comforting, filling, sweet and delicious. This is the type of breakfast that keeps you satisfied, no getting hungry within a few hours. Which is important to me, because I eat lunch a little later than most. I enjoyed it warm, but I shared some with Eric and gave it to him in a jar because he needs quick breakfasts before going to work early. So, it can be served either way. Give quinoa a chance for breakfast, you will be happy you did!

Autumn Quinoa Breakfast Porridge
serves 2

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup plus 3/4 cup filtered water (divided)
- 3 Tbsp almond butter
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Sweetleaf stevia sweet drops (or your choice sweetener to taste, maple syrup works too)
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup dried figs, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup dried apples, cut into small pieces
Directions:
1. To prepare the quinoa, place quinoa and 1 cup of the water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain any liquid and place back into the pot.
2. Whisk together the 3/4 cup filtered water, almond butter, sea salt, cinnamon, and stevia (or whatever sweetener you are using), then pour over the quinoa in the pot and mix well.
3. Add the chia seeds, hemp seeds and dried fruit and stir to combine. Serve warm, or place in the refrigerator in jars and serve the next day for breakfast.
October 2, 2016
Spicy Quinoa Veggie Black Bean Salad

I had one really busy day last week where I got home late from work, was feeling stressed and didn’t want to fuss over dinner. A pre-dinner walk with Eric helped, but I was still not in the mood to cook something complicated. It was a warm day so salad sounded awesome. You wouldn’t think I would want to make salads that require chopping things at home since that is what I make all day at work, but making salads all day makes me hungry for them sometimes. A quinoa salad was what I was craving.

I am not a big rice fan, so quinoa is my go to thing when it comes to grain like dinners. I had a bunch of veggies on hand that someone had given me, some tomatoes, peppers, scallions, and fresh basil, so I knew they would make this a colorful and delicious meal. I always say, the more veggies, the better. I can never get enough. Yes, I even crave veggies more often than fruit. Weird I know. Anyways, I also had black beans, so I figured make this an extra protein rich salad. I added in some spicy jalapenos and chipotle peppers for a kick because it just sounded good.

This was so refreshing and delicious, and so quick to make! I didn’t have to heat up the oven so my house stayed cool which was a bonus as well. I have to say, eating this sort of food does lift my mood. All of the pretty colors and delicious flavors! Yum! If you are looking for an easy and delicious meal, try this out. It is good to make ahead of time as well if you want some for lunch the next day. I made extra for just that reason.

Spicy Quinoa Veggie Black Bean Salad

Serves 4

1 cup white quinoa, rinsed
2 cups filtered water
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
2 scallions, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
sea salt to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

To prepare the quinoa, place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa with all other ingredients and toss until well mixed. Serve at room temperature.

June 4, 2016
Quinoa Veggie Black Bean Bowl

It is exciting when more produce comes into season and becomes more readily available. The Farmer’s markets are going to open soon, which I am excited about since nothing beats local produce picked that day. Asparagus and pea season is almost here, and so I am in a spring vegetable eating sort of mood. Last night I decided to make a quinoa bowl loaded with fresh Spring vegetables. They may not be local yet, but it was still satisfying and delicious.

I love quinoa bowls. I started loving bowls of things when I first tried a chipotle burrito bowl about 5 years ago, I thought it was the greatest thing ever. All of those veggies and beans, it was a big bowl of happy. So now I make my own bowls of different sorts, but they usually have quinoa because I am not a huge rice fan. I love that quinoa has more protein and is lower glycemic than the rice. Anyways, this bowl came together really quick, because I already had black beans on hand, and the sauce I used for it is one I use often for other salads so I had that on hand as well.

It was a big bowl of delicious, and so pretty with all of the veggies. Things like this make me happy, who doesn’t love a bowl full of good food though. I will be making this often now that the weather is warming up and I am not all about stews and hot things every night. If you are making this, feel free to use the veggies that you have on hand! Radishes and mushrooms would be good in it too.

Quinoa Veggie Black Bean Bowl
Serves 2-3

2 cups water
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup cooked black beans
3/4 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup red cabbage, cut julienne
1 medium carrot, cut julienne
1 cup snap peas
2 scallions, sliced

Sauce:
1/2 cup walnut butter
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried chipotle pepper
sea salt to taste

Place quinoa, garlic and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool.

Spoon the quinoa into bowls, then top with the beans and veggies.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients, adding water to achieve your desired consistency. Drizzle the sauce over the veggies and bowl. Serve!

April 27, 2016
Funky Monkey Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

Most people think of quinoa as something savory to mix vegetables into or serve as a side dish, but it also makes a wonderful porridge for breakfast. I am a fan of porridge for breakfast, usually oatmeal though. But I decided to try making something different and used quinoa. This actually ended up being a snack, and I gave it a dessert like twist, because I made extra for Eric too. Since he loves sweet things for breakfast.

We both love peanut butter so much that we could eat a whole jar (but don’t because that would probably not be good), so I wanted to include peanut butter in this. I mashed up a banana, mixed in some cacao powder, and a little almond milk. I added in some hemp seeds for some omega 3 goodness and a little more protein. It reminded me of rich chocolate rice pudding with peanut butter. But of course had the quinoa texture.

I topped it off with bananas, hempseeds, cacao nibs, and jungle peanuts. It was so delicious. If you want a little treat for breakfast with some chocolate, give this a whirl. Otherwise, it makes a good alternative to rice pudding (and if you like it sweeter then add a little more stevia or maple syrup). I called it funky monkey quinoa breakfast porridge because Eric and I like to make up funny names for things, and it just fit!

Funky Monkey Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

Serves 2

½ cup uncooked quinoa
2-3 Tbsp smooth peanut butter (as you like it)
3 Tbsp raw cacao powder
Stevia or Maple syrup to taste
1/2 cup almond milk or filtered water (or as you like)
1 banana, mashed
¼ cup shelled hemp seeds

Toppings:
Sliced banana
Hempseeds
Cacao nibs
Peanuts

To make the quinoa, combine the water and quinoa in a pot, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook until all of the quinoa has fluffed up about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whisk together the peanut butter, cacao powder, stevia, almond milk, and banana, and stir into the quinoa along with the hemp seeds. Pour into bowls, and top with desired toppings. Enjoy!

February 20, 2016
Jeweled Quinoa Salad with Macadamia Chevre

I make a quinoa salad at work sometimes that my coworkers love, and to be honest it is my quick go to dish when I don’t have a lot of time. But it is so good, that it doesn’t matter how little time it took to prepare it. I came up with it one day when I thought a quinoa laced with fruit and nuts might be nice, and it turned out to be just what I needed to make. I have used it a few times at home as a stuffing for squash for me and Eric when I want something easy for dinner, and we both love it as well. I finally decided I am going to share a variation of the recipe with you all because it is too good not to share.

This is a very similar recipe to the one I always make, but I have added a few more things to make it even more delicious, and things that I happened to have on hand. It has quinoa of course, but also pumpkin seeds for protein. I added in dried cranberries and currants for sweetness, and spinach and herbs for color. I topped it off with a macadamia chevre that I happened to have on hand and it was a nice bit of richness to an otherwise low fat dish. It was crave worthy. I like this one even better than the original version. This is a great make ahead salad to pack in lunches for a healthy protein rich meal.

Jeweled Quinoa Salad with Macadamia Chevre

Serves 4

Chevre:

2 cups raw macadamia nuts (or cashews), soaked in water for 4 hours and drained

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

2-3 Tbsp filtered water

Quinoa:

1 cup white quinoa, rinsed

2 cups filtered water

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried currants

2 scallions, sliced

2 Tbsp chopped parsley, or 1 Tbsp dried

sea salt to taste

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup orange juice

2 cups baby spinach

To make the chevre, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor, and blend until smooth adding a Tbsp or two of water as needed to create a chevre like consistency (do not add too much or it will be too thin). Place in 2 layers of cheesecloth, wrap up, and place in the refrigerator overnight to firm up.

To prepare the quinoa, place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients with the quinoa and toss until well mixed. Break pieces off of the chevre and scatter them around the top of the quinoa. Serve at room temperature.

January 13, 2016
Roasted Beet and Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Sometimes I just make things on the fly when I get home for dinner, and sometimes I spend my day at work thinking about them. The salad I am sharing with you today was the latter. Truth is I made 2 beet salads, at work, spent a chunk of my day working with beets, tasted a few and decided that was what I wanted for dinner. Although I could eat a big pile of just plain beets, I thought a substantial salad with plenty of protein would do the trick.

I was quite hungry after a busy day so I needed that. The first thing that came to mind to pair the beets with was quinoa. I had enjoyed a quinoa salad with beets once and it was amazing. I was going to make something even better. I also added in chickpeas because I love them and because they are awesome with quinoa. It needed some other flavors too, so I tossed it with lemon and fresh mint. Simple, but so good. All that it needed. But I added a bit of coconut chevre I had on hand just because and it was over the top wonderful! I shared some with Eric and it was the perfect size meal for two hungry adults. The best part about this salad besides it tasting wonderful? The beautiful pink color. I love it.

Roasted Beet and Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Serves 2

Coconut Chevre:

1 1/4 cups young coconut meat*

1/3 cup coconut water*

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter (not oil), warmed to liquid

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 tsp powdered probiotics

4 medium sized red beets

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups filtered water

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

sea salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

For the chevre, combine the coconut meat, milk, sea salt, coconut butter, and probiotics in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a container with a lid, and set in a warm place overnight.
Once it has become tangy in flavor, place in the refrigerator to chill completely.

To roast the beets, wrap them in foil, and roast them in a 400F degree oven for about an hour to an hour and a half depending on how big they are until they are tender when pierced with a knife. Once roasted, allow to cool, peel and cut into large dice. Meanwhile, to prepare the quinoa, place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and set aside.

To assemble the salad, combine all ingredients in a bowl except the chevre, and toss together until well combined. When ready to serve, sprinkle with the chevre (you will have more left over for another use).

*If you do not have access to young coconut meat, you may used a can of full fat coconut milk in this recipe in place of the coconut meat and water.

June 5, 2015
Quinoa Veggie Bowl with Lemon Almond Sauce
My dinners many times come together based on what I have on hand in the kitchen. I come up with some of my favorite things that way and it forces me to think outside of the comfortable box of the things I know well. I recently bought some quinoa because it was on sale and because I have been craving some for a while now, and I figured now would be the time to use it on the night I wasn’t sure what to make for dinner. I usually don’t plan out my dinners ahead of time. What I ended up making was a quinoa bowl, with veggies and chickpeas topped off with a silky almond lemon sauce.

Omg was it ever good! Satisfying and filling yet light and a balance of cooked and raw foods perfect for a Spring dinner. I have made it a couple times since with variations on the veggies depending on what I have on hand and it is always good. That is why I needed to share the recipe with you all. As far as I am concerned, every meal should include a plate full of colorful veggies. This is my kind of comfort food. The kind that is healthy and delicious!

Quinoa Veggie Bowl with Lemon Almond Sauce

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 3/4 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut julienne
- 1 medium beet, cut julienne
- 1 medium carrot, cut julienne
- 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
- sliced jalapenos
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- sea salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool.
2. Spoon the quinoa into bowls, then top with the quinoa and veggies.
3. Whisk together the sauce ingredients, adding water to achieve your desired consistency. Drizzle the sauce over the veggies and bowl. Serve!
April 18, 2015