Quinoa

Summer Quinoa Salad

Summer Quinoa Salad
Serves 8 (1/2 cup portions)

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, minced
1 large bell pepper (any color) minced
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, then diced
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

  1. Prepare the quinoa according to directions.
  2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare all vegetables. Ideally, all veggies should be cut to the same size, about 1/4 inch square bits.
  3. Mix the olive oil, vinegar and basil.
  4. When the quinoa is cooked, mix it with all other ingredients. 
  5. Can be served warm or chilled.

Nutritional Data:
Calories:    99
Fat:          4.4g
Sat fat:     0.5g
Chol:          0mg
Sodium:    75mg
Carbs:   11.6g
Fiber:        2g
Protein:  2.4g

You can use almost any vegetable in this (spring peas, tomatoes, green beans, etc).

Also, there are three types of quinoa, white, red and black. I don’t think there is any nutritional difference. I buy the red because it tends to look better when in a dish.

Pan-Fried Fish with Spinach and Quinoa

Fish:
Season with your preferred spices. I do not use breading (it keeps the calories down and showcases the fish).  Heat a non-stick skillet and use cooking spray (or 1 tsp olive oil). Lay fish in skillet, turning once. The fish is done when it begins to flake. The time will depend on the type of fish and the thickness. These catfish fillets were 4 ounces, about 3/4 inch thick and took a total of about 6 minutes.

Nutritional data will vary with the species of fish.

Quinoa:
Make 3 servings, 1/2 cup each

1/2 cup dried quinoa
1 cup water

1.  Put quinoa in water.  Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer until the water is absorbed (approximately 15 minutes.)

Nutritional data:
Calories:   111
Fat:            1.8g
Sat fat:       0.0g
Chol:          0.0mg
Sodium:    6.5mg
Carbs:      19.7g
Fiber:         2.6g
Protein:      4.1g

Garlicky Sauteed Spinach:
Serves 2-4, depending on how much everyone likes spinach.  In our case, this made three servings.

15 ounces baby spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, sliced thin

1.  Heat your non-stick skillet (large, 11-12 inches).  Add olive oil.
2.  Add garlic, stir until it begins to brown (1-2 minutes.)
3.  Add half the spinach, tossing frequently for 1 minute. It will begin to wilt.
4.  Add remaining spinach, tossing constantly until the spinach is uniformly wilted (another 60-90 seconds.)  Serve immediately.

Nutritional data:
Calories:  83
Fat:          5.3g
Sat fat:     0.8g
Chol:          0mg
Sodium:  119mg
Carbs:      7.4g
Fiber:       3.4g
Protein:    4.7g

Toasted Quinoa and Scallops

Toasted Quinoa and Scallops
12 ounces scallops, cut into  ½ inch size pieces
1 cup raw quinoa
2 cups water
2 Tablespoon canola oil, divide
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce (low sodium, if possible)
6 ounces snow pea pods, sliced into ½ inch chunks
½ cup bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1.      Heat a large skillet with 1 Tablespoon canola oil.  Add quinoa, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown. It will pop similar to popcorn.
2.      Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3.      Stir in pea pods, cover for 5 minutes.
4.      Mix remaining canola oil, sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar. Set aside.
5.      In a non-stick skillet, heat and spray with cooking spray. Place scallops in, sauté until beginning to brown.
6.      Put bell peppers and scallions on quinoa.
7.      Pour oil/vinegar sauce over quinoa. Stir in.
8.      Gently stir in scallops.
Serves 6 (1 cup portions)
Nutritional data:
Calories:          228
Fat:                  6.6g
Sat fat:             0.7g
Cholesterol:     23mg
Sodium:          155mg
Carbs:            26.9g
Fiber:               3.2g
Protein:          16.5g