Beet & Quinoa salad

We went to a wedding a few weeks ago where they served this amazing salad at the rehearsal dinner. It's so delicious, even Daniel -- who has an historical hatred of beets -- liked it.

I was sort of freaked out when I realized that the beets were raw, but it's so sweet and crunchy. I don't have a food processor so I did all the shredding by hand using the Ikea flat grater into a dish style. It was sort of fun and didn't take very long.

As with any salad the amounts are very up to taste/ size of the veg in question. I didn't really measure anything, but will the next time I make this. Make the dressing first so the flavors can all meld while you make the salad.

Beet, Carrot, and Quinoa Salad

4 beets, shredded
3 carrots (more beet than carrot), shredded
1 apple sliced (optional)
1 cup (cooked) quinoa

dressing
1-3 garlic, shredded
4 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp raw honey (my new obsession)
    * you can whisk the honey with a few tbsp of warm (not hot) water to liquify it
 a few turns of TJ's "everyday seasoning" grinder. but, salt and pepper would work here too.

Mix it all up and let everything sit for at least an hour before serving. It definitely gets better with time.

Hey you guys!

After some time being lazy and getting fat I've been re-inspired -- and I am hoping to drag all of you along with me!!

 I've been trying to drop a few lb's, but regular exercise wasn't moving the scale. So, D and I went on a restrictive calorie diet. It was super depressing but set me on the right track. I'm no longer counting calories, instead focusing on making us healthy meals -- which of course means a lot more cooking and grocery shopping since we've cut out most processed foods. But, it also means being excited by what I am eating -- and what I am eating making me feel healthy and energetic.

Prob the hardest thing to cut out was cereal. I love the stuff, and would pretend I was eating something healthy because it was loads of fiber. I can't be trusted around grapenuts. So, I've replaced that fave snack with the suggestion on every healthy eating show out there. This isn't exactly a recipe but it's a start!

Snacker

a small handful of almonds 
big glass of water

TABOULEH

Some of my friends at Edgewater Church have been asking for this recipe so no pics and no thrills. Here it is-

1 pkg quinoa (or cracked wheat or any other grain but I love quinoa because it's high in protein)
4 plum tomatoes, chopped small
1 med sweet onion, chopped small
1 cucumber, seeds removed and chopped small
1 bunch of flat leaf parsely, chopped
1/2 - 1 bunch of mint, chopped
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1 T sea salt (or to taste)
fresh pepper

Cook quinoa according to pkg directions. Let cool a bit and then add all the ingred's mixing well. Can be eaten immediately while a little warm or put in the frig for a few hours before serving.

Raw Kale and Cranberry Salad

Whole Foods sells this salad at the deli, but with pine nuts. It's suprisingly delicious. Cheryl and I are obsessed.

1 bunch kale
drizzle of walnut oil (or olive oil)
grape tomatoes
sliced almonds
dried cranberries
Salt
Pepper

Tear the kale into bite size piecies. Massage (if you will) the oil into the kale. It will turn bright green and soften up a bit. Combine as much as you'd like of the remaining ingredients.

Wheat Berry Salad

My friend Angie made a really delicious cracked wheat salad this weekend. I tried to make something similar but with wheat berries. It's not quite as amazing as the original, but still great!

Ingrediants
2 cups wheat berries
1 Cucumber
2 Tomatoes
4 Scallion
1 cup Corn
Handful of Parsley
Basil
Mint



Dressing
Juice from 1-2 Lemons
1/8ish cup Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Cover wheat berries with 2 inches of water and simmer for 1 hour. Rinse and drain.

Chop of veggies, toss together with dressing. Done.

Blueberry Almond Quinoa with Lemon Basil Dressing

I wanted to make a quinoa salad using a mango, but since my mango wasn't ripe I went searching for something similar. I got the idea to add blueberries from this recipe, used her dressing, then added veggies that I had in the fridge.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup or more of each:
blueberries
diced cucumbers
diced red pepper
sliced scallion
sliced almonds



Dressing:
3 T EVOO
4 T lemon juice
10 Basil leaves, chopped finely
Salt and pepper

Cook the quinoa as directed, whisk together dressing ingredients and combine everything.

Roasted Cauliflower and Wilted Spinach Pasta

This recipe comes from the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook, which has become a new favorite.

This came together in no time with minimal chopping - an appreciated change to all the soups and roasted veggies I've been making. The flavors are delicious and similar to the Spinach Pasta Salad posted 4/5/10, but its served warm and sooo easy.

(Karin, maybe roasted broccoli or asparagus instead of cauliflower? Roasted anything I suppose).

Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tbsp dried herbs (I used oregano and thyme, can also use basil, and marjoram)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
3 cups penne pasta (I used farfalle)
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips (I used regular tomatoes and it worked fine)
1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette (or more)

STEPS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put a pot of water on to boil.

2. Place the cauliflower in a baking pan in one layer. Add the olive oil, dried herbs, salt and pepper and toss with the cauliflower until coated. Roast for 20-30 minutes until just beginning to brown and fork-tender, but not mushy. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 1-3 minutes until nicely colored.

3. Cook the pasta then drain and rinse in cool water. Toss with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking if not using immediately.

4. Place the spinach in a large bowl. Dump the hot cauliflower on top of the spinach and gently toss. Set aside and let the heat from the cauliflower wilt the spinach. Add the pasta on top.

5. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and toss well. Add more olive oil if needed. Season to taste with more salt/pepper and vinegar until the flavors really pop.