Salad Revamped...with More Hunger Quenching Capabilities

Salad, it's whats for dinner. At least it should be, right? A nice hunger quenching, mouth watering salad.  I'll bet though that most of you have never defined a salad has hunger quenching or mouth watering. Lets face it, most salads don't hit the spot. After all, most lettuce is 95% water. So, even if it did fill you up at the time, that feeling is not going to last long.

That means it's all in the toppings. Just like in an ice cream sundae. I mean ice cream sundaes just aren't the same without the perfect amount of nuts, syrup or whatever your heart desires. So, you have to pay just as much attention to your salad toppings as you would your ice cream sundae. And realistically this salad offers a lot more...as far as nutrition goes. Unless you're feeding a broken heart or a neglected soul. Then stick to the sundae. Yeah, definitely eat the sundae.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 c corn

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed

1 red pepper, chopped,

1 green pepper, chopped

1 c pepperjack cheese, grated

4 green onions, chopped

8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved

That great thing about salad is that they're easy to make. Just throw all ingredients into a bowl and toss. Unless you have a family like mine, who thinks eating beans in a salad is heresy. Then you separate them as shown in the picture below, so they themselves can pick their own toppings.

You can pair this salad with pretty much any dressing, but I'd choose something tangy. For instance this goes well with a homemade cilantro lime dressing like this one:

Cilantro Lime Dressing

1 cup plain greek yogurt

a handful of cilantro

juice of one lime

salt and pepper

Throw all ingredients in a blender and blend blend blend. If the dressing is a little tight, just add some lemon grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil to your dressing until it reaches your desired consistency.

Black Bean Quinoa Burger with Honey Yogurt Sauce

A burger without meat....my family scoffs at the idea. My family is a meat and potatoes kind of family, living in a very meat and potato kind of area. That of rural Pennsylvania. It sometimes seems that I'm the sole proprietor of a reduced intake of meats and processed foods and an increase in green leafy vegetables.

I am slowly getting to my family though, because I've started winning them over with dishes like this one. Quinoa burgers with black beans and corn. There is no lack of flavor here. Or a lack of heartiness. What it is lacking though is cholesterol, fat and calories. It's a win-win if you ask me. I've talked about quinoa in a previous post (quinoa salad), so I'm not going to bore you with the information again.

However, I am going to mention a documentary that has become pretty popular as of late. It's called Forks over Knives. If you don't trust the documentary go look up the science, you'll notice that there is a benefit to the diet they recommend. But, I'll save that for another time.

I found this recipe online at Prevention RD.

Anyway, I present to you.....

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers with Honey Yogurt Sauce

Burgers

½ cup dry quinoa

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 large egg

2/3 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 chipotle in adobo, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup almond flour

Yogurt Sauce

½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Cook the quinoa in 1 cup water, as suggested on the package. Set aside for later. Saute onions and garlic in oil until tender or translucent, salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly and add to a large bowl, also add the black beans. Smash together the onions, garlic and black beans and then add the quinoa. Mix.

Stir in the tomato paste, egg, corn, add chipotle in adobo sauce. Then add the almond flour, oats and cumin. Mix and salt and pepper to taste.

You can refrigerate this mixture to allow for easy patty formation, or form the patties first and then refrigerate. The refrigeration is key. If they don't set (for about an hour) they tend to fall apart. Place patties on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 mins per side at 400F. 

While the burgers are chilling or baking make the yogurt sauce. It's as easy as pie (if pie was easy). Just mix the greek yogurt, honey and mustard together and chill. This sauce is pretty great for how simple it is. I used the leftovers for chicken the next day. After the burgers are done, top them with whatever your little heart desires. I chose some spinach and tomatoes, sans bread. 

I hope you enjoy this little burger and let me know if I've convinced you to forgo meat for a day ;). 

Quinoa Salad

Alright, this recipe has a bit of chopping and if you're like me that can be dangerous. I did nearly take off my pointer finger chopping the onions for this recipe. I blame the lack of a good knife at the moment, not my skill. Next time I'm out I need to remind myself to purchase a suitable knife, but then again what could I blame for all the nicks to my fingers?

This recipe is super healthy. The quiona is packed full of protein. It has 9 essential amino acids folks! That means ALL of the amino acids you need to obtain from your diet to build proteins. The rest of the amino acids that we need to build protein are nonessential, meaning your body makes them on its own. It has more fiber than almost every other grain, keeping your digestion system moving and your stomach feeling fuller for longer. Also, it has things like iron, manganese, lysine, and riboflavin all aiding in growth and repair, keeping your muscles and body working perfectly. You really can't beat that. 

And you know what, quinoa tastes pretty great too. In my opinion, it works like chicken, taking on any flavor you want. The possibilities are endless. This recipe takes quiona a little to the mediterranean side. 

Quinoa Salad

1 c. quinoa

2 c. water

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil 

1/2 c. black olives, halved

1/2 c. green peppers, chopped

1/2 c. onions, chopped

1/2 c. tomatoes, diced

1/2 c. feta cheese

salt and pepper

Bring water to boil. Add quinoa and bring back to a boil, reduce and simmer for ~20 mins or until water is absorbed. Transfer to another bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add the red wine vinegar and olive oil, olives, peppers, onions, tomatoes and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 1-2 hours to let flavors come together. 

Now you got yourself a yummy AND healthy salad packed full of protein, fiber and complex carbs.

Plus, the word "quinoa" just sounds cool! Wouldn't ya say? Enjoy!