More Healthy Food!

That there is the only shot I got of this meal before hastily gobbling it up -- guilt-free!

Lemony Quinoa With Broccoli & Cashews
adapted from Whole Foods

• Half of a green pepper, chopped (I used this instead of sundried tomatoes per a comment suggestion)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Pinch salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup veggie broth (or substitute water and veggie powder)
• 3/4 cup white wine (I didn't have any so I substituted veggie broth)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, cleaned
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup cashews, chopped

Saute onion and garlic in oil for just a few minutes, season with salt and pepper and add water, broth, wine, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss broccoli into the pot, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Toss gently to combine. Garnish with cashews. 

Roasted Carrot & Avocado Salad
from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into two-inch segments
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle to finish
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Course salt and black pepper
• 1/2 avocado, pitted and sliced (obviously, I just used the whole thing)
• Juice of half a lemon

Toss carrots with 2 Tablespoons oil, salt & pepper (as much as you prefer - I used a big pinch and 2 twists), and cumin. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes at 400F/200C until tender and browned.  To serve, arrange avocado slices on top of roasted carrots and dress with lemon juice,  a drizzle of olive oil, and extra salt and pepper if necessary.

Cornmeal Crusted White Bean Burgers

I'm back on the (healthy foods) wagon so I'll be posting some lighter fare in hopes of revisiting it soon. I loved the flavor of these burgers, though they are a little mushy - as in, don't think you can just toss it onto the parilla because it's kind of like grilling mashed potatoes. And to give fair warning - these are lightly fried (something I neglected to notice until after assembly).

Cornmeal Crusted Bean & Quinoa Burgers
from Eating Well

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup quinoa, picked over, soaked, scrubbed & rinsed (I may be exaggerating here but I hate gritty bites of quinoa)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup red (I used green) onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups cooked white beans, well drained (I only made half of this recipe and used one can of beans - drained & rinsed)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I didn't have it so I used sweet paprika and a touch of cayenne)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro (or substitute parsley), chopped
• 3 Tablespoons cornmeal, plus extra for coating burgers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly groung pepper to taste
• Dash of hot sauce (This was my addition and may have messed with the consistency of the burgers, but I really don't think that's what made them mushy)

Bring water to a boil and add quinoa, returning to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover and cook until water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Uncover and set aside. Sauté onion and garlic in 1 T oil until soft, about 3 minutes. Add beans, paprika and cumin. Mash beans to a smooth paste with a potato masher. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool slightly. Stir in quinoa, cilantro, 3 T cornmeal, salt & pepper (and a dash of hot sauce if you'd like). Form mixture into 6 patties and coat with cornmeal. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 3 burgers at a time until brown and crisp on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. 

You know, until they look like this:

The original recipe also includes a guacamole recipe, which I'm sure is lovely, but I just tossed on some avocado slices and mustard. Yum. Oh, and if you're a super good girl you would use a whole wheat bun. Whoops.

Quinoa Is Good For You!

Being a superfood, quinoa is totally good for you. The tricky part is getting it clean - I have to pick it over for rocks and other random debris, then soak it for a few minutes (skimming off any floaters), and rinse in a wire mesh colander. I also give it a bit of a scrub between my hands while soaking to get rid of any clinging saponin.

Double Broccoli Quinoa

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

• 3/4 cup quinoa, cleaned
• 3 cups broccoli, cut into small florets and steamed
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• salt
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

After cleaning quinoa, bring to a boil with 1 1/2 cups water and a big pinch of salt, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes - it's done when you can see the curlicues. To make the broccoli pesto, puree 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli with nuts, parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth. Toss pesto and quinoa with the remaining florets. Add extra salt, lemon juice, or parmesan, as you prefer. I added a few dashes of Al Wok seasoning (brand is Indo Deli), which includes garlic, coriander, ginger, onion, and basil.

Quinoa with Black Beans

adapted from All Recipes

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• splash of olive oil
• 1/2 cup quinoa, cleaned
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• dash of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup corn kernels
• 1 1/2-2 cups cooked black beans
• handful of chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned - about 6 minutes. Add quinoa and cover with stock. Season with cumin, cayenne, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in corn (if using frozen, simmer until heated through), beans and herb. Then, pat yourself on the back for making such a healthy meal and reward yourself with dessert.