Category: quinoa

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Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

Eye-poppingly colorful and tongue-teasingly textured and tasty.

Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Time: 25 minutes with cooked quinoa, 40 minutes with uncooked quinoa
Serves: 4, or 4-6 with other dishes
Make Ahead: Yes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C cooked quinoa (or other grain), or 1 C raw
2 sweet potatoes, in roughly 1/2″ cubes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 C EVOO
2 T sherry vinegar (or balsamic or red wine vinegar)
1/4+ C minced fresh parsley, chives, or mint for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

1) Cook quinoa in 1.5 C water with a pinch of salt and a splash of EVOO. Bring to a boil and simmer ~20 minutes. Fluff with fork.
2) Boil sweet potatoes in salted water about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain. (Chop other things while quinoa and sweet potatoes are cooking).
3) Whisk together oil and vinegar.
4) Toss together all ingredients. Add 1/2 dressing, then more to taste. Add salt and pepper and garnish with parsley, chives, or mint. If making ahead, add the herbs just before serving.

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Recipe: Squash and Black Bean Burritos

Delicious, vitamin-packed, and protein-filled. Serve with a guacamole for an extra flavor kick and protein punch. Highly flexible — add more squash, beans, or kale to serve your crowd. Can also be eaten alone or served with brown rice. For something different, don’t drain the tomatoes to make a stew, and serve over protein-packed quinoa.

Servings: 2-4
Total Time: 20-30 minutes
Make Ahead: Yes, and freezes well

1 onion, diced
1 butternut squash, 1-2 delicata squash, or other winter squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into ~1/2″ chunks.
2-4 C stock or water
1 bunch kale, rinsed thoroughly and coarsely chopped
1 can black beans
1 can tomatoes, drained (optional) (I like to use Muir Glen tomatoes with chile peppers or adobo)
1 T minced fresh ginger, or 1t dried
1t cumin
red pepper flakes or cayenne, to taste
salt
pepper
1-2T olive oil
large whole wheat tortillas

1) Heat 1-2T olive oil in a dutch oven or 4 quart saucepan. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, stir occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, cumin, and red pepper flakes to taste.
2) Add squash and saute for ~2 minutes. Add stock just to cover squash, cover pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for ~5 minutes. Add kale and another pinch of salt at top of pot without stirring, where it will steam while the squash braises.
3) When squash is fork-tender, stir to combine with kale. Add black beans and drained tomatoes. Stir, taste and adjust salt, pepper, and seasonings.
4) Enjoy in tortillas, with or without brown rice, topped with optional low-fat cheese, low-fat sour cream, or guacamole.