Mango and Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Mango and Black Bean Quinoa Salad

from melskitchencafe.com

*Note: The recipe calls for cooked quinoa. I used about 3/4 cup dry quinoa and cooked it in chicken broth to get the 2 cups cooked (I measured out the two cups cooked and had a bit leftover in the pot).

*Serves 4-6

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooked in vegetable or chicken broth, at room temperature or chilled

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.

In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until the dressing is smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper (add more to taste if desired). Chill the salad for at least one hour before serving.

Greek Quinoa Salad

Healthy Greek Quinoa Salad, Gluten-free

[Adapted from Shape Magazine]

PRINT Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 water [or chicken broth]
• salt
• 1 heaping cup cucumber, quartered
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 heaping cup Kalamata olives, sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar [or red wine vinegar]
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt + pepper
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

Directions

In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water [or chicken broth] and quinoa to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, 16-18 minutes. When all the water is absorbed, remove and fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onions, and green onions.

Dressing: whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic and salt + pepper.

Drizzle a little bit of the dressing over quinoa/vegetable mixture, a little at a time.

Note: before adding in the cheese, be sure to ask if any of your guests have allergies or sensitivities to dairy.

Season with salt + pepper, top with cheese, serve and enjoy!

*gluten-free *dairy-free, if omit feta

Taken from: With Style and Grace

Garlic and Thyme Quinoa Patties

Taken from Cook Republic

Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes

Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes
Recipe from Martha Rose Shulman at the NYTimes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or use soy milk)
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp canola oil
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 to 1 1/2 cups blueberries

• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and oil.
• Add the egg/milk mixture to the flour mix.  Stir until just combined.
• Fold in quinoa.
• Add blueberries.
• Cook on a medium-high heat griddle, about 2-3 minutes each side, or until you see the bubbles popping.

Tip!

• Leftover quinoa is perfect for this recipe.  If you are making quinoa for dinner the night before, just make a little extra, and it will be ready for you to use in the morning!

These are definitely worth trying out!

Serve with syrup and fresh fruit!  Perfection!

Taken from A pretty Life in the Suburbs

Quinoa Buffalo Chicken Bites

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites
Makes ~24 Bites

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup buffalo sauce (we used Frank's)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (try leaving out the cheese for less sat fat)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (try coaches oats for whole grain)
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Mix together all ingredients.
3.  Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Nutritional Information for 4 bites per My Fitness Pal: Calories - 109, Fiber - 1, Fat - 4, Protein - 8, Calcium - 6, Carbs - 11

Taken from So very blessed

Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

Green Beans and Tricolor Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tricolor quinoa – I buy it premixed from Trader Joe’s. You can mix white, red & black yourself or whichever combination you prefer.
• 2 cups fresh green beans, cut 1-2″ pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon balsamic [or regular balsamic]
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons of agave or honey
• pinch of salt

Directions

In a medium pot, bring 1 1/4 cup water [or chicken broth] and 1/2 cup quinoa to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, 16-18 minutes. When all the water is absorbed, remove and fluff with a fork.

In a separate pot, steam or blanch green beans until crisp – I use a basket with use a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil, cover for about 3-5 minutes. You can also do this in a microwave. Remove and strain out the liquid.

Place cooked green beans into a large serving bowl, add cooked quinoa and toss together.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic, orange juice, agave [or honey] and a pinch of salt. Set

Pour the dressing over the green bean and quinoa mixture and toss until everything is nicely mixed together.

Before serving, sprinkle with almonds. Enjoy!

Small portions – serves about 4

*gluten-free *vegetarian *dairy-free

Taken from with Style and Grace

Toasted Millet Salad

Toasted Millet Salad with Arugula, Quick Pickled Onions, and Goat Cheese
Serves 6
Sara’s notes: I prefer a lot of greens in my grain salads (which actually makes them more of a green salad with grain, but bear with me), and millet can go along with just about anything, it cooks quickly, is gluten-free, and is full of magnesium. I like to toast the millet before cooking, and I use slightly less water than you’d typically see suggested elsewhere, to make sure I get individual kernels as opposed to a pot of clumpy grain. 
The arugula and pickled onions have a kick to them, so they can stand up to the main dish of your choice, like some shrimp skewers or flank steak. This recipe may yield more pickled onions than you’d like to use in your salad, although pickled onions are not as “oniony” as raw red onion, so don’t be shy. Any leftovers will keep in the brine, in the fridge, for about a week. They’re great for tacos or inside a packed veggie sandwich. The millet and onions can be made in advance to save some time. Toss the millet in a bit of oil to keep it from drying out, and keep the onions in a covered glass jar or bowl in the fridge until ready to use.



Ingredients:
3/4 cup millet
1 1/3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
leaves or 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt
2 cups arugula
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (about 3 ounces)

Quick Pickled Onions 
Ingredients:
3/4 cup apple cider or white vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 tablespoons natural cane sugar (I used maple syrup)
1 dried bay leaf
4 whole cloves
1 red onion, thinly sliced

To make the quick pickled onions, in a saucepan, combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, bay leaf, and cloves and bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onion, stir, and remove the pan from the heat. Let the onions cool at room temperature, or transfer it all to a glass jar and put them in the fridge to speed the process along.

Put the millet in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the millet is toasted, about 5 minutes. You will begin to smell a toasty aroma and they’ll make a bit of a popping noise. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the broth (it will splatter a bit). Return to the heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit another 5 minutes before you remove the lid. Using a fork, break up the millet and fluff it, add the oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir, and set aside to cool completely. Once the millet is cool, combine it with the arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar on top and gently toss to coat. Drain the desired amount of pickled onion and add to the salad along with the pine nuts and goat cheese, giving it another toss. Taste and add more salt, if necessary, and serve.

Taken from My New Roots