Tag: Easy Recipe

Mexican Quinoa.

2 Comments

quinoa prep

mexican quiona 2

Hey friends! After my crazy hard workout last night I jumped on Pinterest and found this recipe. Mexican quinoa is EASY ( I am all about easy) and damn good at the same time! Nothing like a recipe that kills it in the taste department. Score! I have made different variations of this salad, but adding the cumin was a hit).  I have vowed to myself for the next 6 weeks there will be nothing but clean eating. (Well, majority- let’s be realistic). I am all about moderation including moderation, but I know for a fact that the daily habits we do add up  so with a few changes here and there between food and working out I should be seeing some results coming my way! Here is another easy recipe sent from me to you. I try to make/look up different dishes and use the ingredients I already have on hand. This alleviates any time constraints or any additional trips to the grocery store than necessary. Baby steps like replacing pasta and rice with quinoa can really add up when it comes to minimizing refined carbohydrates. Think you don’t eat a lot of a certain food? Start by jotting down and the truth finally comes out. All is fun and games until your jeans don’t fit! What are you doing to replace your habits with healthy ones?

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapenos, minced
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
  • Serve immediately.

This recipe was found here. Thanks, Pinterest!

Advertisement

Veggie Enchiladas

1 Comment

Veggies

Mix in Bowl

IMG_3269

IMG_3277

IMG_3282

IMG_3299

I made these vegetarian enchiladas the other night and they were AMAZING! Often times when you try and recreate something vegetarian it turns out to be a bigger hit than the original.  Dinner time for me is full of excitement. I LOVE going to the grocery store and figuring out what it is that I am going to make. I know this can be dreadful for many, and usually I would recommend planning ahead, but when your schedule is busy it can be hard, I get it.  I decided on these after scouting recipes on the internet. Sometimes you might catch a recipe but it is full of too many things (I see this all the time).  If this is ever the case- you can tweak it a little bit and use what works for you.  I used a couple different vegetables and the were still amaze.  If you have a chance- make these! 

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 pieces
  • 1 red pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 med red onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 med sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 container button mushrooms, halved or quartered (don’t cut too small they will shrivel)
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • salt and black pepper
  • 8 tortillas (flour or corn- your choice)
  • 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce  (I prefer green sauce)
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese (I used cojita as well for a sprinkle)
  • optional garnishes: fresh cilantro, chopped avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream

Directions

Prehead the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, toss together the yellow squash, zucchini, red onion, sweet potato, red pepper, mushroom and olive oil until evenly mixed. Season generously with salt and black pepper. I also added organic taco seasoning to the mix.  Spread the mixture out evenly onto the covered baking sheet. (Vegetables should be mostly in a single layer. If you’re baking sheet is small you may need to spread these out over two baking sheets.)

Bake for 30 min, or until the edges of the vegetables begin to crisp and they are tender.  Remove and set aside to cool. After the veggies were cool, I added tofu and black beans to the mix. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare your enchilada assembly line. Lay a tortilla on a flat work surface, then spread the top of it with a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce.  Sprinkle down the center with veggies and cheese (optional). Roll the tortilla up to close, then place it seam-side-down in a greased baking dish.  Repeat with remaining ingredients. Then spread any remaining enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas in the dish.

Bake at 325 for 20 min. Then remove the dish and sprinkle extra cheese on top (optional/I used cojita). Bake for 5-10 more inures until cheese has melted and the tortillas begin to brown slightly around the edges. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, garnish if desired.

This recipe based off of this one.

Quinoa w/ Butternut Squash and Kale

1 Comment

During the fall season, squash is everwhere to be seen AND it’s cheap. This recipe was made over Thanksgiving but  it can be used as a main dish (if vegetarian) or a great side dish if not. It’s full of kale, walnuts, quinoa, butternut squash. Kale is not only low calorie, but has zero fat and is rich in fiber (along with quinoa). You will feel full without the bloated feeling that most rice dishes can give you.

Give it a try!

What you’ll need:

1 1/2 cups quinoa (I like a mixture of red and white quinoa for color)
1 bay leaf
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ribs celery, diced
2 medium leeks,  washed and chopped 
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
3 ounces curly kale, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 – 2 teaspoons fresh sage or thyme, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

Prepare the quinoa according to package instructions, substituting chicken or vegetable broth for the liquid called for in the instructions and adding the bay leaf to the pot with the liquid prior to cooking. Discard the bay leaf after cooking.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and adjust rack to middle position.

Toss squash with coconut oil, whole cane sugar, and salt. Spread the pieces evenly in a baking dish and cover with foil. Roast for 15 minutes, remove foil and then roast for an additional 20 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium to large cast iron skillet or saute pan add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the celery and saute for 2 – 3 minutes, until slightly tender. Add the leeks and saute an additional 2 – 3 minutes, until the leeks and celery are tender and fragrant. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute more.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the chopped kale and saute over low heat just until the kale has wilted.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, vegetables from the saute pan, cranberries, fresh parsley and your choice of thyme or sage. Stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, top with 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts, if desired.