California Quinoa Salad

On a recent trip to Minneapolis, I was thrilled to visit Whole Foods, the deli of which is always a highlight of my visit, as I love their salads. (I also love that they let you sample them.) On that particular visit, I fell in love with their California Quinoa salad, made with red quinoa, veggies and fruits and some type of light dressing that tasted guilt-free. Sadly, though, the guilt returned when I saw the price sticker on the pound-and-a-half container when I got it home--$13! I resigned myself to not buying it again (which is easy, since we don't have a Whole Foods where I live) and just enjoying the salad. Then I remembered Pinterest! This recipe is inspired by this pin and this pin.

For a no-nonsense version of this recipe, click here. For the nutrition facts, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of vegetable broth (or water)
2 cups uncooked quinoa (I used red; it's pretty!)

1/2 cup dried fruit of your choosing [I switched the pictured raisins out (too old) for Door County cranberries. You could use cherries, too.]

First, put the broth, quinoa, and dried fruit in a saucepan and heat it to boiling over medium heat.

By the way, I didn't have any broth and didn't want to use plain water, so I made my own broth! (So exciting!) All you have to do is throw some veggies (any, really) into a pot of water, season it with salt and pepper, bring it to a boil and simmer for at least an hour, then strain it.

And now, back to our show!  Once the quinoa mixture is boiling, lower the heat and cook (covered) 15-20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. To be completely honest, after 20 minutes, my quinoa was still a little soupy, but I liked its texture, so I just drained it and moved on.)

While that's cooking, prep the rest of the delicious, healthy ingredients:

2 mangos, peeled and diced (I only used one, but will use two next time.)
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup finely-chopped red onion
1 cup shelled edamame
3 tablespoons finely-chopped cilantro
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds (I just chopped mine.)
2 limes (zest and juice)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 orange, peeled, skin removed, and diced (This will be my addition next time.)

Don't let the coconut scare you; I couldn't even taste it.

Do yourself a favor and zest the limes before you cut and juice them! (I forgot.)

To me, the mixture looked like Christmas candy of some kind. Yum...

When the quinoa mixture is somewhat cooled, mix everything together, and voila!

While typing this, I decided I would add another mango and maybe an orange, 

because I have a sweet tooth, but it was delicious, all the same, 

and I'll definitely be making this again.

Serve warm or cold.

Makes about three quarts.

Believe it or not, I had no clue how to cut a mango, 

so I found this video, which made it seem simple.

(Keyword: seem)

P.S. Guessing that this recipe makes 14 cups (one cup per serving), 

I analyzed it via SparkPeople and got the following result:

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

This delicious soup offers a lot of bang for the effort-buck; it really couldn't be simpler. 

It's no wonder my neighbor, Judy, chose it for her soup swap contribution! (Thanks, Judy!) 

Just brown and drain the ground beef, add it with the rest, and simmer for a while. Delicious!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef, cooked and drained

2 quarts water

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes (undrained)

      (for a little spice, use diced tomatoes and chillies)

1 can (28 ounce) tomato sauce

2 cups cooked long grain white rice

2 cups chopped green pepper (I used 1 1/4 large green peppers)

2 beef bouillon cubes

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

While you're browning the ground beef and cooking the rice, prep your veggies:

Next, throw everything into a large saucepan or Dutch Oven.

What's that, you say? That's not a skillet; it's a saucepan?

Yes, I soon realized that was risky.

However, the soup and I survived unscathed.

Cover, and simmer 30-40 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Serve with your favorite crusty bread or nothing at all; it doesn't really need a sidekick.

Makes about 10 servings.

"What's that?" you say? "Is that a sidekick?"

No; it's the other delicious soup I made today--Black Bean and Quinoa

(for the adventurous, spinach-loving types).

Quinoa is nothing to be afraid of; it's like rice, only smaller and better for you.

You can find that recipe here.

To find a printer-friendly version of Stuffed Green Pepper Soup, click here.

Black Bean and Quinoa Soup

You'd be hard pressed to find a single unhealthy ingredient in this hearty, colorful soup; and yet, it tastes delicious, especially on the second day. [Warning: Not for spinach or black bean haters!]

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped fresh tomato

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 large carrot, chopped

5 cups low sodium or no-salt-added vegetable broth

3 cups cooked black beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans low sodium or no-salt-added black beans, drained

4 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 avocado, chopped

[I must interject to say that I used regular chicken broth and regular black beans, with no regard to salt content in either. So, technically, it's not really healthy, but it's healthy enough for me!]

First, prep your ingredients:

I gave the beans only a slight rinse.

The quinoa is simple to rinse in a colander. 

Never had quinoa? Neither had I, a year or so ago, but it's nothing to be afraid of; it's simply a grain with a mild flavor and good a pleasant texture. It's a little like barley, I guess.

Saute onion and green pepper with 2-3 tablespoons of water in a soup pot,

until tender (about 5 minutes), adding more water if needed to prevent sticking. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the tomato, cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tomatoes soften. 

Add carrots and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, stir in the rinsed quinoa, reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add black beans and continue cooking until heated through and quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Mmmmm.....I love spinach!

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve garnished with chopped avocado (optional, of course).

Makes two quarts.

The other delicious soup in the photo is Stuffed Green Pepper Soup. 

I made both soups within two hours.

You can find a printer-friendly version of this recipe here.

If this is your recipe, I apologize for not giving due credit; I simply forgot where I found it! I will happily amend the post with credit when provided such.

Easy Pasta Salad

Is there really such a thing as a difficult pasta salad? I actually thought twice about posting this one, because it's so easy, but then I figured that not everyone is an experienced cook, so I figured it's worth a post. This salad is a nice accompaniment to any summer meal. We're serving it with barbecued beef sandwiches (and ham, and guacamole, and taco dip, and....) for Kyle's graduation party.

Ingredients:
Pasta of your choice (I used rotini this time, but you can use any kind, including spaghetti.)
Veggies of your choice (cukes, Vidalia onion, celery, green pepper, red pepper, tiny tomatoes)
Cheese (optional) Note that I didn't think to add mine til after I took the photo
Olives (optional) I actually changed my mind and left these out (Mr.4444 said, "People hate green olives."
1 bottle of Italian dressing
1 bottle McCormick Suddenly Salad seasoning (not pictured)
pepperoni (optional)
shredded Parmesan (for guests to sprinkle on top)

(Note:  Although this recipe lists the ingredients for one batch, I actually doubled it, so you'll see a lot more at the end of the post.)

While you're cooking the pasta per box directions, dice your vegetables. (Of course, I washed that dirty celery!)  I took the next photo to show you one of my all-time favorite kitchen tools. You know how you get invited to Pampered Chef parties but hate to go for fear you'll spend too much?  Well, I highly recommend that you buy one of these babies, as it is worth it's weight in gold (about $10).

I've had mine for about ten years, and it will still take a finger off if you're not careful. When we're peeling potatoes for booyah, I can peel at least three times as fast as anyone with a old-fashioned peeler (and I don't have the waste I get with a knife.) But I digress, just like I did when I became enamored with this gorgeous red pepper and took this shot...

And now, back to the show!  When the pasta is done, be sure to rinse it in cold water (in a colander, Matty) right away (it stops the cooking and keeps it from getting mushy). Drain thoroughly and put in a large bowl. Add the vegetables, and pour the dressing over all.

Stir. Add salt and pepper if you want.  Chill for several hours, and don't be afraid to stir now and then to mix the dressing through.

 Off to make another dish for the party!!

[Update: Today, when I tasted the salad before serving it, I decided it needed something (it was a little too tame. My sister Mary brought some sliced pepperoni to add, and we also added a bunch of McCormick Suddenly Salad seasoning and some more Italian dressing.  That gave it the kick it needed.]