Baking Turns Into Dinner...

My sister and I often send each other random links to new recipes we have tried out.  We are both pretty adventurous and we will try just about anything in terms of ingredients. More importantly we both keep a lot of the same ingredients in stock in our pantries.

Most recently, she sent me a recipe for Carrot Quinoa muffins. I know, it sounds like some health-nut dessert but its definitely not. Follow the link below to get the recipe.









I found myself shredding too much carrot and had been making some grilled chicken for my week's lunches, when I decided to throw together the extra ingredients from the muffins, into a delicious salad. The salad was comprised of the extra cooked quinoa, shredded carrot, diced apple, baby arugula, herbed goat cheese, grilled chicken, and my favorite go-to salad dressing, maple balsamic vinaigrette (another hit from my sister's collection!) This dressing is my secret weapon for dinner parties and will soon be yours as well!

The Dressing

3T balsamic

2t maple syrup

2t minced shallot

1t dijon

1/2 cup olive oil (add last, slowly while whisking)

salt and pepper

Make the Muffins: http://www.darcyeden.com/posts/2012/5/18/carrot-quinoa-muffins.html

Quinoa Meal #2: Colorful Greek Quinoa Salad

Mondays are my long day, so I need a sturdy lunch that can travel well and keep me satisfied since there is little time for an adequate dinner. Lunch today uses the second portion of my pre-made quinoa in a cold salad with a mixture of colorful produce. This salad is inspired by our favorite local Greek restaurant, Zorba.

Paired with a lowfat yogurt parfait, and a snack size portion of pistachio nuts, I'll have enough protein to keep me feeling fuller longer, not to mention the benefits of the antioxidant packed produce.

I layered quinoa, cherry tomatoes; diced, feta cheese, yellow bell pepper; diced, and a  quick homemade vinaigrette (I mix equal parts red vinegar & evoo; Season with about a teaspoon of minced shallot, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and oregano) over bright green baby spinach.

No More Boring Oatmeal...

Red Breakfast Quinoa: with bananas, cinnamon sugar, and almond milk

Good morning! Weekdays I rely on smoothies for a fast, portable, and healthy breakfast. On the weekends I generally prefer to treat myself to something more hearty. As I lie awake in bed this morning, I envisioned banana pancakes, but realized I was out of veggie sausage. No tofu in the house to make a scramble, I was left to the good ole standby, oatmeal. Then I remembered a recipe I had seen on whole living, to use quinoa in place of oats. Out came my rice cooker and in went one part quinoa to two parts water and about 20 minutes later I had enough to make at least three meals with. So today covers meal number one: Red Breakfast Quinoa with cinnamon sugar, bananas, and almond milk. You can either add the milk cold to the hot quinoa, or heat it first to be more of an authentic oatmeal dish. The variations on this breakfast are endless! Quinoa quick facts: Not a grain but rather a seed, contains the most amino acids of any plant source of protein, gluten-free.