Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Inspired by {this recipe} that I found via Pinterest

Serves: 4 (as a side dish) or 1 1/2 (as a main dish)

Recipe is easily doubled, tripled, etc. 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 of a medium pepper finely chopped
1/2 of a medium cucumber finely chopped
2-3 stalks of green onion diced
2 small tomatoes diced

Cook quinoa according to directions. Generally it's 1 part quinoa, 2 parts water- cooked just like rice, but prewash the quinoa to remove any sediment. Let quinoa cool slightly (I usually turn off the heat and start chopping my veggies while the quinoa cools!). Chop vegetables and add to quinoa, mix, and serve warm or chilled.



Tzatziki Sauce

2/3c plain greek yogurt
1 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 of a medium cucumber, finely grated
1 TB olive oil
dash freshly ground pepper
dash freshly ground sea salt

Mix in a small dish. Adjust spices to taste. We like a heavy garlic influence :) Top your salad with a dollop of sauce and enjoy! This goes great on gyros, a regular lettuce salad, a dip for potato wedges... the possibilities are endless ;)

Cheesy Quinoa Bake

I found this recipe via Pinterest and gave it a try last week. The site from which the recipe came likened it to Mac n Cheese. I wouldn't go so far as to say that, but it was tasty, easy, and much healthier than a traditional pasta + cheese bake. Here's the recipe as I made it:

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 cups fresh broccoli

1/4 tsp salt*

ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large eggs

1 cup milk (I used 1%)

1 1/2 cups grated cheese - we used Muenster with a little cheddar and monterey jack

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

1. Lightly saute the broccoli or any veggies you want to add to this dish. Add garlic for the last minute or so to cook it.

2. Cook quinoa according to package instructions until fully cooked (about 15-20 min.)

3. Preheat oven to 350º F. Coat 9" x 13" dish lightly with olive oil/cooking spray. 

4. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Fold in cooked veggies, quinoa, and cheese. Let the cheese melt a little as you stir thoroughly. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish, and sprinkle Panko crumbs over top. 

5. Bake uncovered 30-35 min., or until the top starts to lightly brown. 

*After trying it, I'd consider adding a bit more salt and pepper next time, and if you like garlic, possibly another clove of garlic. I didn't have seasoning salt (called for in the recipe I somewhat followed), but that or some similar spice combo might be a nice touch.

quinoa stuffed peppers

makes: 2 large servings or ~4 side servings

loosely based on the {Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes} cookbook p. 44

{ingredients}

• 2 bell peppers, tops removed, seeded & hollowed out
• 1/2 c. uncooked quinoa
• 1 c. water
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 TB butter

{directions}
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place quinoa in fine-mesh strainer and rinse well. Bring water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil, and stir in quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to low. Simmer 12-14 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed (like you would with rice).

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and tomato. Cook 7-10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in quinoa, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and Italian seasoning. Add butter and stir until melted.

3. Arrange peppers in baking dish. Fill peppers with quinoa mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes or until peppers are tender (we did ours until peppers were slightly al dente still).

4. Serve warm. A main dish for a vegetarian, or if you cut the peppers in half after cooking, it would make ~4 side servings.