Recipe Friday - Summer Veggies with Quinoa & Cilantro-Pistachio Pesto

Whatever the reason may be, there are so many people who truly believe eating healthy is too expensive. They feel that just because their budget is tight, the only options are fast food or meals that come packaged in the freezer. But friends I have to tell ya - it doesn't have to be that way! You CAN eat great, fresh, real food on a budget.

One of my favorite food blogs is Poor Girl Eats Well.  Kimberly Morales, a single woman living in Sacramento, started this blog several years ago. She describes herself as having "champagne taste on a 2-buck chuck budget." She loves to eat well and refuses to settle for poor-quality food, even when she only has a few dollars to last. What I love about reading her blog is that 1) she is very creative 2) she always provides you with the per serving cost of each meal and 3) whether you are counting pennies or counting benjamins, you will love the fabulous, original recipes on her blog.

I have been anxious to try out one of her recipes and decided that my girls' night dinner last weekend was the perfect opportunity. I decided on a dish that sounds so perfect for summer - Summer Veggies with Quinoa & Cilantro-Pistachio Pesto. Those of you who have been reading my blog know that I really have a love affair with quinoa. It just delights me to use it in a meal. I also love to cook it for friends who have never tried it before, such was the case at our girls' dinner.

The whole meal turned out great and each friend agreed that the recipe was blog-worthy. The cilantro-pistachio pesto was so delicious and mixed great with the quinoa. I know that it seems that most people either love or hate cilantro and when I arrived at my friend, Anne's house, she actually informed me that she did not really like cilantro. I was worried at first because there was no way to omit the cilantro for one plate but we agreed that I would just add a conservative amount to the quinoa and then let everyone add more if they desired. Turns out that Anne loved the pesto and added more to her meal. I was also so thrilled a couple of days later when Anne, who is a single woman and a self-described non-cook, texted me to say that she was cooking and cooking quinoa! I was inspired by Poor Girl Eats Well and Anne was inspired by my meal - it always makes me happy to see people making positive changes in their life.

It doesn't matter if you are single or married with a family, poor or rich - anyone can learn to cook good, healthy meals and enjoy the process.

Photo from Poor Girl Eats Well blog

Ingredients
1 ½ c cooked quinoa
1 large carrot
1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
1 c shelled fava beans
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
2 t olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 t thyme
Salt & pepper to taste

Cilantro-Pistachio Pesto:
2 ½ c (packed) cilantro, both leaves & stems
1 c pistachios
2 cloves of garlic
1 c olive oil
3 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t salt

Amy's Changes

* I didn't add the fava beans
* I used a yellow onion instead of a red onion (personal preference)
* I started cooking the onion at the beginning instead of the end because I like my onions cooked well

See the full recipe and cooking instructions here at Poor Girl Eats Well

Recipe Thursday - Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

It's Recipe Thursday and again I have for you a very yummy recipe using quinoa. My good friend Katie over at The Hills Country hosted a fabulous Seder dinner a couple of weeks ago and served this tasty dish along with brisket, asparagus, and broccoli. Katie is an amazing hostess and the meal was delicious. What's a Seder dinner you may ask? Check out Katie's post about the dinner - complete with pictures!

Again I found a dish I loved and had to try it out on the family, or as they lovingly call themselves "mom's guinea pigs!" :-) The first night I cooked this dish as a side dish to go along with our grilled chicken, asparagus and salad. My hubby loved it and said it was the best quinoa dish ever! That made me smile! Once again, sweet daughter isn't falling in love with the quinoa as quickly as we are but she's still eating her three bites.

The second time I cooked this dish was this past Monday and we decided to serve it as the main dish with just a side of peas and salad. I'm really trying to implement Meatless Mondays but am definitely getting push back from the family. However, this time it was my husband's idea to serve it as a main dish because it has so much protein from the beans and quinoa that additional meat is not necessary. Finally a little sliver of hope in my quest for Meatless Mondays.

Overall, served as a side dish or as a main dish, this is a great recipe to add to your meal planning. What is fun about this dish too is that you can really play around with the ingredients and spice it up with fresh jalapenos, diced tomatoes, and extra spices. Remember it's not about perfection in the kitchen, it's about the experience. Enjoy!


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped white onions
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup quinoa,* rinsed, drained
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 11/2 cups water
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• Crumbled Cotija cheese or feta cheese (optional)

See the full recipe here

Keen - what?

When I talk about using Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"), most people barely know what I'm saying much less are familiar with this wonderful, ancient "grain". It has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years because of it's high nutritional value and the fact that it is gluten and wheat free. Personally I love it and try to incorporate it in a lot of recipes. I've listed some common question and answers regarding quinoa.

Where does quinoa come from?
Quinoa is actually a seed grown high in the Andes mountains of South America and has been treasured as a superfood for centuries. The Incas actually considered it a perfect food.

Why does it have such high nutritional value?
It is high in complete protein, meaning it supplies all of the 9 essential amino acids that our bodies need. This makes it a great substitute for meat. It is a good source of magnesium, a mineral that has been shown to reduce migraine headaches. It is also a good source of calcium, potassium, riboflavin, B vitamins, B6, Niacin and Thiamine. Quinoa is cholesterol and trans fat free making it a great heart healthy food and the extra iron is beneficial to those who are anemic. It has complex carbohydrates, which are slow releasing, that help satisfy your hunger for longer and sustain blood sugar levels for longer as well.

Is it easy to cook?
Quinoa is very easy to cook and cooks in about 15 minutes. I prefer to cook quinoa in a vegetable or chicken broth to give it extra flavor and then add in other ingredients. Quinoa alone has a bland taste but can easily be spiced up with the broths, spices and vegetables. The Cooking Quinoa site has steps for cooking quinoa and lots of great recipes.

Where can I buy quinoa?
Quinoa can be bought at any health food store and some main stream grocery stores are now selling it. I know that the newer HEB stores carry it. I prefer to buy mine in bulk from Whole Foods. If you don't have a store near you that sells quinoa and want to try it, I would suggest ordering some online. Sites like Amazon.com sell food products.


Remember everyone - changing the way you eat is a slow process and trying new foods can be intimidating. But you can do it and your body will thank you! Take a small step this week and commit to trying one new food. Stop back by and share what you tried and your experience. I want to hear from you!

Recipe Thursday - Greens with Carrots, Feta Cheese and Quinoa

After the success of my first kale recipe a couple of weeks ago, I felt confident to use the kale in another recipe that I had again found on the Whole Foods website last night. Much to my delight, the hubby liked it, had seconds, and didn't need to put additional hot sauce or garlic salt on it! (He puts hot sauce and garlic salt on everything!) Although she enjoyed the Kenyan kale recipe, my sweet daughter didn't enjoy this recipe as much but I think it had more to do with the quinoa than the kale. She is still getting used to eating quinoa. However, being the good eater that she has become, she still ate her three bites with only a little compliant. This was sufficient for me, as she had already eaten her turkey, roasted asparagus, and mixed greens/spinach salad. Yep my 10 year old loves her greens now!

I did make quite a few modifications to the recipe based on food preference, amount needed, and what I had on hand. I have listed the ingredients below as they are in the original recipe and then added comments regarding my modifications. If you are new to cooking, don't be afraid to change the recipe and make it your own. This was a great lesson that my husband really helped me understand. I still consider myself a "new cook" but I know the more I cook and experiment, the better I become. Remember it's not about perfection in the kitchen - its about enjoying the experience.

Ingredients

2 carrots, shredded (I used three carrots)
2 bunches dark leafy greens (kale, collard greens or Swiss chard), tough stems removed, leaves very thinly sliced (I used only 1 bunch of kale)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped (I used a yellow onion)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled (I didn't measure the amount of feta used but I definitely didn't use 1/4 lb)
1 (20-ounce) package 365 Everyday Value frozen Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice, prepared according to package directions (I used 6 oz of Quinoa instead of brown rice, cooked with organic chicken broth)

I also added 3 cloves of minced garlic and a little olive oil

See the full recipe on the Whole Foods website