A Quarter Life Crisis and Quinoa

I think I'm having a quarter life crisis. Since I'm 25 that's my best guess. I feel like I knew exactly what I wanted when I was 15, and I know exactly what I want now at 25, those 10 years in-between were a mess. What was a thinking? Or doing? Although I have a feeling that most people feel like this at one point or another, it's still strange to feel like I was drunk for 10 years (which I literally was for a lot of it). I'm sure I'll figure out my life here soon, but I feel like I should have it figured out by now, and I don't.

My life crisis impulse decision was chopping off 12 inches of my hair... at least it was cheaper than buying a sports car...

Now to my favorite subject, FOOD!


And I have a confession to make...


I'm in love with quinoa.


It is literally the perfect grain, high in protein and fiber and super filling, and it goes with just about anything. As a vegetarian (technically a pescatarian since I eat fish) most of my food choices revolve around making sure I get enough protein, quinoa makes that so much easier. And since I promised a recipe post I decided to give out my favorite quinoa recipes!

Salmon & Kale Quinoa Salad

This is my all time favorite quinoa dish, it's just amazing. I adapted mine from a recipe from The Realistic Nutritionist (http://nutritionfor.us/)


Ingredients:

• 1lb salmon filet, cooked and shredded

• About 4 cups kale leaves (one bunch)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup dry quinoa

• 2 cups water

• About 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons honey

• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bring the four cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa. Lower heat and cover and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring sporadically, until all of the liquid has been absorbed. 

1. Meanwhile, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until slightly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add kale leaves and cook until wilted, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir into the quinoa. Add fish, chopped artichokes, pine nuts and cheese, stir to combine.

1. To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, honey and salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and mix to combine. Serve immediately.

(my photo)

These next two dishes I made up as I was cooking them. I keep many bulk ingredients on hand and make up recipes whenever I'm feeling too lazy to follow a recipe or we're out of food and I don't want to go to the grocery store, quinoa is one of those bulk items.

Mexican Quinoa 

I sautéed 1 onion and one jalapeño (diced) in some olive oil until soft, added some paprika and Tajin seasoning, stirred, then added about two tablespoons tomato paste and stirred again. Add in one can black beans, one can diced tomatoes, and cooked quinoa (whatever amount 1cup makes after cooked). Top with cheese and avocado if you want! 

And my Mexican husband approved!

Mediterranean Spiced Quinoa Scramble with Zucchini and Tomatoes

I just chopped up 4 zucchini's and two tomatoes, sautéed them in a pan with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Mediterranean spiced sea salt (this stuff is AWESOME), added the cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked = a ton cooked) and threw in some fresh cilantro and a little lemon juice then topped it with feta at the table!

Note: I use organic everything so these zucchini's were pretty small, you may only need 2 or 3 depending on their size