greek quinoa quick meal

This past weekend I went out of town for my cousin’s wedding shower.  When left to his own devices, Shaye won’t cook for himself so I stocked the refrigerator with this quick meal.  Preparation is key to following a healthy diet!

When you have good food in the house you eat good food!

This would be a great recipe to prepare on the weekend and have ready for those busy weeknights when the last thing you feel like doing is cooking a meal.  Pair this salad with grilled chicken, fish or slice an avocado on top for a vegetarian version.  You could even just dump it on top of a bed of greens or yet, eat it straight out of the mason jar!

Greek Quinoa Salad

Greek quinoa salad

1 cup quinoa + 2 cups water

1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 cup kalamata olives
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Greek Quinoa Salad

Greek Quinoa Salad

Dressing
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper

-Cook quinoa according to package and let cool.

-Once quinoa is cooled, combine with the rest of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

-In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients.

-Pour dressing over salad and mix until well coated.

-Store in mason jars!

Greek Quinoa Salad

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simple raw zucchini pasta

It looks like we have a heat wave ahead of us!  When the weather is hot and humid who feels like cooking???  Try this light, refreshing “pasta” instead!  No stove required :)

rawzuchpasta3

Simple Raw Zucchini Pasta

3 zucchinis

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons hemp seeds

rawzuchpasta

rawzuchpasta1

-Cut zucchini into “pasta” using a mandoline, spiralizer, or julienne peeler

I used a mandoline but my next purchase will be a julienne peeler…easier to clean and less likely to slice off a finger!

-Add zucchini “pasta” to a large bowl with the olives, basil, onion and tomatoes

-Mix together olive oil and lemon juice, pour on top of vegetables.

-Add salt and pepper to taste.

rawzuchpasta2

~You could eat it immediately or place it in the refrigerator for an hour to let the flavors combine~

-Top with hemp seeds and enjoy!

What’s your favorite go-to meal when it’s too hot to cook?

 

mason jar salads

mason jar salads

Yup, the summer is here.  And for most of us who live on the Cape that means a billion hour work weeks and absolutely no time to get anything done!  Especially sit down to a meal!   I struggle to pack nutritious lunches for Shaye to enjoy between jobs.  To solve this dilemma, I jumped on the mason jar meal band wagon!  They are so easy to make and taste so good!  All it takes is a little prep time and some creativity!  They are the perfect thing to grab-and-go when pressed for time.

We also pack them for the beach!

We also pack them for the beach!

This week I made two different variations; Greek Salad and Asian Edamame Salad.  Depending what you put in them, they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Follow these simple directions for creating your own!

1.  To keep vegetables fresh, put the salad dressing in the jar first.

2.  Layer ingredients from the heaviest to the lightest.  For instance; in the greek salad I added the salad dressing first then layered crumbled goat cheese, kalamata olives, chick peas then added my fresh veggies (cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions) and lastly the spring salad greens.  For the Asian Edamame Salad I layered the dressing, shredded red cabbage, chopped sugar peas, shredded carrots, edamame, cucumbers and lastly the greens.

3.  Twist on the top, place in refrigerator and enjoy on the go!

oh yeah, don’t forget to pack a fork and bowl!

Get funky with it!

Add cooked quinoa, nuts, beans, artichokes, hard boiled eggs, dulse flakes, steamed asparagus, sunflower seeds, almonds, strawberries, craisins…the possibilities are endless!

mason jar salads

Here are two salad dressing to try out!

Greek Salad Dressing:

Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

3/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic powder (or one clove fresh garlic)

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 teaspoons basil

2 teaspoons oregano

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

~Add all ingredients to a blender, mix well~

Asian Ginger Dressing:

3 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons tamari or bragg’s amino acids

2 tablespoons honey or agave

1/4 cup water

~Add all ingredients to a blender, mix well~

mason jar salads

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