This might start to sound repetitive but I can’t stress enough how much it helps to be prepared, particularly when it comes to healthy eating. If we open the fridge or cupboard door and only have convenience foods, we’ll usually end up eating these foods because we’re hungry and they’re quick.
I use quinoa a lot in my cooking because it has so many nutrients and is also a complete protein. For those who are trying to avoid dairy and gluten, it is a safe food for you. It is also a great substitute for pasta, white rice or other foods that may cause you bloating and indigestion. I usually cook extra so I can store it in the fridge and add it to meals throughout the week. I also cook it with vegetable stock so that it has more flavour. If you’re using liquid stock, use one part water and one part stock. If you’re using powdered stock, just add a couple scoops into the pot while it’s cooking. Make sure to buy organic vegetable or chicken broth because the conventional choices are usually loaded with sugar, salt, MSG and other artificial ingredients. Most of the popular soup brands have introduced an organic line so it’s becoming easier to find them.
Since I already had the honey basil vinaigrette from yesterday and some leftover quinoa, I made a colourful salad combining it all. I cut up the vegetables that were in my fridge and made this salad. It’s very light and spring-like, but also provides the body with lots of vitamins, minerals, nutrients and healthy fats. It is great as a main dish but could also be served as a side dish. Another option would be to add a grilled salmon fillet to the top if you feel like a little more.
I’ll try and recipize it (that’s a new word I just created which I’ll use when trying to convert what I threw together into some form of a recipe).
Quinoa Pecan Salad
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 beet, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 mango, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 cup cooked quinoa, chilled
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1/2 cup mixed greens (optional)
Mix all together and add the Honey Basil Vinaigrette from yesterday’s post. Enjoy!
