April 24, 2024

Peach-Quinoa Salad

July 7, 2015 by

Recently a friend told me about this delicious ‘rice’ salad that she and her family were enjoying that she purchased from the fresh salad bar at her favorite grocery store.  Well, as it turns out it wasn’t rice (when I questioned her thoroughly) but red quinoa!  Oh, I do love quinoa…so I was quite interested!  Here is my variation on this salad.  You can surely make this ‘your own’ by varying the fresh veggies added, what type of fruit you put in (berries would also be lovely!), the kind of vinaigrette you use (perhaps use your family’s favorite bottled vinaigrette!), and what variety of nuts you sprinkle across the top!  I would love to hear how you changed it up; leave a comment below!

Quinoa <kEEn-wah> is a grain but it is the seed that we eat! (Good news for those who eat low-carb, right?)  And it is jam-packed full of protein.  Have you and your family enjoyed quinoa before?  To find quinoa in your grocery store, check the natural food section, or the rice/pasta aisle.  Usually when I prepare a pot of quinoa, I make extra to use for another meal. Our favorite is ‘red’ quinoa although it also comes in white (or golden), and black variations. Check out these nutritional facts.  This light salad fits well into our ‘healthy but oh-so-yummy’ POV since it has a great vegetable protein base, and lots of fresh veggies and fruit!  Serve it alongside something yummy from the grill—chicken, shrimp, or salmon, for example.  Oh, and if you DO grill…throw the peaches on the grill for 5 minutes or so, too!  Enjoy!

Quinoa, Peach and Arugula Salad

2014-08-17 19.34.04

ingredients:
1 cup red quinoa
1+3/4 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup mango (or orange) juice
1 tablespoon honey, agave, or maple syrup (optional)
2-3 splashes of white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I use jarred)
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cups arugula
2 ripe peaches (or mango), chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup cucumber, small dice
handful of sugar snap peas (defrosted from frozen OR fresh)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup nuts (pistachios, pignoli, chopped almonds)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions:

  • prepare quinoa: bring water to a boil in a small saucepan; add the quinoa, bring back to boil, stir, cover, and then reduce heat to very low and simmer until the water is absorbed (10-15 minutes).  remove from the heat, keep covered, and let sit for 5 minutes.  fluff up with a fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool2014-08-17 18.59.45 HDR
  • make vinaigrette:  whisk together the juice, garlic, sweetener (if using), balsamic, and s&p; slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk away ‘til thoroughly emulsified. (this can be done in your food processor or using an immersion blender)
  • assemble:  add the veggies, arugula and herbs to the quinoa already in the large mixing bowl; toss together
  • pour 3/4 of the vinaigrette evenly over the mixed salad; toss gently
  • season well with additional s&p to taste
  • top with sliced peaches, nuts, and cheese

♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Arugula, Peach, Quinoa Salad

August 18, 2014 by

Recently a friend told me about this delicious ‘rice’ salad that she and her family were enjoying that she purchased at her favorite grocery store from the fresh salad bar. Well, as it turns out it wasn’t rice (when I questioned her thoroughly) but red quinoa!  Oh, I do love quinoa…so I was quite interested!  Here is my variation on this salad.  You can surely make this ‘your own’ by varying the fresh veggies added, what type of fruit you put in (berries would also be lovely!), the kind of vinaigrette you use (perhaps use your family’s favorite bottled vinaigrette!), and what variety of nuts you sprinkle across the top!  I would love to hear how you changed it up; leave a comment below!

Quinoa <kEEn-wah> is a grain but it is the seed that we eat! (Good news for those who eat low-carb, right?)  And it is jam-packed full of protein.  Have you and your family enjoyed quinoa before?  To find quinoa in your grocery store, check the natural food section, or the rice/pasta aisle.  Usually when I prepare a pot of quinoa, I make extra to use for another meal. Our favorite is ‘red’ quinoa although it also comes in white (or golden), and black variations. Check out these nutritional facts.  This light salad fits well into our ‘healthy but oh-so-yummy’ POV since it has a great vegetable protein base, and lots of fresh veggies and fruit!  Serve it alongside something yummy from the grill—chicken, shrimp, or salmon, for example.  Oh, and if you DO grill…throw the peaches on the grill for 5 minutes or so, too!  Enjoy!

Quinoa, Peach and Arugula Salad

2014-08-17 19.34.04

ingredients:
1 cup red quinoa
1+3/4 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup mango (or orange) juice
1 tablespoon honey, agave or maple syrup (optional)
2-3 splashes of white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I use jarred)
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cups arugula
2 ripe peaches (or mango), chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup cucumber, small dice
handful of sugar snap peas (defrosted from frozen OR fresh)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup nuts (pistachios, pignoli, chopped almonds)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions:

  • prepare quinoa: bring water to a boil in a small saucepan; add the quinoa, bring back to boil, stir, cover, and then reduce heat to very low and simmer until the water is absorbed (10-15 minutes).  remove from the heat, keep covered, and let sit for 5 minutes.  fluff up with a fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool2014-08-17 18.59.45 HDR
  • make vinaigrette:  whisk together the juice, garlic, sweetener (if using), balsamic, and s&p; slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk away ‘til thoroughly emulsified. (this can be done in your food processor or using an immersion blender)
  • assemble:  add the veggies, arugula and herbs to the quinoa already in the large mixing bowl, ; toss together
  • pour 3/4 of the vinaigrette evenly over the mixed salad; season well with additional s&p to taste
  • top with sliced peaches, nuts, and cheese

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Quinoa-Beef Stuffed Portabellos

June 16, 2014 by

2014-06-10 19.36.12

Remember that delicious and so-good-for-you red quinoa recipe from last week? Well, I was looking around for a use for the rest of it and so…these were going to be stuffed sweet peppers but the portobello caps were SUCH a good price!  (Well, y’know I could not resist!)  I par-cooked the mushroom caps on a grill pan but they would be great done on your outdoor grill too!

We enjoyed these as an entree with steamed broccoli–they were VERY filling!  I figure two caps per person unless you choose to serve these as a side dish.  This recipe fit nicely into our ‘healthy but oh-so-yummy’ point of view!  Enjoy!

Quino-Beef Stuffed Portabellos

ingredients:
4 medium-sized portabello mushroom caps plus 1 extra for chopping
1/2 # ground beef (or turkey, chicken, or lamb)
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup kale (or spinach), stems removed and chopped
1-2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (I used havarti)
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2 moons
2 heaping tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
olive oil

directions:

  • preheat oven to 375 (heat grill pan, also, if using)
  • in a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat; add sliced onions and cook for 4-5 minutes
  • using a spoon, scoop out the dark gills of each mushroom cap. (if they have stems, add these along with the 1 extra cap for chopping.)  brush the caps with olive oil & place rounded side down on the heated grill pan (or onto a foil-lined baking sheet)
  • bake for 6-7 minutes; remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly
  • chop up the set-aside mushroom cap (and stems, if any) and add to onions in saute pan; cook over medium heat until mushrooms get brown & fragrant (caramelize them), perhaps another 6-7 minutes
  • once onions and mushrooms are done, pour into a large mixing bowl along with the cooked quinoa
  • (using the same skillet), add ground meat. cook over medium high heat ‘til browned.  lower heat just a bit (don’t want to burn the garlic!) and add chopped garlic and saute for another minute or two stirring constantly
  • stir in red wine and chopped kale (or spinach) and cover pan; simmer ‘til liquid is evaporated
  • add meat and kale to the veggie/quinoa mixture in the large bowl
  • stir in the balsamic and mix the ingredients all together in the bowl. season well w/ salt and pepper
  • place scoops of mixture into mushroom caps (I find my hands worked well!) dividing the stuffing mixture equally amongst the caps. top each mushroom with a few crumbles of cheese
  • bake for about 12-15 minutes, ‘til mushroom caps are tender & filling is slightly browned.

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Shrimp and Asparagus Saute over Red Quinoa

June 9, 2014 by

It is starting to be the season when simpler suppers are more agreeable, wouldn’t you say? No need to heat up the kitchen when preparing this dish. AND, this is equally good served hot from the pan, warm, or even as a cold salad!

This dish, Shrimp and Asparagus Saute over Red Quinoa, also fits into our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV since it is full of fresh ingredients with less than 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the entire preparation, and a bit of shredded parmesan cheese to finish it off!  This easily serves 3 hungry adults and can be doubled with no trouble at all.

Have you and your family enjoyed quinoa <kEEn-wah> before?  Quinoa is a grain but it is the seed that we eat!  (Good news for the low-carbERs, right?)  And it is jam-packed full of protein.  Usually when I prepare a pot of quinoa, I make enough extra to use for another meal.  To find quinoa in your grocery store, check the natural food section, or perhaps where they sell different rice products.  Our favorite is ‘red’ quinoa.  Quinoa does come in three varieties (white, or ‘golden’, red, and black).  Basically they are the same with shades of differences, basically in texture.  But I have used all three totally interchangeably!  Here are some nutritional facts about quinoa.  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

2014-06-08 18.45.20

Shrimp and Asparagus Saute over Red Quinoa

ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup water
½ medium sweet onion, sliced into half-moons
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
10-15 grape or cherry tomatoes (I used yellow), sliced in half
1 pound uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
1+1/2 tablespoons freshly ground lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
shaved Parmesan cheese
lemon wedges (optional)

directions:

  • preheat oven (or toaster oven, as I did) to 400.
  • line a baking sheet pan with foil
  • in a medium saucepan, bring liquids to a boil; stir in quinoa. return to a boil, reduce heat to low; cover with lid and simmer gently ‘til liquids are absorbed (20 minutes or so)
  • in a large saute pan over medium-high flame, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add sliced onions; saute for 7-8 minutes to soften
  • while onions and quinoa are cooking, place asparagus on the lined baking pan, and season well with 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning. pour 1 teaspoon olive oil evenly over the asparagus and then roll back and forth on the baking sheet to distribute. bake for 10-12 minutes
  • (back to the saute pan!) add the halved tomatoes placing flat side down in pan; heat for 3-4 minutes.2014-06-08 18.36.49
  • stir in the shrimp, minced garlic, lemon pepper seasoning. allow to cook without stirring for 3 minutes or so, ‘til shrimp are starting to turn pink. flip shrimp over and cook for 2 more minutes. pour in the wine, give everything a good thorough stir and let simmer for just 2-3 minutes to reduce the liquids. remove from heat and check for additional seasoning
  • asparagus should be done; remove from oven
  • To plate: scoop some quinoa into an even layer on plate or shallow bowl. spoon shrimp&veggies over top. add stalks of asparagus on top and sprinkle with cheese.

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Garlicky Shrimp and Veggies with Red Quinoa

March 10, 2014 by

Here we are…getting closer and closer to Spring every day!  Today’s recipe continues to celebrate the return of Spring veggies!  In this veggie-licious dish, we have the first of the season (at least here in NY) sweet onions (I like to use the Vidalias).  Along with asparagus, carrots, tiny tomatoes, and sweet bell peppers.  This is a healthy but-oh-so-yummy dish to serve either on a weeknight (comes together rather quickly!) or to serve to guests.

Garlicky Shrimp and Spring Veggies with Red Quinoa

2014-03-09 19.19.19

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small sweet onion (Vidalia), halved and sliced 2014-03-09 18.43.48
1/2 red (or yellow or orange) Bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 pound asparagus, woody ends removed
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons minced garlic (I use jarred)
1+1/2 tablespoons freshly ground lemon pepper mix
1-2 tablespoons sea salt
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 small lemon, juiced
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

  • In a small saucepan, stir chicken broth and quinoa. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Let simmer ‘til broth is absorbed about 20 minutes. When done, remove from heat; leave in pan ‘til ready to serve.
  • In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and add sliced onions and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • In the meantime, cut tips off asparagus; set aside. Cut remainder of asparagus stems into 1″ pieces.
  • Then add shredded carrots and cut-up asparagus stems (not tips) into saute pan. Continue to cook for 7-8 minutes ‘til crisp tender.
  • Remove to a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
  • Place tomatoes in saute pan (adding a small amount of olive oil IF needed), cut side down. Let cook for 3-4 minutes to soften.
  • Add in shrimp and asparagus tips. Cook for 4-5 minutes ‘til shrimp are beginning to turn pink. Flip over to cook on other side. Add chopped garlic and cook for just one more minute, stirring gently. Remove just the shrimp to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Pour white wine and lemon juice into saute pan and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Stir well. Remove from heat.
  • Add back in sauteed shrimp and cooked veggies. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons grated Parm.

Serve on a large platter; pour out the quinoa and top with the shrimp/veggie mixture. Sprinkle with the rest of the Parm. Enjoy!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Stuffed Acorn Squash

October 14, 2013 by

Here on our Monday installment of At Home w/ GCH, we are continuing to focus on Fall in-season fruits and veggies.  This week, our recipe features Acorn Squash.  Ok, ok, I am sure you have noticed that I have a ‘thing’ for winter squash.  I love ‘em all…but my fav’s are Butternut, Spaghetti, Acorn, Delicata, and Sweet Dumpling.  Check out this link for lots more info on winter squashes and details on the incredible nutritional value they have.

This week’s recipe fits into our healthy but-oh-so-yummy! category since it is full of lucious veggies, uses low-fat ground chicken, and almost no added fat.  Also, this could easily become a vegetarian meal by leaving out the meat.  Also, you will have some leftover stuffing so you could enjoy it in a different “container” i.e., portabello caps, or zucchini; thus getting two meals for your effort!  Enjoy!2013-10-09 19.06.00

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, rinsed
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
1 cup water
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa (I used red quinoa)
1 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped
4-6 large Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 large handfuls baby arugula (or spinach) 2-3 ounces, roughly chopped
3-4 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2# ground chicken
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon each, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices (1 ounce each) of smoked gouda (or muenster, or swiss)

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • CAREFULLY cut each squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds and strings. Season the inside of each squash well with a bit of butter, and lots of freshly ground salt and pepper.  Place each half, cavity side up on a baking sheet and roast ‘til tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 350.
  • Cook quinoa according to package directions, using water and broth. When done, pour into a large bowl; set aside.  (NOTE: the squash and the quinoa can be prepared ahead of time.)
  • Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil; then add the onion and mushroom pieces.  Stirring often, saute ‘til just turning slighty brown and caramelized.
  • Add the chopped garlic and stir constantly for one minute.
  • Reduce heat and toss in the chopped arugula.  Stir frequently and cook just ‘til the greens are getting wilty; approximately 5 minutes or so.
  • Add this mixture to the cooked quinoa along with the pine nuts and dried cranberries, and stir ‘til all is well-combined.
  • Using the same pan, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and the ground chicken and seasonings.  Cook over medium high heat, ‘til the chicken is completely cooked through.  Break up the meat as it cooks.
  • When the chicken is done cooking, add it to the mixture in the large bowl and combine.
  • Fill each squash half equally with veggie-quinoa-chicken mixture and bake, uncovered, ‘til filling is slightly browned on top about 15 minutes.
  • Lay one slice of cheese on each squash half and bake just ‘til cheese begins to melt.2013-10-09 19.11.52

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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