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!

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

Alright, I've decided to take a break from writing a lecture on the reproductive system. Basically because I can already hear the giggles coming from the corner of the room when I start describing the anatomy of a vagina. And these are college students. Plus, I can't decide if want to include actual pictures of genital herpes and gummas from syphilis or not. I would hope the effect and response would be:  Boom. Practice safe sex folks. And then they do. But I have a feeling it's more like: Ew. Egh. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. Then proceed to go out and do everything I suggest they don't do, like bang everything that walks. Did I just date myself with the use of the word "bang?"

Anyway, now that you're all thinking about herpes and syphilis, lets talk food. Particularly cauliflower. It really is the worst thing I could put in this post now, I know. I'm sorry. I'm going to do it anyway. Why? Because cauliflower is awesome. And this cauliflower is ammmazing. Really it is. My brother who only eats cauliflower smothered in cheese, ate this cauliflower.

I pinned this recipe awhile ago on Pinterest. It comes from an original post on Clean Green Simple but the recipe I used was from a blog called Bullfrogs and Bulldogs. The recipe looked simple, quick, tasty and reasonably healthy. So, why not give it a try. I used what I had on hand in this recipe, as usual.

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower

Batter:

  1 c. almond flour

  3/4 c. water

  1 tblsp. franks redhot (I used the thick version)

  1 tsp. salt

Buffalo Sauce:

  1/4 c. franks redhot

  1/4 c. olive oil

Cut the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Mix batter ingredients in a large bowl with a lid. Once the batter is mixed mixed well I just tossed all of the cauliflower into the bowl, put the lid on and shook it all around until all the cauliflower was covered completely and evenly. Spread in a single layer on a pan covered in foil or  parchment paper that is also greased and bake at 450F for 20 mins. You want them to bake until the batter is hard. Pull the pan out to then brush the cauliflower with the buffalo sauce. I really loaded the buffalo sauce on. Bake for another 10 mins. I let mine go a little longer because I like the taste of roasted cauliflower so I wanted them on the crispy side. And Enjoy!

Winter Vegetable Soup

It is snowing. Really snowing. Luckily, I love snow. I love winter. Really, I swear. There is just something about big comfy sweaters and nights spent cuddled under a blanket that speaks to me. However, I'm pretty sure the rest of those in the area are tired of it. Spring is, after all, less than two days away.

Anyway, a day spent snowed/iced in calls for a wintery soup that warms the soul. Perhaps next week I'll be able to start thinking about spring, but until then enjoy this recipe.

I saw this recipe one day while flipping through the channels. It comes to you courtesy of Alton Brown and his Good Eats show. Generally I follow the basic recipe but you could really put any sort of hearty vegetable in it you want. You could switch in sweet potatoes, swiss chard or anything your little heart desires.

I am going to take a moment though to persuade you to believe in the benefits of kale. Kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables on earth. According to Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD,
just "one cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus (Webmd article, 2010)."

Although all the other vitamins and minerals are great, the 1020% vitamin K is the kicker here. To put it simply, vitamin K is essential for the modification of a number of our proteins (the building blocks of all life) during their synthesis (Furie et al., 1999). Decades ago Vitamin K antagonists were implicated in pharmacologic agents for anticoagulation (Campbell and Link, 1941). More recently, scientists have found that vitamin K intake has been associated with a reduced risk of and fatality from cancer (Nimptsch et al., 2010). Generally we get our vitamin K as the synthetic version found in cheese, but kale is stocked full of the vitamin naturally. So, if that isn't enough to persuade you to enjoy kale every once in awhile, I don't know what is.

At least give it a go in this soup :)

Winter Vegetable Soup

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium carrots, finely diced

2 ribs celery, finely diced

1 large onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

One 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 quarts filtered water

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

One 2-by-2-inch piece Parmesan rind

7 ounces butternut squash, cubed

5 ounces curly kale, chopped

Two 15-ounce cans great Northern beans, undrained

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Shaved Parmesan, for serving

In a large stock pot add oil, carrots, celery, onion, salt and cook on low until soft; about 20 mins. Add the tomatoes, sage, rosemary, garlic, water (sometimes I substitute 1/2 the water for chicken stock), soy sauce and parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Let cook for roughly 20 mins, then lower heat and add the squash and kale. Cook for another 30 minutes or until squash is soft. Then add the northern beans (I usually substitute chick peas instead because I enjoy them more), red wine vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for another 15 mins. Serve with parmesan shaved or grated on top.