If we are what we eat...

then I'm a big bowl of kale-quinoa-chickpeas with steel-cut oats for legs. Seriously, can NOT get enough of those two things. Last night I mixed up a batch of kale-quinoa for lunches, using leftover quinoa, the last of my kale, and the last lemon in the house. I felt very resourceful. Then I thought, "Why not mix up some awesome breakfasts while I'm standing here at the stove?" So I did.

Fifteen minutes later, a quadruple batch of Trader Joe's quick-cooking steel-cut oats was ready to be portioned and refrigerated. To each bowl, I added chopped pecans, ground flax seed, chia seeds, a drizzle of real maple syrup, 12 chocolate chips, a few frozen wild blueberries, and a dollop of natural peanut butter. And then I almost couldn't resist eating a portion for dessert. LOVE that stuff! It's almost like a no-bake oatmeal cookie when it gets reheated, all gooey with peanut butter and a touch of chocolate (minus the guilt of nomming a pile of white sugar and butter).

My morning routine was delightfully streamlined having these two options in the fridge. After my run, I heated up some oatmeal while I packed my lunch, then it was off to shower and work. Great start to my Monday!

Happy new year-and-a-week!

Let's not even pretend that I'm resolving to be one of those bloggers who delivers a post a day with thirty six photos and a printable recipe or three. Some days I think I'd like to be, or at least be able to promise a few posts on a regular basis, but realistically, it's not going to happen. My new job, while never demanding more than 10 on-site hours of my week, is more time consuming than it appeared at first, partly due to the fact that it's not very close to home. My meal planning has fallen severely behind, and while we haven't resorted to fast food every other night with takeout pizza in between, I know I can do better. Here's what's on our plates this week:

Saturday - beef with broccoli. We bought another half-of-a-half of cow this winter. Moo.
Sunday - homemade-ish GF pizza with olives, mushrooms, and local beef pepperoni
Monday - possibly dinner with my parents
Tuesday - quinoa-and-bean stuffed bell peppers
Wednesday -  chicken and artichoke pasta, I think...
Thursday - pancake night for The H and the little guy while I'm at running/yoga
Friday - TBD

This week, if I can find a store selling kale, I plan to buy a bunch or two and make some of my beloved kale-quinoa for my lunches. Leftovers have gone over surprisingly well lately, which leaves space in the fridge for marinating meat and a container of cooked grains (brown rice or quinoa, most likely) to help pull together a quick meal. In my spare time (can I get an LOL?) I intend to browse through old posts to see just what in the world we did with all this beef last time.

Happy new year! Thanks for reading.

Food prep day

I didn't really plan it, but this afternoon I did a giant amount of food prep while the little guy napped. It started with a trip to the farmer's market this morning, where I got some beautiful rainbow-colored Swiss chard. I was inspired by the cold salad a friend made for our post-run meal last night. When I got home to put away my colorful produce (also including peaches, corn, cucumbers, and salsa), I remembered the beets I'd bought last week. They were quickly prepped for roasting, though sadly I waited too long and the greens weren't good to use like I have before:

On to the chard...

Ten stalks of chard got washed, trimmed, and sauteed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then mixed with sauteed mushrooms, a chopped carrot, a green onion, freshly minced garlic, dried thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes. All of this was mixed with precooked quinoa, and stashed back in the fridge. Dinner side dish/lunch-to-go done.

As the chard-quinoa was mingling flavors and warming through, I started a batch of adzuki beans. They don't require presoaking like many dried beans, and they cook in just about an hour. Great to have available for any number of midweek meals! I'm looking forward to making these burgers, since I also have a few partially-used bell peppers in the crisper.

While the adzukis simmered away, the beets finished roasting. They were gorgeous! Each one just bigger than a golfball, and such a beautiful shade of magenta. I've been craving one of my summer favorites, this beet salad, for a few weeks. For the first time since I started making it, today I toasted the walnuts in a dry skillet before I added them. What a great difference! I used crumbled bleu cheese instead of feta, tossed in some organic celery, dressed it all with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, pink sea salt, and fresh black pepper, and returned it to the refrigerator. Lunches/snack for me done.

While I was poking around in the fridge, I realized we were out of rice. Thanks to the rice cooker, another batch (plain, white--to feed the gastrointestinally-challenged dog) was ready in a half an hour. Right around this time, two hours after he'd gone down, the little guy woke up. While the rice cooked, I prepped some steaks for The H to grill and stirred up another summer favorite, cucumber-sweet-onion salad. Those two things just get thinly sliced and simply dressed with a mixture of plain yogurt, white balsamic (or red wine) vinegar, evaporated cane juice, sea salt, and pepper. The H and I enjoyed this with dinner, and I was a little bummed I didn't think to make leftovers. Tangy, cool, and refreshing-- the candy onion I used isn't halitosis-inducing at all. Definitely buying more of those at the market! Another dinner side dish done, dog supplement done.

Once the rice was ready, I piled some into the dog's bowl with a scoop of pumpkin and some plain yogurt so he could go to town. The H brought in the steaks, and we sat down to eat. Just then I realized it was the first time I'd sat down since the little guy and I got home from our morning/afternon errands, and my feet were pretty darn tired. But I felt so accomplished! It's a great feeling to have these goodies and makings of meals, along with a stash of my beloved kale-quinoa-chickpeas, in the fridge heading into the weekend. Happy Friday!

Kale with quinoa and chickpeas

Oh, kale, you dark dusky-leafed green, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee blended into a cool, verdant smoothie as a refreshing post-run pick-me-up. I love thee sprinkled with kosher salt and toasted to a light crispiness. I love thee wilted into a rich red wine-saturated spaghetti sauce, or stirred into a hearty potato-sausage soup when the winter winds wail at my windows. 

(source)
But most of all, oh dear kale, I adore thee to the utmost heights when prepared the following way (super giant pink puffy-heart thanks to my friends, H&N, for this inspiration, and for continuing to acknowledge me in public):

1. Precook some quinoa and chickpeas (or use a can of garbanzos, rinsed well).
2. Sauté a bunch of washed, torn kale in a giant skillet. Set aside in a large bowl.
3. In the skillet, sauté two minced cloves of garlic in a swirl of olive oil, along with some paprika and cumin.
4. Stir chickpeas into garlic & spice mixture and mix well. (This gets 'em really nutty tasting...yum.)
5. Add 1-2 cups of the quinoa to skillet and toss it all together. Add the juice from two lemons.
6. Stir in kale until well combined; add more quinoa if you want.
7. Sprinkle with a decent amount of salt to taste and serve in the large bowl the kale was in.

It's actually far simpler than I've made it sound: stir together kale, quinoa, and chickpeas with seasonings; add salt and lemon juice, enjoy. 

The second time I made this within a week, I also bought a 2lb bag of dried garbanzos so I can do it again. You'd better believe I stopped halfway through writing this to reheat a little--and take a typical subpar picture. :)

You can serve this hot, warm, or cold... or while you stand over the stove before dinner... as you're boxing it up for lunches the next day... if you are scavenging for a midnight snack... at a picnic with your friends (genius, it doesn't require intense refrigeration)... pretty much anytime you want a hearty, flavorful, delicious, tangy, filling, vegetarian (vegan? I think so) meal. I'm already wondering how many times I can incorporate it into family picnics and parties this summer.

Check out this link to read a little more about the goodness of kale.

Sorry, Wednesday

I just now realized that I entirely skipped over Wednesday in my "mini meal plan" post. I must have really been lacking inspiration. Turns out my fortuitously-timed cooking mood from yesterday solved that problem nicely; the quinoa-adzuki burgers we had were delightful. Even for the little guy! The H said they lacked flavor, to which I took minor offense (I thought they were *great*) until he later confessed that, due to lingering sinus issues, he couldn't even taste the hot sauce he put on his. If Frank's isn't even coming through, I know I'm not responsible for tasteless veggie burgers. Phew.

Know what else I skipped on Wednesday? A run. Really! One of my knees has been feeling a little cranky and I didn't want to aggravate it too much before Sunday. So tonight, rather than a post-run picnic, I'm going to make honey-baked chicken, a recipe from the friend I was going to run with. We've been calling it Chicken Yum Yum; hope you don't mind, Mrs. E. :)

Oh, and I'm thrilled to report that the little guy, whose tastes can often be called particular, didn't notice any difference in the way his milk tasted yesterday at dinner or today on his Chex. Thank you, meijer instant milk powder. I'm pleased to say he also ate one-and-a-half adult sized servings of Adzuki Cake and still asked for more. So there's a win for Wednesday after all!

Cilantro-lime quinoa

Are you one of those unfortunate souls who can't stand the taste of cilantro?

I'm sorry.

Not that it's my fault, but I'm sorry that you will not be enjoying this deliciously tart, nutty side dish anytime soon.

I've become a big fan of buying ingredients that can multitask, like a bunch of cilantro, without dictating that you make exactly the same meal--or even genre of meal--twice in the same week. For that reason, among others, I was giddy to see a recipe for sweet potato samosas with cilantro in the most recent issue of Clean Eating Magazine...but that's a future post!

Anyway, back to this "recipe." I put a few things into my rice cooker (two rice-cooker-measuring-cups of quinoa, three of water, the juice from one lime, some dried coriander, a sprinkle of kosher salt, a generous handful of chopped cilantro, and a packet of Trader Joe's chicken stock concentrate) and switched it to "cook." Thirty minutes later, we had steamy, flavorful quinoa that was the perfect complement to our grilled chicken and homemade pico de gallo (another use for cilantro). Yum.

Load up!

This is one of the tastiest, no-cook meals I've made in a long time. For the minimal effort that goes into it, the flavor return is immense. The only "cooking" I did was to slow-cook the black beans (but of course you can use canned) and use my rice cooker for the quinoa. This meal is great way to keep extra heat out of your kitchen on a summer night! My modifications follow the recipe.



The Loaded Bowl
from Clean Eating Magazine, Sept/Oct 2010
serves 12

Ingredients:
3 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked black beans)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (more or less according to your taste)
2 fresh avocados, pitted, peeled and diced
Fresh lemon juice to prevent avocado from browning
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Juice of 4 limes
Zest of 1 lime

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. While it is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, and cilantro.

3. Dice avocados and drizzle with lemon juice. Set aside.

4. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bullet-style blender. Pulse until garlic is incorporated and dressing appears creamy. Set aside.

5. Fluff quinoa with fork and add to bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add lime juice and zest; toss to combine. Top each serving with avocado pieces and dressing.



This salad will keep well, covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days. Without the avocado, it could last up to 6 days, and may be frozen. Feel free to substitute brown rice for the quinoa, or add grilled chicken to make a heartier meal.

I made a lot less quinoa (my rice cooker only holds so much--I think 1 cup uncooked?) but still used the full 2 cups beans, pint of tomatoes, 2 avocados, 2 limes and the zest of one, and the full dressing recipe with 2 cloves garlic. We had about 1/2 cup cilantro to use up, and it was plenty. We did not portion this individually, but served it family-style with the quinoa on the bottom and the colorful goodies spread out on top.



This served four adults generously, with one portion leftover for my lunch. We didn't use all the dressing, but it was nice to have the extra on the side for those who wanted it.

Nutrition information per 1-cup serving:
Calories - 293
Fat - 12g
Saturated fat - 1g
Carbs - 39g
Fiber - 6g
Sugars - 1g
Protein - 9g
Sodium - 59mg
Cholesterol - 0mg

Summer Squash Salsa

What? Yeah, you read that right--summer squash salsa. Sounds odd, I know, but trust me on this. It was the best part of the meal! This recipe comes from the July/August issue of Clean Eating Magazine, and was slightly modified by myself. Changes are in italics.



Pork Steaks with Roasted Summer Squash Salsa
from Clean Eating Magazine Serves 4

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray
3 medium tomatoes, cored and cut in half horizontally (I used 1 1/2 cups Pomi chopped tomatoes)
1 each zucchini and summer squash, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium red onion, cut in half horizontally (I used half of a sweet onion)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut in half lengthwise (wear gloves when handling hot peppers!)
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed (minced)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, divided
4 four-ounce pork tenderloin steaks (I used boneless pork chops from a local farm market)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 475* and spray two large baking sheets with cooking spray. Scoop seeds out of tomato halves. Place vegetables (cut-side down) onto baking sheets in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven 10-12 minutes, turning once halfway through.

2. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, oil, garlic, cilantro, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper; set aside.

3. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Peel skin off tomatoes, then dice vegetables and gently mix them together in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and set aside.

4. Heat a medium skillet over med-high heat and mist with cooking spray. Sprinkle pork with remaining salt and pepper and cook approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Serve each pork steak with 1 cup squash salsa.



We served these with sides of blackened green beans (no onions this time) and red quinoa. The H had leftover salsa mixed with leftover quinoa for lunch.

Nutrients per serving (4oz pork, 1 cup salsa): Calories - 204 Total fat - 6g Saturated fat - 1g Carbs - 10g Fiber - 2g Sugars - 5g Protein - 26g Sodium - 326mg Cholesterol - 74mg

Chicken with Olive-Tomato Relish

This recipe from the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine was a perfect choice for our after-church Sunday lunch. It came together incredibly quickly because I used two pre-cooked chicken breasts (from my massive food-prep day!) and pre-cooked quinoa from when I made tuna nicoise casserole last week. I served green beans--whole, frozen, thawed in microwave--with Earth Balance and fresh cantaloupe on the side. I halved the recipe for me and The H since I knew the little guy wouldn't care for it. He was happy with his picnic-esque plate of turkey, cheese, melon, and edamame.

Chicken with Olive Cherry-Tomato Relish

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided

4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, vinegar, oregano, oil, and 1/4 tsp peper. Set aside.

2. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve topped with tomato relish.

We subbed grape tomatoes for the cherry called for, because that is what was on sale this week. Because my chicken was already cooked, I simply heated it through in a hot skillet with olive oil to give it a touch of color, and added the salt and pepper directly to the tomato relish instead of the chicken. I also used just 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano in the relish and it was extremely flavorful.

Altogether, this made for a delicious and lightning-fast meal. It was very filling! I loved the flavors of the relish; for only marinating a few minutes while I threw everything else together, it was very well-rounded.

I would like to do as the magazine suggests, and use the topping on a fish fillet or roasted/grilled portobello sometime. This recipe is part of a mix-and-match feature of this issue, so it doesn't suggest a carb outright, but the quinoa was delicious mixed with the relish, so I'm glad I opted for that. Besides, using it up gives me back one of my leftover containers. Bonus!

This would even make a decent cold salad if you chopped the chicken and mixed it all up, so if you don't have access to a microwave at work (or time to reheat it at home--I know how life gets with a little one) don't be afraid to try it anyway.

Nutrition information for 1 chicken breast and 1/2 cup relish:

Calories - 250

Total fat - 5g

Saturated fat - 1.5g

Carbs - 7g

Fiber - 3g

Sugars - 3g

Protein - 36g

Sodium - 350mg

Cholesterol - 95mg

Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole

This recipe is one of the first on my "to make" list from the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. It looked colorful and easy to make--i.e., very short--and the ingredients are things I usually have lying around anyway. I made it for lunch today because The H is out of town (again, I know!) so he and his fish allergy would not be endangered. I'm nice like that.

Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups couscous

8 small red potatoes, cut into halves, or 4 large red potatoes, quartered

2 6-oz cans or pouches water-packed tuna

1/2 lb frozen green beans, thawed

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

Juice and zest of one lemon

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp white onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Cook couscous according to package directions.

2. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; cook potatoes 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large bowl, mix tuna, green beans, olives, and potatoes. Add couscous once it is cooked.

3. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice and zest, Dijon, onion, garlic, vinegar, oil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour over tuna-couscous mixture.

4. Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat and spritz with olive oil spray. Saute the tuna-couscous mixture about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Serve immediately.

My changes:

Quinoa for the couscous

Used a rice cooker for the quinoa

Lime instead of lemon

Shallot instead of onion

Doubled the garlic, even though I halved the recipe

Did not mix ingredients in bowl before heating in the skillet

I could have done without the potatoes, or at least made them much smaller. The flavor of the quinoa/beans/olives was fantastic, but getting a mouthful of plain, blah potato kind of killed the moment. Everything else had a delightful, well-rounded flavor and texture.

I'd say this would be good with chicken, or at least without the tuna, but I really think the tuna adds a subtle (very subtle, if you use canned like I did, since it breaks up so small) extra touch that would be missed if you subbed another protein. The magazine lists the cost of this recipe at $10.00 for the whole shebang, which comes out to $1.25 per serving. Not bad, especially for something so flavorful, fresh, and clean. Tell your friends--clean eating doesn't have to be expensive!

Red Pepper Tabbouleh

OK, so the recipe card this is printed on spells it "tabbouli" but I've grown up with it spelled the way I wrote it in the subject, so that's what I'm going with.

This is another clip-and-keep recipe from Clean Eating Magazine. It appealed to me for several reasons:

1. We love tabbouleh

2. It calls for tons of veggies that I happen have

3. I get to use up several odds and ends before going out of town

To make it safe for The H, I subbed cooked, leftover quinoa for the bulgur (cracked wheat). This meant I could skip Step 1 altogether. I also added some green onions--to use them up, and because my mom's recipe calls for them--to Step 4.

Red Pepper Tabbouleh

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgur

1 tsp olive oil

2 red peppers, diced (2 cups)

2 stalks celery, diced (1 cup)

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch parsley, minced (1 cup)

For the dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. In a medium sized heatproof bowl with lid, pour 2 cups boiling water over bulgur. Cover and place in refrigerator for 45 minutes.

2. Pour oil into a large nonstick skillet. Add peppers and celery, sprinkle with basil and salt, and saute on medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. In another small bowl, stir together dressing ingredients.

4. When bulgur is finished soaking and water is absorbed, spoon it into a large bowl with the sauteed vegetables. Add parsley. Pour dressing over and stir gently.

I love watching a pile of fresh parsley go from this

to this. It makes such a satisfying crunchy sound, and smells so fresh!

The recipe states 1 cup of celery, so that is what I was going for--it took me four celery hearts to get there.

I snacked on some with Food Should Taste Good buffalo tortilla chips this afternoon. While it's different than what I'm used to, it was very good. Never would I have thought to add celery, balsamic vin, or basil to my tabbouleh--let alone cook some of it--but it was a nice change from the usual. There is no difference (in my humble opinion) between using quinoa or bulgur for the grain portion.

How do *you* spell tabbouleh/tabbouli?

Nutrition information for 3/4 cup serving, minus chips:

Calories - 93

Total fat - 2g

Saturated fat - 0g

Carbs - 17g

Fiber - 4g

Sugars - 2g

Protein - 3g

Sodium - 89mg

Cholesterol - 17mg

Grilled chicken and veggies

Yesterday was a typical Saturday for us. We met our running group for a long run (actually, we hosted the long run), did some housework and yardwork, and asked each other "What should we have for dinner?" Since one of The H's errands was getting a new propane tank for the grill, and the only thing I had in mind was "chicken", it made sense that we combine forces. Thus, dinner was born. And I was proud of us for not going out to eat!

First I got a pot (ok, a rice cooker) of quinoa going. I used vegetable broth, two chopped green onions, and a few tablespoons of jarred dehydrated vegetables. Doesn't look like much, but it cooked up nice and fluffy! The little guy loved it.

While that was simmering, I chopped a handful of colorful bell peppers and half of a sweet onion and set them aside to marinate in olive oil and balsamic vinegar until The H was ready to throw them on the grill.

Our chicken got a very basic barbecue sauce bath, but it turned out great.

I put together a quick little snack plate for us--rice crackers, homemade roasted garlic, Laughing Cow light cheese wedges, and sliced smoked gouda--and then the three of us hung out together while The H manned the grill. The little guy and I took turns sharing cheese crackers and playing with sidewalk chalk. Not pictured is the beautifully delicious red wine we popped open.

Finally, almost dinner time! What does a bored, tired little guy do while his mom sets the table? Kick back with a cold one, of course! (Please note: sippy contains milk!)

So I was all proud of these "progression pics" but would you believe that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product? Of course you would. I guess that's what a 9-mile run and two glasses of wine will do to a person... sorry! (In related news, I slept like a rock.) The leftover chicken and peppers got chopped up and tossed into a bowl of quinoa for one of our lunches this week. Hope you had a great and successful Saturday, too!

Clean quinoa and cheesy quiche

Say that one three times fast! Both of these recipes are from Clean Eating Magazine, which I had perused just before making my meal plan and shopping list for the week. I chose them for several reasons:

1. They are both meatless, which I try to do on Mondays, yet contain satisfying amounts of protein

2. Both call for dried oregano, which I hoped meant they would complement each other

3. They are both based on things the little guy likes, so I was planning on him gobbling them up

They were enjoyable, and I can see myself making them again. I could eat the quiches at every meal and twice on Sundays, but The H liked the quinoa better. It would make an excellent side dish to balsamic-marinated, grilled chicken. I will add more peas next time. The little guy only wanted the cheese from the top of his quiche, and spit out any broccoli we tried to hide underneath. You can't win 'em all.

Quinoa Sopa Seca

from Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2009, Vol. 2 Issue 2

serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 green onions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup quinoa

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I used 1/2 cup salt-free diced tomatoes in juice)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan with a lid, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add oregano and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the quinoa (rinse it first if yours is not pre-rinsed, to remove the bitter saponin coating), then pour in 2 cups of water and the salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and the quinoa grains show opaque lines around their edges (this is the germ splitting apart), about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the thawed peas and tomatoes. Cover pan again and let stand until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Nutrition information per 1/2 cup serving:

Calories - 150

Fat - 4g

Carbs - 23g

Fiber - 4g

Sugars - 2g

Protein - 5g

Sodium - 55mg

Cholesterol - 0mg

Crustless Broccoli & Cheese Mini Quiches

from Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2009, Vol. 2 Issue 2

serves 5

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray

1 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped

2/3 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp low-fat milk

1 whole large egg

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350* and spray 10 cups of a muffin pan with cooking spray (don't try to stretch this recipe into 12 cups unless you increase the egg mixture by more than just one egg white).

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add broccoli and saute for 5 minutes (or use frozen broccoli, thawed in the microwave, and skip this part altogether, eliminating the oil as well). Distribute broccoli evenly among the prepared muffin cups, then distribute half of the cheese on top.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, milk, egg, and seasonings. Distribute evenly over broccoli and cheese. Top with remaining cheese and bake 20-25 minutes, until quiches are set and lightly browned around the edges. Let cool 5 minutes and serve, or cool and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Nutrition information for 2 quiches:

Calories - 100

Fat - 3.5g

Carbs - 6g

Fiber - 2g

Sugars - 1g

Protein - 11g

Sodium - 240mg

Cholesterol - 40mg

Quinoa with spinach and roasted garlic

Warm, simple, and delicious. Is there a better kind of meal for a suddenly-chilly day? Michigan's weather has once again played a trick on us and gone from sunny and spring-like to temps in the teens overnight. The little guy is at daycare today so I was on my own for lunch and looking for inspiration. Nothing too time-consuming (I am working, after all), something with protein (I went for a run first), and above all, something tasty.

Then I read about Mary Ellen's Quinoa with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes, and Spinach, and I knew what lunch would be. Of course I slightly modified the original (as you have probably come to expect from me).

I set the rice cooker to cook the quinoa in vegetable broth while I ran, then after my shower quickly tossed the rest together. And it was quick, too--just about 20 minutes from swirling the olive oil in a skillet to sitting down at my desk to eat. In between those steps, here's what I did:

Sliced 1/4 Spanish onion into thin strips and sauteed until lightly browned, then added two handfuls of fresh baby spinach. While that wilted, I chopped a Roma tomato and got out my container of homemade roasted garlic paste from the fridge. I put a scoop (tablespoon-ish) of the garlic into the skillet and let it warm up, then added the tomato and stirred everything around. Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper were added to taste, and the last step was to stir in about half the pot of cooked quinoa--maybe a cup. I let it all heat through while I put the rest of the quinoa in the fridge, then poured the contents of the skillet into my dish and trekked back to my desk for lunch. (And work. But mostly lunch.)

This would make a wonderful side dish to grilled or roasted chicken, and could even pass as a one-pot meal if you wanted to add cooked shrimp or chicken right to the skillet.

Just a good, clean meal

Tonight's dinner wasn't anything fancy. There were no recipes and no exotic ingredients. It was just a good, normal, clean meal: protein, veggie, grain.

Usually on running nights I make something in the slow cooker, and tonight was no different--except that I didn't start dinner early enough to make the chicken barley stew I'd planned on. Instead, I simply salted and peppered the four small chicken breasts, added a sliced onion and some garlic powder, and cooked them on high until we left for running, when I added some Trader Joe's barbecue sauce and switched it to low.

When we got home, I microwaved some frozen French-cut green beans and made a batch of quinoa (with chicken broth instead of water) in the rice cooker. I got the little guy put to bed and came back to find the quinoa cooked and the beans ready for seasoning. The H suggested some dill and crushed red pepper, so with that and a touch of Smart Balance, dinner was served.

The quinoa was probably my favorite part of the meal, and it was actually the simplest as well. Nice and fluffy and flavorful! Another pat of Smart Balance was all I needed--no extra salt or seasoning--and even that was probably not necessary. This meal was filling, easy (most of it was hands-off), and tasty. I am proud of myself for not shaking on some Frank's RedHot, though don't think I didn't think of it... :)

CrockPot Stuffed Peppers

Today is Tuesday. In this house, Tuesday = CrockPot Day because our running group meets at 6pm and it's easiest to have dinner immediately ready for us when we are done. My original plan was Chicken Barley Stew from Clean Eating Magazine, which we've had once before, but then I saw red peppers on sale at the grocery store. Not local, but huge, sweet, and delicious! And a great price. So I bought 8. And tonight they became "Quinoa-Stuffed CrockPot Peppers." This was my first attempt at stuffed peppers in a slow cooker. The H commented that no matter how many times we have the same recipe, it's never really the *same* recipe. That's just how I roll! By now you should know that I don't really measure anything so here is how I made them; feel free to substitute your favorite fillings and flavors.

Quinoa-Stuffed CrockPot Peppers

4 large bell peppers

3 green onions, chopped

Cooked quinoa

1 can kidney beans (black would've been delightful, too), drained and rinsed

1 cup canned or frozen corn

1 cup diced, chopped, or crushed canned tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Taco seasoning (I used two teaspoons, plus the 1 that I cooked the quinoa in)

Cheddar cheese, divided, optional

1 cup water

1. Wash peppers and cut the tops off. Clean out the seeds and ribs, toss the stem, set the peppers aside, and chop the remaining lid pieces. Place diced tops in a large bowl.

2. Add onions, quinoa, beans, corn, and tomatoes. Stir well to combine.

3. Season mixture to taste with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. Mix in half of the cheese.

4. Fill hollowed peppers with quinoa mixture and set into large (6 quart) slow cooker that has been sprayed or lightly oiled. Pour up to 1 cup water around bottoms of peppers (to prevent scorching of any filling that falls out; I might have omitted this if I had been home to keep an eye on them). Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

5. Just before serving, top peppers with remaining cheese. Turn off slow cooker. Cover until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

The peppers turned pretty soft, which The H and I don't *really* love, but they were good. Next time I might cook on high for 2 hours and low for 2 to have kind of a little crunch left. If I hadn't been making this with my son in mind as well, I might have bumped up the taco seasoning a little. The kind we have is a special blend from my spice guy (his "medium" blend) and it's got some kick to it. Having the quinoa cooked ahead of time made me a little nervous because I didn't want it to become completely mushy. It was soft, but not overdone.

One of the most appealing parts of using this method for stuffed peppers is that it only took 4 hours, when most slow cooker recipes are all-day affairs. Using my rice cooker for the quinoa was another winner. I didn't have to worry about it burning or boiling over while I got everything else put together. Overall, this was a great choice for a busy day. I didn't get it into the CrockPot until after 3:30, and we were sitting down to it almost exactly 4 hours later.

A quick quinoa side dish

Last night we had a last-minute substitution and made quinoa with our BBQ chicken rather than brown rice, simply to save time. My usual go-to quinoa side contains black beans, corn, and cumin, but I didn't want those flavors next to my smoky grilled BBQ chicken. Then I remembered a barley dish I tried a few months ago and decided to use those ingredients to season the quinoa. Thankfully, it turned out just right. So here's what I did:

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Add 1 packet Trader Joe's chicken stock concentrate with the water.

When quinoa is done, add a few swirls of olive oil, the juice of one lemon, a few pinches of dried thyme, sea salt, and black pepper--all to taste. Stir to combine, and serve.

Very easy, very tasty. My 1-year-old was eating it by the fistful, and again for lunch today. Even my mother-in-law, who may have had quinoa for the first time last night, said it was great. Score one for the clean eating machines!

A good clean day

I feel good about what I ate today. I wonder if that's because I planned my eating/exercise last night? I'm not very good about that. Sometimes when it's time for a meal or snack, I don't know what to go for and having a written "menu plan" to refer to is a big help. Today was easy, though! Sorry I don't have any pictures up; I will have to get used to snapping a pic before we dig in.

Breakfast (my son slept in enough for me to enjoy this, start to finish, before he started chirping):

1 serving quick-cooking steel-cut oats

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

2 tsp ground flax meal

1/8 cup sliced almonds

1 Tbsp organic grade B maple syrup

Along with this I had a cup of half-caff coffee (it's all we make anymore) with a splash of low-fat milk. I know cow's milk is technically processed, but I'm ok with having that in my diet.

Snack 1:

1/2 cup Daisy brand 2% cottage cheese (Daisy has the shortest ingredients list of any cottage cheese I've ever seen at our grocery stores!)

1/4 cup peach salsa with 2 Tbsp black beans (rinsed)

8 soy-flax tortilla chips

The black beans got added to the salsa on a whim; I was trying to up my fiber, iron, and protein intakes. Wow, was it good! I seriously wanted to eat it with a spoon. I already love that peach salsa more than any person *should* love a condiment, but the beans just put me over the edge. Delicious.

Lunch:

1 small (half, I guess?) grilled chicken breast

1 Tbsp of my favorite (probably non-clean) barbeque sauce

1/2 of the largest sweet potato I've ever met in my life; I think it started life as a football

2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 cup brown rice

This was leftovers from dinner last night; we had to order from Logan's Roadhouse (Road House?) on the way home from visiting my parents. It was nearly 8pm and none of us had eaten dinner yet. I asked for the chicken plain grilled, and requested no toppings on the potato. I'm not the world's biggest sweet tater fan, but I'm trying--really, really trying--to get used to them. Half was all I could handle in any given sitting, so it worked out great. Oh, and then I had 1/4 of a small 72% dark chocolate bar. Could've lived without that, but oh well.

Snack 2:

Less than half of a green monster smoothie (milk, spinach, natural peanut butter, frozen banana, ice). I was still so full from the rest of the day that I didn't need this, but didn't want to bonk on my run tonight. I let my husband drink most of it; mine was probably closer to 1/4 serving.

Dinner:

1 grilled chicken breast, marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Grilled zucchini and summer squash, drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with dried tarragon and fresh black pepper

Grape tomato-feta salad with white balsamic vinegar

Quinoa tabbouleh salad (cold)

What a gorgeous summery spread! I adore the colors of fresh food on the table in the summer. We had the green and yellow from the squashes, green onion and red pepper in the quinoa, and the brilliant ruby red of the tomatoes next to the golden chicken breasts, which were amazingly tender and juicy. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

We ran two miles between the green monster and dinner. Not my easiest run (I'm blaming the humidity) but I'm glad to have done it. I'm very happy with my eating today and hoping for another like it tomorrow. The beets I'm roasting now (smelling up my house in the most tantalizing manner) are sure to play a part!