Tag: Quinoa

Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad

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Hi guys! I hope you’re keeping busy and satying safe;)) Spring is almost here, and so I thought I’d make a fresher recipe today. This Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad is light and makes a great lunchđź‘Ťđź‘Ť I used tri colour quinoa, which I discovered a year ago and it’s awesome. It’s usually the same price as regular quinoa, but it’s three different colours and looks super cool. Also, there’s soy sauce mixed in with the avo, which is one of my new favourite combos. Here’s the recipe:

Chickpea, Quinoa and Avocado Salad

Serves: 3

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions:

  1. In a small pot, combine the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the water has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  2. In a small bowl, mash the avocado and add in the oil, lime, garlic, and salt sauce. Stir until combined.
  3. Mix together the chickpeas, tomatoes, and peppers in a large bowl. Add in the quinoa and mashed avocado and stir. Enjoy!

Keep cooking and stay creative my friends;)

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Pantry Staples

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Hey there guys:)) I’ve been posting a lot of recipes lately, but I thought that I’d post about some of the pantry ingredients that I always like to have on hand in order to make them. Having a few things that are always in your pantry is handy for meal prep and just cooking in general. Here are the pantry ingredients that I use most often;))

Oils

I usually like to have 3 kinds of oil on hand; olive, coconut and sesame. Olive is really great for sauteing things and starting curries and stews, whereas coconut oil is usually used to replace butter in baking. I mainly use sesame oil for flavouring Asian dishes, and unless I am making a stir fry I don’t really cook in it. Having oils in your pantry is essential to making pretty much every dish. If I would pick one to have on hand, it would be olive.

Vinegar

Vinegar is also something that is important to have. I love balsamic because you can use it in dressings and sauces, and I even cook veggies in it. Red wine vinegar is also great for salads, but I personally like the flavour of balsamic better.

Oats

I pretty much eat either yogurt or oats for breakfast everyday. Other than being a delicious start to your morning, oats are used a ton in baking and can be ground into a flour and used in a variety of different recipes. They’re super versatile and that makes them something that is awesome to have at all times in your pantry.

Whole Wheat Pasta

I like having whole wheat pasta because it cooks quickly and you can just throw a quick sauce on top for a delicious meal. Choosing whole wheat over regular gives you more whole grains, but still actually tastes really good. There are also chickpea and lentil pastas out there, which have lots of protein and are great as well.

Canned Goods

There are lots of canned goods that I like to have on hand at all times. Mainly legumes, like chickpeas, lentils, black beans, and red kidney beans, but having canned diced tomatoes and canned organic soup is awesome. Tomatoes allow you to make a whole range of curries, stews and sauces, while canned soup is great for quick lunches. Just make sure you buy a kind with no preservatives; organic is the way to go.

Quinoa

I’m actually out of quinoa right now, which makes it more evident how much I depend on it. Quinoa is amazing in bowls, underneath stews or in soup. It’s so versatile, good for you and easy to cook.

Those are all of my pantry staples! If you have any questions about these or any other feel free to ask me either here or on my Instagram account. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you Monday

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;)))

Asian Kale and Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing

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Hi! The recipe that I have for you guys today is a delicious Asian Kale and Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing. About a year ago, I tried making a salad with spinach, chicken, and a so called “peanut dressing” that I’m pretty sure was just peanut butter and soy sauce mixed together. Then last month I wanted to improve upon that Salad, and so I created a dressing that is about 1000 times better than my original attempt, and it doesn’t even have any soy sauce in it because we didn’t have any! I call it a dressing, but really it’s a super versatile sauce. This could go in stir-frys, on roasted veggie bowls, and would be killer in wraps. But for me, it really shines in this Salad full of kale, quinoa, cucumbers, carrots, chickpeas and cabbage. Hope you enjoy!

Asian Kale and Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing

Serves: 3 as a main, 6 as a side

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

  • 3 cups kale, chopped and with the stems removed
  • 3 cups purple cabbage, chopped
  • 1 grated carrot
  • 1/2 a cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup roasted chickpeas (optional)
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa

For the Peanut Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp Chile flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup water

Directions:

  1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. If it’s still too thick, add more water until you reach the consistency of ranch dressing.
  2. In a larger bowl, toss together the Salad ingredients. Add in the dressing and mix until everything is coated.
  3. Enjoy!

Now that I think about it, adding some peanuts on top of this salad would definitely take it to the next level, as well as add some crunch. I’ll have to try that next time! So you Friday;)

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))))

Lentil Turmeric Quinoa with Spinach and Mushrooms

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Hi!! Hope everyone’s having a great week so far;) In this post I’ll be sharing a recipe that is kind of big skillet of whatever I had I my fridge; it’s a great way to use up left overs. So if you want to switch out the ingredients in this recipe for ones that you have on hand and need to use up, go for it. Peppers, chickpeas, beans, and other kinds of greens would definitely work well in place of mushrooms, lentils and spinach. Anything that’s left over from a week of eating can be tossed in here. This recipe makes enough for two full servings, so if you make it for dinner one night it’s great for lunch the next day. Here’s how to make my Lentil Turmeric Quinoa with Spinach and Mushrooms!

Lentil Turmeric Quinoa with Spinach and Mushrooms

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Serves: 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup dry green lentils
  • 1/2 tbs coconut oil
  • 1/2 a medium onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Water, as needed

Directions:

  1. Rinse the lentils and pick out any shrivelled up ones. Put them in a small pot with 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and let the lentils cook in the simmering water for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
  2. While the lentils are cooking, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, onions and celery and cook until the opinions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Feel free to add a little bit of water to the pan to prevent the veggies from sticking.
  3. Add in the mushrooms and cook until soft.
  4. Next, put the cooked quinoa and all of the spices into the pan. Mix everything together and then add the spinach, cooking until it’s just wilted.
  5. Remove from the heat and add in the cooked lentils.
  6. Enjoy!

I hope that you enjoy this dish and have fun playing around with different combinations of vegetables. This is going to be my new go-to quinoa recipe;) Bye for now!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))