blueberry & red quinoa bean salad

quinoa — golden. red. black. any difference in taste? not really, but the red quinoa definitely adds a vibrant burst of colour to this simple gluten-free salad. beauty.

check out this organic red quinoa that i recently picked up at one of my fave local markets in town — casel marché. i thought red quinoa would be perfect for this easypeasy salad featuring a hearty bean medley — awesome as a fab side or a main dish. it’s inspired by (and adapted from) a recipe from my fave cooking show on the telly – cbc’s best recipes ever (thanks, kary osmond!).

for another spin on this recipe, check out this previous yumyumyummers post.

the red quinoa:
– bring to a boil: 1 cup (250mL) organic red quinoa & 1.5 cups water in a small pot (no cover)
– then reduce to simmer, cover pot and cook until the water is absorbed into the grains (approx 10-12 min). it’s ready when the grain is translucent.
– allow to cool, then fluff with a fork

the dressing:
in a large bowl, whisk together the following ingredients:
– 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– 1 tbsp honey
– 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
– pinch of sea salt
– season w/ ground rainbow peppercorns

seared tuna & avocado romaine salad

consider this your little tropical culinary oasis. seared yellowfin tuna. fresh avocado. vibrant greens. and a hint of lemon. <queue hula dance music now>

infusing a little tropical flavour into your cooking is a lot easier than you might think…

prep veggies:
– 1 bunch of organic romaine hearts (separated into individual leaves)
– 1/2 cup english cucumber (diced)
– 1 haas avocado (peeled, pitted, sliced)
– 3-4 unsalted cashews (crumbled)
– 1/2 lemon

the yellowfin:
– heat up 2 tsp of extra-virgin olive oil in large saucepan on medium heat
– brown 1 large shallot (peeled, rough chop) or 2 sprigs of green onions (rooted stems removed, rough chop into sliced rounds)
– add 1/2 tsp fennel seed and brown w/ shallots/onions until fennel is toasted
– add 1 fillet of fresh yellowfin tuna to pan
– season fillet w/ ground black peppercorns
– sear tuna fillet to your preference
– remove from heat & allow to cool. cut seared tuna fillet into long slices.

food styling:
– plate a bed of organic romaine leaves
– add cucumber & avocado pieces
– fan out seared tuna slices on greens
– squeeze fresh lemon juice over tuna & avocado (instead of salad dressing)
– garnish w/ crumbled cashews
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– pairs nicely w/ your fave cold sake or elderflower water

four-bean & avocado quinoa salad

happiness. i think i just found my new go-to salad.

so i’m still on my salad kick for the new year… and in the spirit of culinary experiments, i figured i’d try introducing a new healthy ingredient to my kitchen. <drumroll, please…> beans! <toot, toot!> ok, so that’s not the sound of a drumroll, but you get my point. haha! beans are a great source of protein and fibre, though i’ll admit they aren’t a pantry staple in my kitchen. other than the occasional slowcooker chili, i haven’t really ventured into the land of cooking with beans. but, as they say, in with the new year…

here’s an easypeasy salad featuring a hearty bean medley — awesome as a fab side or a main dish. it’s inspired by (and adapted from) a recipe from my fave cooking show on the telly – cbc’s best recipes ever (thanks, kary osmond!).

the quinoa:
– bring to a boil: 1 cup (250mL) organic quinoa & 2 cups water in a small pot (no cover)
– then reduce to simmer, cover pot and cook until the water is absorbed into the grains (approx 10-12 min). it’s ready when the grain is translucent.
– allow to cool, then fluff with a fork

the dressing:
in a large bowl, whisk together the following ingredients:
– 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– 2 tbsp honey
– 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
– pinch of sea salt
– season w/ ground black peppercorns

the salad:
in the same bowl as the dressing, toss together the following ingredients until well combined with the dressing:
– 1 large can (approx 500mL) bean medley (drained, medley includes red kidney beans, romano beans, chickpeas & black-eyed peas)
– 1 cup organic quinoa (cooked)
– 1 haas avocado (pitted, halved, sliced)
– 1 yellow bell pepper (pitted & thinly sliced)
– 1/4 cup fresh organic cilantro (stems removed, finely chopped)
– season w/ 1 tsp ancho chile powder (divided)

adapted from best recipes ever

food styling:
– dish up and serve immediately
– also serves well chilled, or packs nicely as a healthy lunch for the next day! <toot-toot!>

happiness. :)