spinach

Guest Recipe: Quinoa, Garbanzo and Spinach Salad

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While I prep for the arrival of our baby I have invited Mellissa from A Fit and Spicy Life to share one of her recipes.

Quinoa, Garbanzo and Spinach Salad
with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

Ingredients (Serves 8-10)

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves
  • 2 15- to 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 unpeeled English hothouse cucumber, cut into small pieces
  • 1-pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

Place quinoa in large saucepan; add enough salted water to cover quinoa by 1 inch. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until quinoa is tender, 15 to 16 minutes. Drain. Chill until cool.

Combine spinach leaves, garbanzos, cubed cucumber, halved tomatoes and mint leaves in extra-large bowl.

Add cooled quinoa and toss gently to blend.

Whisk vinegar and smoked paprika in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.

Season generously with salt and pepper.

Mellissa is a 30 something girl living in Minneapolis who lives fitness, food, travel and wine. She creates healthy recipes and tries to share her love of food with friends and family

WIAW: Recipe- Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pesto

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Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pesto

Serves 6 (or 4 really hungry people)

Ingredients:

  • 6 servings of your favorite pasta cooked & reserve some pasta water
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in hot water until soft & roughly chopped
  • 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil

Place the walnuts, garlic, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and process for 30 more seconds. Add the baby spinach and nutritional yeast, process for 30 seconds.  Slowly add the olive oil through feed tube and process until fully combined. Pour the pesto into a large bowl and top with the hot pasta. Toss the pastas with the pesto adding one tablespoon of pasta water at a time to loosen up the sauce as needed.

Recipe of the Week: Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip

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This is my twist on a traditional dip that is usually filled with fat,  ingredients. Serve this at your next party or bring to your next potluck.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • 1 (6oz) jar of marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
  • 10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, sliced
  • 1 (14oz) can of navy beans or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup vegetable broth
  • salt and pepper
  • 2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat; add in the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from the stove and place in a bowl; set to the side.

2. In a food processor or blender process the beans with the vegetable broth until smooth.

3. To the processor add the spinach, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and nutritional yeast; pulse 4-5 times to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Place in a medium oven safe dish, cover and then you place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or over night to achieve the best flavor.

When ready to cook preheat oven to 400F.

1.Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until edges are browned and bubbly.

2. Serve with vegetable sticks, pita or crackers.

Bonus Recipe: Spicy Black Eyed Peas and Greens over at my Health Coaching Site. 

Recipe Of The Week: Chickpea & Spinach Scramble

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The Hubz and I have been trying to avoid soy lately so I decided to make a twist on a breakfast favorite.  Instead of tofu scramble this morning I made Chickpea scramble.  This was so good and I think I like it better than tofu scramble now (plus no belly aches after).

Chickpea & Spinach Scramble
Serves 2

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3-4 button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 chili, minced
  • 1 cup chickpeas, cooked or canned
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

In a large saute pan heat the oil over medium-high; toss in the onion and mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften.  Stir in the garlic and chili and cook for one more minute. Add the chickpeas and mash them with a fork or potato masher until they are slightly broken up; stir to combine.  Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted then stir in the paprika, salt and pepper.  Serve in a sprouted grain tortilla, with a slice of your favorite bread or eat as is!

 

Recipe: Tex Mex Avocado Pasta

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I came across Angela of Oh She Glows recipe for 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta and I thought it sounded really great. Since I had a bunch of avocados to use up this week I decided to create this recipe with a twist; I really wanted to add more veggies and protein to the dish and spice it up a little.

The first thing I did was weigh out four portions of pasta, two for this dish and two for a dish I made for our lunches. I love using a kitchen scale for things like pasta and snacks because it gives a much more accurate portion than just counting how many crackers are in a serving or approximate measurement.

Tex Mex Avocado Pasta

Inspired by Oh She Glows

Serves 2


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 12 oz grape tomatoes
  • 1 large avocado, pitted and diced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp basil infused olive oil
  • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 2 servings of pasta (I used Jovial Whole Grain Fusilli)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the chickpeas and tomatoes in a medium oven safe bowl and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set to the side.
  2. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.
  3. In a mini chopper or food processor add the avocado, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, basil olive oil, and smoked paprika and blend until smooth.
  4. To a large bowl add the baby spinach, tomatoes & chickpeas and sauce and top with the cooked pasta; mix to combine.  Serve immediately.

Let the Countdown Begin!

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For the last few months I have been blogging and tweeting about my newest e-book which will feature recipes for the whole family.  The testing has been going really well and much faster than anticipated so I am hoping to have the e-book ready for release by February 7, 2011(update- the hubz says he hopes to have it all worked out by then but no guarantees it may be more like the 1oth or 14th). Until then check out what the testers have been saying:

Ricki Heller of Diets, Desserts and Dogs (click for source)

Check out more from Ricki on her blog Diet, Dessert and Dogs.

Beans, Greens & Grains

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Whole grains are an excellent source of nutrition, as they contain iron, dietary fiber and vitamin E and B Vitamins. They are also absorbed slowly providing sustained and high-quality energy. To aid in digestion it is best to soak grains prior to cooking*; soaking helps to eliminate phytic acid which is what causes gas.

Beans can be a great source of fiber, protein and folic acid. For more information on beans and how to make them more digestible you can refer to this post – Beans, Beans, The Magical Fruit…

Greens are a great source of calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K; as well as fiber and folic acid. Some of the benefits of eating dark leafy greens are:

-Blood purification

-Cancer prevention

-Improved circulation
-Strengthened immune system

The best choices for greens are bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, broccoli rabe and dandelion.  Other good options are green cabbage, arugula, endive, chicory, lettuce, mesclun and wild greens. Spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens are good as well but should be eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid, which depletes calcium from the bones and teeth; best eaten with tofu, seeds, nuts, beams, or oil to balance the effects of the oxalic acid.

*Whole Wheat Couscous is technically not a grain but rather a pasta product made from wheat and doesn’t require soaking.

Tonight I decided to try some new heirloom beans that I picked up at the health food store; I boiled them until tender and the sauteed them with garlic, shallot, olive oil and cremini mushrooms tossed with a little nutritional yeast and Braggs. I placed the beans on top of a bed of lettuce and a scoop of whole wheat couscous and topped with a little avocado.