A Healthy Side with your BBQ - Quinoa Caprese Salad

With a lovely weekend such as the one we just had, it was fun to spend it outside, surrounded by great friends and delicious food.  Dan and I were invited to an all-day BBQ celebration, hosted by our friends Greg and Rikki who live on Long Island.  Of course we didn't want to come empty handed, so I whipped up this easy Caprese quinoa salad, while Dan brought with him the ingredients for his famous fried Oreos.

As far as the quinoa goes, I'm happy to say it was a big hit with the adults and kids too.  Consisting of just a few fresh ingredients I had on hand, I made a Caprese version of an otherwise plain quinoa salad.  Here are the simple instructions:

Quinoa Caprese Salad (serves 8-10)

Ingredients:
2 packets (or 2 cups) of white or black quinoa
1 quart of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 handfuls of fresh basil, cut into rustic pieces
1/2 fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed into chunks
Olive oil & truffle oil (the latter is optional)
Balsamic vinegar
Black pepper

Directions:
Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the box.  Let cool for about 10 minutes and then combine with the rest of the ingredients.  Fluff with a fork and then dress with more oil or vinegar if needed.  Season to taste as needed.

Enjoy with your favorite protein or just on its own.

New Gluten Free Quinoa Cakes

While I'm still dabbling in my Gluten Free diet (I've stopped it just in time for Valentine's Day), I wanted to share a fun and simple recipe I created for quinoa cakes.

Having leftover red quinoa from a side dish I made, as well as some leftover ground sausage with veggies, I decided to mix the two together, add some egg as binder and pan fry it up. The result was a deliciously golden quinoa patty (almost like a croquette) with a crispy outside and a warm, hearty inside.  Here's the simple recipe - feel free to substitute with or without the protein of your choice.

Fooditka's Quinoa Cakes (serves 2)

Ingredients:
Leftover red or white cooked quinoa (1 - 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup, ground chicken or turkey sausage (cook with veggies such as onions and pepper to create great aromatics)
1 egg
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together and pan fry in a non stick skillet for about 5 minutes/side.  Make sure to keep a close eye, as to not burn the your quinoa cakes.  Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste (as needed).  Serve cakes with a sweet or spicy sauce or chutney.  I enjoyed mine with a spicy BBQ sauce.

Happy gluten-free eating!

Mexican Style Quinoa - A New Spin on Gluten Free

Getting back to my gluten free diet had me experimenting with different types of foods, including quinoa, which is always a safe bet.  I've made quinoa dishes many times before, and therefore was looking for something a little different to keep us excited about eating it.

Finding an interesting but still really simple gluten free recipe on my Pinterest board, I decided to go for this Mexican style quinoa dish.  Loving all the bright colors and the healthful ingredients, I put it together for a recent We Heart Astoria get-together.  Received well by my colleagues as well as by Dan, I'll certainly be making it again and will probably add a bit more protein to it, including cheese and grilled chicken.  I love this dish because it takes only about a half an hour to put together and doesn't require any special ingredients - it's the perfect thing to make with a lot of leftovers in your pantry.

Mexican style Quinoa recipe, courtesy of A Teaspoon of Happiness Blog

Gluten Free Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Even though I'm done with my gluten free diet, I'm still trying to be modest when it comes to my gluten intake, and in fact, Dan is trying it with me too.  Creating a stuffed sweet potato dish the other day, it turned out to be a nice gluten free alternative, as it used a quinoa, grilled chicken and herb stuffing that properly satiated us.  The recipe is simple, and is something you can have on the table in under an hour. Here's how you assemble it:

Gluten Free Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients (serves 2):
Medium sized sweet potatoes
1/2 cup of quinoa
1/2 lb of chicken, grilled
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
Small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
Small handful of grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Split the sweet potatoes in half and boil in water until tender; about 15 minutes.  Let cool, and then scoop out the flesh of the sweet potato, until it creates a nice well to fill with stuffing.

For the stuffing, brush the chicken with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper or even cayenne pepper if you have it on hand.  Place on a pre-heated grill or grill pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (the outside should have nice char marks).  Let the chicken cool for a few minutes, and then chop it into 1/2 inch pieces.

In the meantime, cook the quinoa according to the directions on the box.  When finished, mix in the grilled chicken.  Add dried cranberries and chopped parsley.  Stuff into the cavity of the sweet potato and then sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Place into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the top of the potatoes is golden brown.  Let cool for a few minutes and sprinkle with more fresh parsley.

It was a Healthy 4th of July with Quinoa Salad

With all the 4th of July indulgences that are usually a part of the food spread, I wanted to make sure that I also eat something healthy and nourishing.  On a mission to find something apropos, I decided to dip into my Healthy Eats Pinterest board, and luckily it didn't take me long to find something good.

The quinoa salad you see here is what I was taken with.  I loved all its colors and the healthy ingredients, including tons of veggies, some crunchy cashews and a beautiful peanuty dressing.  I loved how refreshing it was and how rich in texture.  The veggies are great because they make the salad more robust and filling.  You can consider adding some delicious grilled chicken or shrimp to it as well, but it really is very good just on its own.

I brought some over to my aunt Ida's BBQ today and it was a hit - only a tiny bit left, which was a good sign.  Hope you enjoy making (and eating it).  A big thanks to Ambitious Kitchen blog for the recipe and the inspiration.  Here's the official recipe as seen on Ambitious Kitchen.  P.S. - this dish is totally vegan and gluten free.

Yummy Specials at Astor Bake Shop

Image by Astor Bake Shop

Image by Astor Bake Shop

Always intrigued by what Astor Bake Shop has going on, I've recently also told you about their savory offering.  Dan and I enjoyed their classic Astor burger, and the French Onion soup was delicious too, that now I'm always keeping an eye on their menu and social media to see what specials they've got going on.  

This weekend's Facebook posts got me excited, as I spotted a healthy looking quinoa salad and a crunchy on the outside, and gooey on the inside Cubano sandwich.  The former boasts tons of earthy ingredients such as kalamata olives, cubes of feta, cucumber, cherry tomato, all dressed with a light scallion vinaigrette.  It sounds like a yummy side dish but can also substitute for a light main course for lunch.  

The Cubano on the other hand is total indulgence, with fresh roast pork, black forest ham, melty Swiss cheese and some sharp Dijon mustard to give it some kick.  It looks quite large and can be a nice thing to share with someone else, together with the quinoa salad too.  

Ok...now I'm totally salivating.

Astor Bake Shop - 12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria NY 11102
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

718.606.8439

www.astor-bakeshop.com 

Chicken Sausage, Mushroom and Spinach Over Quinoa = A Superfood Dinner

After a long, hard day, with feeling under the weather to boot, I needed something warm and comforting for dinner.  I wanted it to be healthy too, as I've been eating out a lot and last night's feast at Koliba didn't do much good for the waistline.

I decided to go for a simple, but quite delicious (and nutrient rich) dish with chicken sausage, mushrooms, fresh spinach and quinoa.  Even though the recipe called for farro instead, I opted for the quinoa, as it was cheaper and provided some nice texture from the crunch of the light and dark kernels.

Getting big praises about this from Dan, he thought it was very flavorful and tasted healthful too.  It did a nice job of filling us up and because I made a generous amount, we'll have it for tomorrow's lunch as well.  Let the goodness continue...

Sausage, Mushrooms and Spinach over quinoa - adapted from a Whole Food Market recipe

A Nourishing "Food Lover's Cleanse" Dinner

After all the holiday indulging, I was seriously craving some healthy eats, and was on a mission to cook a really wholesome, nutritious dinner.  Flipping through my new issue of Bon Appetit, I noticed a section titled "Food Lovers Cleanse," which I've heard about from my friend, Meg who did the whole thing for the past two years.  Not sure if I have the diligence and discipline to do all that, but I've started with one recipe, and I have to say it was mighty delicious.

Cod fish, the main part of this meal was a milky, flaky fish that I seasoned with a home rub of paprika, cayenne pepper and sea salt.  I pressed the sea salt deep into the fish, so it wouldn't slip out and so it'd flavor it well.  There were two tasty sides that went along with the fish including a deeply flavored lemon Swiss chard, which was really amazing (not bitter at all), and a pistachio quinoa that tasted earthy and really fulfilling.  We felt great (and pretty full) after this meal, which was nicely enjoyed with a homemade hot toddy.  Hope you like it too!

Cod with Swiss Chard, Olives and Lemon, as seen in the pages of Bon Appetit
Red Quinoa with Pistachios, as seen in the pages of Bon Appetit