Tag: Vegetarian

Balsamic Roasted Veggie and Quinoa Salad

5 Comments

‘Sup people! One of my favourite things to do is come up with new recipes; I just love being creative and experimenting with different ingredients. Today my experiments paid off, because this salad turned out great! Chickpeas, sweet potato and cauliflower are the main components, with a few fresh cucumbers in there as well. I’m usually not a huge fan of balsamic vinegar, but together with rosemary, quinoa and roasted veggies, it’s waaaay better. Plus, there’s no greens in this salad, which is a nice change! I kept my salad vegetarian, but you could totally add some grilled chicken on top to make it a heartier meal. Here’s the recipe for my Balsamic Roasted Veggie and Quinoa Salad:

Ingredients:

Makes 4 servings

For the Roasted Veggies:

  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup cauliflower florets, washed
  • 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • A bit of pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp rosemary leaves

For the Quinoa:

  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
  • 2 sprigs of green onion, chopped

For the Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Mix all of the roasted veggie ingredients in a large bowl, until the veggies are covered in oil and vinegar.
  3. Spread out the veggies on a sheet pan covered with parchment and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft.
  4. While the veggies are baking, cook the quinoa and cut up the onion and cucumber. Mix it all in the bowl the you want to serve the salad in.
  5. Prepare the vinaigrette, mixing the oil and vinegar until combined.
  6. Once the veggies are ready, mix them in with the quinoa mixture. Pour in the vinaigrette and toss the salad.
  7. Enjoy!!

 

I hope that you like this quick recipe. the sweet potato and balsamic work really well together, and the fresh cucumber sort of brightens everything up. Thanks for checking out this post, and stay tuned for a crafty tutorial coming soon!!

Yours Truly, MyDayIsBooked;))

Avocado Tuna Salad Wrap

1 Comment

Hello! I’ve been super busy and haven’t been able to post in a while, but I can’t wait to share this delicious lunch recipe with you! I literally had a chicken salad sandwich for lunch every day last week, so I was craving something a little different, and tuna was the perfect option! Plus, using avocado instead of mayo makes it healthier and more delicious. Scroll down for the recipe!

Makes 1-2 servings (depending on how hungry you are!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of chunk tuna, drained
  • 1/4 white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 wrap (preferably whole wheat)
  • Half of an avocado
  • A few spinach leaves
  • About 1/4 of a cucumber, julienned
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Mash the avocado and mix in the tuna and onion, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. Open the wrap and lay down some spinach leaves.
  3. Next, fill the wrap with the tuna mixture and the cucumbers. Make sure to put another layer of spinach over the cucumbers so that the wrap doesn’t get soggy.

Wrap up the wrap and you’re done!

This wrap is a great alternative to sandwiches (especially when you’ve been having the same one for a week straight!). It’s also super easy to make; you can do it before school in the morning. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did!

Your truly, MyDayIsBooked;))

Healthy Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

1 Comment

Hello! Today is Monday (Ugh!) and I was craving something hearty after school. Usually I make a salad or something, but I just wasn’t feeling it. So, I looked up a sloppy joe recipe and totally made it my own- replacing the beef with chickpeas. After making it I discovered that it would probably go great over quinoa or even just by itself in a bowl! Here’s my recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of chickpeas, roasted (check out my Roasted Chickpea Salad recipe for directions)
  • 1/2 tablespoon avocado/ olive oil
  • 1/2 a medium onion, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1/2 a bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 a can of crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions:

  1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add in the onions. Cook until translucent (6-7 minutes).
  2. Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, celery, pepper, garlic, mustard, vinegar and all of the spices. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to medium-low and let the ingredients reduce for about 7 minutes.
  3. Add in the chickpeas and stir. Let the mixture simmer for another five minutes to let it reduce and build flavour. This is when you can taste it and see if it needs any extra seasoning. If you like your Joes spicy, feel free to add a 1/4 – 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper.
  4. Remove from heat and serve on sprouted wheat bread, over quinoa, or by itself! Store in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled.

And there you have it! Doubling this recipe would be great so you can have it on hand in the fridge for lunches and snacks. Hope you enjoy my Joes!

Yours Truly, MyDayIsBooked;))