Quinoa veggie salad with lemon basil dressing

March 25, 2013 by

veggiequinoa (1)

We are on a huge quinoa kick lately thanks to my brother-in-law! He made us red quinoa last weekend with salmon and we are hooked. I can’t get over how good this stuff tastes and the endless possibilities of dishes to serve it in. What really gets me though is how healthy it is for you. Did you know quinoa has twice the amount of protein as meat, per ounce? Pretty crazy right!? This salad has been great to have in the fridge all week for lunch. It is packed with veggies and even more protein with the garbanzo beans. The lemon basil dressing is so light and fresh, you will love this. So what are you waiting for?

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Quinoa veggie salad with lemon basil dressing
Author: 
 

Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1½ cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1½ tsp. fresh chopped basil

Instructions
  1. In a medium sized pot, over high heat, pour 2 cups of water and the quinoa.
  2. Heat until a rolling boil is reached, then simmer on low for 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, chop up tomatoes, pepper, and onions and layer them in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add your corn, and beans to the bowl.
  5. Prepare your dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, and chopped basil.
  6. When quinoa has cooled, add it to your bowl of veggies, pour dressing over the top and mix really well.
  7. Store in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

veggiequinoa

 

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Filed Under: gluten-free, It's What's For Dinner, meals, salads Tagged With: , ,

Chicken taco salad

January 31, 2013 by

tacosalad (1)

tacosalad

I am obsessed with anything Tex-mex (I am not sure if that is the right description of the flavor my tastebuds crave daily, but what I mean is anything with cilantro, corn, beans, tomatoes & avocados) so as soon as I found this recipe I knew I needed to make it immediately. I must say it rivals my favorite taco salad in town here. Now the only question was, could I get my husband and kids to eat this as a meal, for dinner? Yes, yes I could, and I did. I am a stickler about the kids always eating what we are eating (or at least trying it) and I will not make them something different just because they don’t want to eat it. So I was prepared to be a meanie and force them to finish this salad. But I didn’t have to! Yay for a hassle-free dinner time!

recipe adapted from : here.

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Chicken taco salad
 

Ingredients
  • 2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie works the best)
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 4 green onions, diced
  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce, washed & chopped
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • 2 ripe avocados, diced
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • ⅓ cup real mayo
  • ⅔ cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon ranch dip mix

Instructions
  1. First make your dressing
  2. Combine mayo, yogurt, taco seasoning, & ranch dip mix. Set aside in fridge
  3. In a very large mixing bowl, start to assemble your salad
  4. Combine: chicken, peppers, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cilantro, & avocados
  5. Drizzle with the dressing & toss
  6. Top with crushed tortilla chips and serve

tacosald

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Filed Under: appetizers, It's What's For Dinner, meals, salads, sauces Tagged With: ,

Bruschetta chicken

January 9, 2013 by

 Ingredients:

Start by placing raw chickens breasts in a large Ziplock bag with half the bottle of balsamic and basil dipping oil. Place in fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours, or for best results overnight.

Next place chicken breasts and extra oil (from bag) in a greased baking pan and cook chicken. 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until done.

While chicken is baking, make your bruchetta mix topping. Combine chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic garlic, remaining basil & balsamic oil from jar, pinch of salt and pepper. Remove chicken from oven and top with bruchetta mix. Sprinkle with cheese and broil on low for another 10-15 minutes.

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Filed Under: It's What's For Dinner, meals, salads Tagged With: , ,

Happy New Year~ my favorite recipes of 2012

December 31, 2012 by

Chicken enchiladas with avocado cream sauce

Marinated Sunday sammies

Denver egg muffins

 Trisha Yearwood’s crock pot candy

 Peppermint fudge

Crab & gnocchi gratin casserole

 

Dr.Don’s frosted banana bars

Chicken asparagus bake with basil mayo

Balsamic & basil chicken tortelini

Crock pot fajitas

Spinach & herb chicken salad

Gluten-free chili cheese dog bake

Mini buffalo chicken balls

 These were my favorite recipes of 2012. Thank you all for making my blog a success! It is such a blessing to be able to stay at home with my kids every day and do what I love! I have some really exciting changes & new things in store for 2013, including a total design make-over for my site!

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

 

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Filed Under: appetizers, breakfast, crockpot, desserts, gluten-free, It's What's For Dinner, meals, salads, sauces, soups Tagged With: , ,

Bruchetta

December 29, 2012 by

This was a huge hit for our Christmas gatherings this year. And it couldn’t be more simple to make.

Brushetta mix

Ingredients:

You can add how ever much you want of each ingredient  to your taste. We like it really chunky, so I add more tomatoes. You can also use another seasoning instead of the spinach and herb if you have a favorite.

Directions:

Drizzle a good amount of olive oil on a serving platter. Layer green onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, salt and pepper, and seasoning. Mix. Serve over sliced french bread.

recipe adapted from:here.

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Filed Under: appetizers, It's What's For Dinner, meals, salads Tagged With: , ,
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