Quinoa Salad

A recent visit to Costco and looking at their prepared quinoa salad got me thinking about making my own salad. The quinoa salad at Costco is in a large tub, has too much dressing and is a large amount that has to be consumed within two to three days. Lastly, the DH is not a fan of Costco’s quinoa salad.

I decided to make a salad that would provide four servings, include crunchy vegetables and be adaptability by interchanging vegetables that you had available in the fridge or garden. An option to add to the salad is feta cheese. I didn’t add any to the recipe but since we have leftovers, I will add some to the plate tomorrow when I have some of the leftovers for lunch.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup dry quinoa

3 celery stalks, chopped

4 radishes, chopped

1/2 medium size apple, chopped

1/2 fennel bulb, chopped

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice or lemon balsamic white vinegar 

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Adding the vegetables to the quinoa.

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. Let cool. You can make the quinoa ahead of time and store in the fridge. 

2. Using a large bowl, add the quinoa and the chopped vegetables. Combine well.

3. Add salt and pepper and combine well.

4. Add the vinegar or lemon juice and oil. Mix well.

5. Adjust seasonings if required. I used lemon balsamic white vinegar and added an additional tablespoon of lemon juice as I wanted a bit more of lemon flavour.

QUINOA VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

A friend recently gave me a recipe for a vegetarian moussaka.  She made it with zucchini instead of eggplant and used quinoa in it.  I decided to take the basics of it and make it lower calorie along with some other tweaking.  The DH and I both enjoyed it and I froze several portions for future lunches.

Vegetable mixture in the pan.

Sauce poured over the vegetables.

Just out of the oven.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 clove garlic. minced
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
2 medium size zucchinis, quartered and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
small can of tomatoes or 4 fresh or frozen tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water or broth
pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 cup milk
2 tbsp flour
2 eggs
1 cup shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat and add the garlic and onions.  Reduce heat to medium and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.  Add the zucchini, quinoa, tomatoes and broth.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook until the quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.  Season with pepper to taste.

In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs and add the flour.  Whisk the eggs and the flour and add the milk.  Combine well and add the shredded cheese.  Add salt band pepper, mix and set aside.

Oil a 9 X 13 inch pan and place the vegetable mixture in the pan.  Spread the mixture evenly across the pan and pour the sauce over the vegetables.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until the dish is golden brown.  Serves 6 to 8.

QUINOA, BEET AND CHICK PEA SALAD

A friend posted a link on Facebook to a list of recipes using beets.  Since I had cooked beets in the fridge I decided to investigate the recipes.  There were a number that looked interesting and this one caught my attention as I like quinoa.  Of course I made a number of modifications.  Costco sells cooked vacuum sealed beets in small packages and I have been buying them as it saves on cooking time and it is convenient.

The recipe calls for orange juice.  I didn't have any in the house so I used apple juice.  If I hadn't had apple juice I would have used lemon juice but not likely the whole 1/4 cup.  I also used a combination of white and red quinoa.  Besides adding some chopped almonds, I also included roasted chopped hazelnuts.  I added more chick peas than what the recipe calls for.  I added about a cup and a half of cooked chick peas.  If I would have had fresh cilantro or parsley, I would have added a handful of chopped herbs to the salad.  The salad is very good and I will be making this one as one of my 'go to' salads.

Quinoa, Beet and Chick Pea Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups cooked quinoa 

2 beets, trimmed and quartered

Olive oil

Sea salt

1/4 cup fruity olive oil

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tsp tamari sauce

1 tsp balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar

1 tbsp agave nectar, maple syrup or honey

1 cup cooked, drained chick peas

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 fresh orange, peeled, trimmed, cut into bite sized pieces

handful of roasted almonds, chopped or slivered

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  While the quinoa is cooking, roast the beets in a medium size roasting pan, by combining the beets with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt.  Place the pan in the center of the oven and roast until the beets are tender (roughly 45 minutes).  Remove the beets from the hot pan and set aside to cool.  When cool enough to handle, rub off the skin. Cut the beets into bite sized pieces. 

Dressing: combine the olive oil, orange juice, tamari, vinegar, and agave in a cup and whisk.  Set aside. 

Combine the warm, cooked quinoa in a mixing bowl with the chick peas and orange pieces.  Pour in the salad dressing and toss lightly.  Season with sea salt and pepper.  Gently add in the cut up roasted beets and chopped almonds.  Do not over mix or your entire salad will turn beet red.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh goat cheese, if desired. Serves 4.

Modified from  glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

QUINOA AND SHREDDED ZUCCHINI SALAD

Quinoa is one of my favourite grains.  I especially like to use quinoa to make a vegetable salad.  With zucchini making regular appearances in the garden, this salad is a great way to use fresh zucchini.  This is a simple salad to make and you can add or substitute other vegetables to the ones listed in the ingredient list.   This salad also tastes good the following day and leftovers are great for lunches.

I usually cook the light coloured quinoa.  I have bought the reddish brown coloured quinoa but haven't cooked it with the same frequency.  To use up the darker coloured quinoa, I mixed what I had with equal parts of the light coloured quinoa.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 coloured pepper, chopped
1/2 small shredded zucchini
a handful fresh parley, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the quinoa according to the directions.  Let cool.  In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix well.  Serves 4 to 5.

QUINOA KALE SALAD

What is not to like about kale?  The combination of kale and quinoa and vegetables makes a great salad.  This salad keeps well in the fridge for a day or two and makes a great lunch to take to work.  Both the DH and I really enjoyed this salad.  The other thing I liked about the salad dressing was that the chia seed acted as a thickener in the dressing.  This salad is can be served any time of the year and is not just a summer salad.

Chopped carrots and pepper.

Baby kale before steaming.

Parsley has been added to the bowl.

Kale draining in the steamer.

Salad ready for serving.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
3 to 4 loosely packed cups of kale leaves, chopped
1 glove of garlic, minced
3 tbsp lemon juice
a bit less than a 1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp agave
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 coloured pepper, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cooked the quinoa according to directions on the package.  Let cool.  While the quinoa is cooking, mix together the dressing of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, chia seeds, agave and cumin.  The dressing needs to sit for at least 10 minutes in order for the chia seed to soften and thicken the dressing.  Steam the kale for three minutes in order to soften it.

To a large mixing or serving bowl, add the quinoa, kale, parsley and vegetables.  Combine.  Add the dressing and mix.  Serves 4 to 5.

QUINOA BROCCOLI MUSHROOM SALAD

I made another salad recently using broccoli, mushrooms and quinoa. When I buy a big bag of broccoli florets and a tub of sliced mushrooms from Costco, I try to find different ways to use them.  This salad keeps for several days and makes great lunches.

QUINOA BROCCOLI MUSHROOM SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup uncooked quinoa

3 cups of raw broccoli florets, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

¼ cup almonds, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

Dressing

½ cup low fat plain yogurt

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp sugar or splenda

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook quinoa according to cooking directions.  Let cool.  In a large bowl mixed the quinoa, broccoli, onion, almonds and mushrooms. 

In a separate small container or bowl mix the ingredients for the dressing.  Add the dressing to the salad and combine well.  Keep refrigerated until serving.  Serves 4 to 6.

QUINOA WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH

I made this recipe for several reasons. It includes three ingredients that I like - quinoa, spinach and mushrooms; I had lots of fresh mushrooms that needed to be consumed and a big bag of spinach in the fridge.  When shopping at Costco, larger packages of merchandise are sold so you come home with big bags of lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, cucumbers, peppers, berries and so on.

This recipe could be cooked as a risotto but I didn't include wine as part of the cooking liquid.  The following pictures show the steps in making this dish.  I also included a photo of a soy sauce that I am now using.  It is much lower in sodium than the typical soy or tamari sauce.  I will add some of this soy sauce to the quinoa serving on my plate for supper tonight.  As this recipe makes a number of servings, I plan on having this for a number of lunches this week.

Onions, mushrooms, celery and garlic being sauteed in the pan. 

The stock and quinoa has been added.

The quinoa is cooked and the chopped spinach is being added.

Ready for the table.

A soy sauce I started to use that has much less sodium. 

QUINOA WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ lb mushrooms, thinly sliced or chopped

1.5 cups quinoa

3 cups water, vegetable or chicken stock

½ lb fresh spinach, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large frying or saute pan and add the garlic, onion, celery and onions.  Saute for 10 minutes.  Add the quinoa and stock, raise the heat until it boils and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 18 to 20 minutes.  Add the spinach.   Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serves 4 to 5.

QUINOA BURGERS

If you like quinoa, you will like this recipe for quinoa burgers.  You can change this recipe according to your tastes by adding different spices or other vegetables than grated carrots.  I followed this recipe and actually doubled it so that I would have leftovers.  For bread crumbs, I toasted some bread and then added them to the food processor along with the other ingredients.   The burgers held together when cooking and didn't break apart. I was impressed.  I plan to keep this recipe handy and will make it again on numerous occasions.  These burgers would also be good to take for work lunches.  

Quinoa mixture in a bowl.

Shaped into burgers and ready to go into the fridge.

Cooking in a frying pan.

Plated and ready to eat as part of supper. 

Leftovers stored in a container and being placed in the fridge.

FISH, VEGETABLES AND QUINOA

This recipe for a fish, vegetable and quinoa dish is very easy to make and you can use a variety of vegetables and an assortment of fish.  It all depends on your taste buds.  I find sometimes that I want to dress up a piece of cod or salmon and combine it with other foods.

Quinoa product that I buy at Costco.

QUINOA WITH TOMATOES

Another great quinoa recipe to add to the collection.  I like the combination of quinoa, basil and tomatoes. You could add more tomatoes to the recipe if you wanted but I thought that three were enough.

Chopping tomatoes and green onion.

Mixing up the dressing, chopped herbs, tomatoes and green onions.

The finished salad and ready for the table.

QUINOA WITH TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of water

3 small tomatoes, finely diced

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp fresh basil, sliced into thin strips

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place the quinoa and water into a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked.  Cool and fluff with a fork.

      In a bowl mix the other ingredients together.  Add the quinoa and combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serves 4. 

QUINOA SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

This quinoa recipe joins the list for another great salad to make.  This salad can be served as a side dish or as the main dish, particularly for lunch. I found the original recipe in a Canadian Living magazine and made some modifications.  I used one cup of dried french lentils and cooked them in 2.5 cups of water.  French lentils are a smaller lentil and great for using in salads.  They also hold their shape.  To cook the quinoa I used some low salt chicken broth instead of water as I wanted to finish a carton of broth that was in the fridge.  When I use broth in a recipe I won't add salt as there is salt in the broth which adds to the flavour.  I also will not add the tomatoes to the salad until ready to serve.  Since the salad will keep for several days in the fridge, if you add the tomatoes with the other vegetables, I think the salad could become too soggy.   The parsley used in this recipe came from the garden so that was a nice added touch.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup warm water

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp pepper or to taste

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (add when ready to serve)

1 cup diced cucumber or 2 mini cucumbers, diced 

1 - 19 oz can of drained rinsed lentils or 1 cup dried lentils cooked

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh mint or 1 tbsp dried mint

3 green onions thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

In saucepan, bring quinoa, half of the salt and 2 cups water to boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover and simmer until no liquid remains and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

In large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, tahini, warm water, garlic, cumin, pepper and remaining salt. Stir in quinoa, cucumber, lentils, parsley, mint and green onions, tossing to coat.  Serves 6.  Adapted from Canadian Living magazine.

SPANISH STYLE QUINOA

I made this quinoa recipe from a Tosca Reno book on 'The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped".  Of course I modified some of the ingredients.   It is spicy and I didn't even add the cayenne pepper.  It is an easy recipe to make and takes about 20 to 25 minutes to cook.

Onions and red pepper being sauteed.

Just added the quinoa and broth.

Ready to be served.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped or diced
1 small red or yellow pepper, seeded and diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup quinoa
2 cups of water or low salt chicken broth
juice of 1/2 lime, about 1 to 2 tbsp
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a medium size saucepan or frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, red pepper, salt and pepper and saute for about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder and cayenne and cook for another minute.  Stir in the quinoa and broth, and let it come to a boil.

Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from the stove, fluff with a fork and add the cilantro and lime juice.  Serves 4.

QUINOA AND FETA CHEESE SALAD

In my continued quest for quinoa recipes, my sister-in-law provided me with a recipe she recently made. The quinoa salad was a hit at her kitchen table.  I made it and also quite like it.  I made a few additions/alterations to the recipe.  It was also nice to use fresh basil from the garden.  You can substitute parsley or cilantro for the basil.

QUINOA AND FETA CHEESE SALAD

DIRECTIONS:

1 cup quinoa                                                    

2 cups water

19 oz can chick peas, drained                          

1/3 English cucumber, diced

1 tomato, chopped 

1 green onion, diced

½ yellow or other colored pepper, chopped                                          

½ cup Feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped or 2 tsp dried                          

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice                                   

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp cumin                                                      

pinch cayenne pepper (optional) or regular ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place the quinoa and water in a medium size pot.  Heat to boil and then simmer for 12 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked.  Let cool. 

In a mixing bowl add the quinoa, vegetables, basil and feta cheese.  In a small bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, garlic and ground pepper.  Add the dressing to the salad and mix.  Serves 6 to 7.

LEMONY VEGETABLES AND BLACK BEAN QUINOA BOWL

With the change in seasons to warmer weather, we turn our minds from making soups to salads.  I quite like this recipe for a black bean quinoa salad bowl.  You can add different vegetables and chopped almonds or other nuts to change the taste.   This recipe is makes a good lunch to bring to work.

Cooked quinoa. 

Black beans draining after being cooked.

Quinoa and beans mixed together.

Chopping some of the vegetables.

Chopped mushrooms prior to adding to the quinoa mixture.

The quinoa bowl is ready to sample!

Lemony Vegetables and Black Bean Quinoa Bowl

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp honey

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed OR 2 ½ cups cooked beans

1 green onion, chopped

5-6 mushrooms, chopped

handful of sugar snap peas, chopped

1 tsp cumin

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

To a medium size pot, add quinoa, water, garlic and honey.  Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, fluff quinoa with a fork and set aside to cool. 

If using dry black beans, they will need to be soaked the night before.  Cook one cup of dry black beans to make 2 ½ cooked beans.   Let cool once the beans are soft.

Add the beans, quinoa, onion, mushrooms and sugar snap peas to a mixing bowl.   Stir to combine.  In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice, cumin and pepper.  Pour over the quinoa mixture and toss until combined.  Serve cold or at room temperature.  Serves 5 to 6.

Options:

Add ½ cup chopped toasted almonds to the mixture.

Other vegetables can be used such as steamed asparagus, red pepper, celery, or carrots.

QUINOA SALAD WTIH RAISINS AND ALMONDS

There are some many recipes you can make with quinoa.  Quinoa is so versatile.  I made this recipe based on ingredients that my sister-in-law recalled from making it herself.  You can eat this as a side dish or add some protein to it to make a complete meal.  I made this recipe using 1.5 cups of quinoa and 3 cups of water as I was having a number of people over for supper.  I didn't change the measurements for the other ingredients or dressing.  With the leftovers, I added some canned salmon to about 3/4 cup of the quinoa salad and had it for lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups of water

1/3 cup raisins

1 green onion, chopped

1 apple, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

1/4 cup oil olive

1/2 lemon, squeezed

1 glove of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp maple syrup

pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat quinoa and water to a boil in a pot, then let simmer for 10 minutes.  All the water should be absorbed.  Let the quinoa cool.  Add the raisins, onion, apple and almonds to a mixing bowl or serving bowl.  Add the quinoa and mix well.  Combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and maple syrup in a small bowl or cup.  Mix well.  Pour over the salad and combine all the ingredients.  Season with pepper. Serves 4 to 5.