Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

I'm not sure that I'll really get used to how hot it is here. Last summer was hot, no doubt, but something about this summer is just killing me. It could be the extra weight I'm sporting...also known as a baby... but part of it is probably that it got super hot much earlier than usual. We rarely turn on our oven and often even the grill is unappealing. This light salad was the perfect compliment to fresh cherries and a rotisserie chicken-something we'd probably eat a lot more of if I had the stomach to get the meat off the bones. Thanks goodness for Nick. (And that is not just a pregnancy thing, we'll see if I ever conquer that fear. He is more afraid I'll turn vegetarian.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)

1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half (I used Roma)

2 avocados diced

2 cups spinach

1 bunch cilantro, about 1 1/2 cups

1/4 cup onion

2 small cloves garlic

For the dressing

1 lemon, zested
juice of 2 lemons

2 tsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. cumin

dash of salt and pepper

Directions
 

1. Prepare quinoa by soaking a pot in the veggie broth for about 15 minutes. Over medium high heat, bring the quinoa to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/low and let simmer. Stir every so often, and cook quinoa for about 20-25 minutes just until the liquid absorbs. You don’t want it completely dried out, so when there is just a TINY amount of liquid left in the pot, remove it from heat and put a lid on it. Set it aside, and prepare the rest of the salad.

2. In a food processor, add spinach and cilantro. Process the greens until they are finely diced.

3. Add the greens to a bowl, and set aside. Next, take onion and garlic and finely dice those (easy to do in the food processor), and add to the greens mixture. Add chickpeas and stir until everything is combined and coated. When quinoa is cooled, add it to the chickpea mixture.

4. Prepare the dressing by whisking ingredients together. Pour over salad, and mix until combined. Add in tomatoes and avocado and mix. Set in fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors set.

from The Diva Dish : Adapted from: Ohsheglows

Sweet Pea Cauliflower Couscous

 

from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever bought cauliflower. It just isn't one of the veggies I am naturally drawn to, but I really enjoyed it in this simple side.

 
2 cups cauliflower florets
3/4 cup sweet peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
coconut or olive oil for sauteing
3/4 cup whole wheat couscous
1 + 1/2 cup water
1/2 lemon, juiced
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions

1. Steam the cauliflower and peas to desired tenderness.  

2. In a large skillet saute garlic in a teaspoon of oil until fragrant over low heat. Add couscous, cauliflower, peas and water. Remove from heat and put a lid on the pan. Allow to sit for ten minutes.

3. Add lemon and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Quinoa with Garlic, Nuts, and Cranberries

from Perry's Plate
adapted from Food Network Magazine Apr 2010 (Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/4 cup nuts (pinenuts or chopped walnuts/pecans recommended)
2 T preferred cooking oil (grapeseed, coconut, or olive oil)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 T fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. Place the quinoa in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, about 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the oil and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the garlic to the plate, reserving the oil.

3. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add the pine nuts, garlic, reserved oil, parsley, raisins and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Serves 3-4.

Chickpea Salad with Cilantro and Lime

adapted from The Kitchen Sink Recipes

Ingredients

2 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (Goya, Trader Joes, or Bush are best)
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, about 1/2 a fresh lime
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced red onions
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/4 cup loosely packed shredded manchego cheese
big pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently to mix. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately, or chill, covered, until serving.

4-6 servings

Black Bean and Corn Salad

adapted from Nancy Hatch

Ingredients

1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice, about two limes
1 clove of garlic, minced, or about 1 tsp.
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 cups frozen corn, cooked
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 avocados, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped


Directions

1. In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocados, green onions, and cilantro.

2. In a small bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. Whisk well until combined. (Can also be done in a salad dressing bottle.) Pour dressing over salad, a little at a time. Gently stir tough to coat salad ingredients. Add more dressing as desired.

This can be done before hand, up to overnight to enrich flavor. Great as a side or with tortilla chips as a bean salsa.

other options: kidney beans, canellini beans, red onion in place of green onion

Pasta with Asparagus and Arugula

adapted from Quick Food

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
dash of salt
16-20 thin asparagus spears, cut into 2 inch pieces
12 oz. pasta
4 handfuls arugula, shredded
1-2 small fresh red chilies, finely chopped (if not available can use red pepper to taste)
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4- 1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. of oil and a pinch of salt. Blanch the asparagus for 3-4 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon, rinse under cold water, drain, and place in a bowl. Return the water to a rapid boil and add pasta. Cook pasta until al dente, drain, and return to saucepan.

2. While pasta is cooking, add the arugula, chilies, lemon zest, garlic, and 2/3 of the Parmesan to the asparagus. Mix well. Add to the pasta, pour on the lemon juice and 1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta with the mixture. Top with remaining Parmesan.

This is great as a main dish, but would go well as a side paired with a grilled entree.

Serves 4-6.

Parmesan Couscous

from Bella Lately

Ingredients

1 garlic glove, finely minced or pressed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup couscous
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 - 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat garlic with olive oil over medium heat. Stir and saute until fragrant. Add couscous, toss until couscous is coated and a bit toasty.

2. Add broth, bring to a boil, place lid on saucepan, and remove from heat for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

Goes well with Teriyaki Grilled Pork Chops.

Serves 2-4

Pineapple Rice

adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients
2 cups Jasmine or sticky rice
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (8 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, drained
3 tsp. grated fresh ginger

Cook rice according to the package directions. Once cooked, mix in the scallions, pineapple tidbits, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

1-2 large heads broccoli, washed and cut into florets
1/4 - 1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or golden raisins)
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/4 - 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1/2 cup lowfat mayo
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, red onion, cranberries, nuts, and bacon.

2. In a medium bowl, mix mayo, vinegar, and sugar until combined well.

option 1: for immediate serving (broccoli will be very crunchy) pour dressing over salad and serve.
option 2: refrigerate salad overnight (leave out bacon if you want it to stay crispy), a few hours before serving- toss with 3/4 of dressing and return to the refrigerator. Add on remaining dressing and bacon just prior to serving. This will give enough flavor and still leaves some good crunch to the broccoli.
option 3: Pour dressing over salad and refrigerate dressed salad overnight. The broccoli will be softened the most with this option.
(I prefer option 2)

Toss well before serving.

Serves 6-10, depending on amount of broccoli.