February 17, 2011

SOMETHING OTHER THAN PAPER!

YEA ....
SOMETHING TO SHARE
OTHER THAN PAPER!

Dear Daughter and I spent a little
time in the kitchen today!
She wanted Pasta Salad and
I've been wanting to make
a salad using Quinoa.

We've been trying to eat better,
exercise and just over all getting
in better shape!
So, I'll share my Quinoa Salad!

Cooked Quinoa and a bowl of
added ingredients!
I'm not much on following
an actual recipe. I'll look
at one, then put my own
spin on it.

So, I'll try to tell you what I did!

For the Quinoa -
3 1/2 Cups of Water
(I used 1-can chicken broth, then
additional water to make 3 1/2 cups.)
1 1/2 Cups rinsed Quinoa

Bring water to boil,
add rinsed Quiona.
Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Then turn off heat and let
sit covered for 5-15 minutes.

Set this aside.

Now for the bowl of
Yummies!!!


3 stalks of celery, sliced fine
4 green onions, sliced 
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 can black beans (any bean will work)
1/2-3/4 cup chopped carrots
1/2-3/4 chopped pecans
1 hand full of regular raisins
1 hand full golden raisins
Cherry Tomato's sliced in half
(I used about 1/2 of a small package)
1/2 package of baby spinich
(blanched slightly)
I also added about
1/2 of a spaghetti squash
cooked, cool and chopped
(The squash was a left over.)
And, for good measure 
2 spoonful's of minced garlic
Salt, Pepper & Thyme to taste
(I think that's it!)
Dressing
(now this I just eyeball & pour)
About 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
About 1/4 Cup of White Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
And ...a tad of Sesame Seed Oil
I also added just a touch of sugar to taste.

Now, you just combine the Quinoa, dressing and
your yummies -- mix well.
Let sit for 1-2 hours for flavors to meld
together!

Now ....enjoy!
I'll top it with a bit of Feta Cheese
when we eat!

Just a bit on Quinoa.
I've never cooked with this
ingredient; but since hubby and I
are trying to eat healthier I 
thought I'd give it a try!

Quinoa is an ancient, traditional grain
grown at 12,000 feet above sea level.
It is a whole grain and has been
classified by the National Academy of Sciences
as one of the best sources of protein
in the vegetable kingdom.
Quinoa is gluten-free, has a
low glycemic index and provides
all of the eight essential amino acids,
and has 6g of protein.
Info ... from the package I
purchased. 'truRoots Organic Quiona'
(I purchased it at Costco.)

So, there you have it!
My version of a very healthy
Quinoa Salad!

3 comments:

  1. I "discovered" quinoa a while back...thanks for the exciting new recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I usually eat Quinoa at breakfast. Add a bit of honey and blueberries. Very good. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I eat quinoa with veggies about every other day, but never anything this fancy. Not only does this looks super delish, it looks soooo healthy! I am inspired!
    Laura B.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by and
having a cup of tea with me!