roasted carrot & broccoli quinoa

back on my quinoa kick… toasted with some vibrant veggies!

this is a simple way to repurpose leftover apple-glazed roasted carrots and use up that extra broccoli that’s been sitting in the crisper in your fridge. oh yeah, and quinoa is a fantastic way to add a little fiber boost to a dish.

prep veggies:
– chop leftover roasted carrots into thin sticks
– cut broccoli into small florets

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 stirfry:
while the quinoa is cooking, start stirfrying the veggies.
– add broccoli florets to a large wok on medium heat
– add 1/4 cup water to wok and blanch broccoli until it turns a vibrant green and slightly tender
– heat up 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large wok
– add 1/4 white onion (peeled, rough chop) to wok

– add a dash of sea salt
– add chopped carrots to wok
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– stirfry for a few minutes until veggies are warmed up
– add 1.5 cups cooked quinoa and toss with veggies in wok, until quinoa is slightly toasted

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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. :)

balsamic portobello linguine

it’s no secret — i heart portobellos.

earthy flavours. gorgeous colour. hearty presence like a good piece of meat — well, kinda, sorta, not really. but it makes for a fantastic feature ingredient in this simple vegan pasta dish!

the portobellos:
– heat up 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil in large saucepan on high heat
– add 1 portobello mushrooms (tops sliced lengthwise, stalk diced)
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– drizzle aged balsamic vinegar over portobellos
– sauté for 2-3min until mushrooms are tender & balsamic flavours are soaked in

 (tip: gently clean portobello mushrooms under running water. carefully remove & discard dark gills using a spoon to scrape them off.)

food styling:
– plate a small serving of linguine pasta (cooked, al dente)
– top w/ portobello mushrooms
– drizzle w/ aged balsamic vinegar
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– pairs nicely w/ your fave pinot grigio