Recipe: Pesto Quinoa

Quinoa recipes are famous for being simple, yet delicious. This is no exception. I actually made the pesto myself, but even that required minimal effort beyond mincing garlic and measuring things.

ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp pesto
1 tomato, diced
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil in a saucepan; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the moisture is completely absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir the pesto through the quinoa. Fold the tomato into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

serves 4

This Week

Posts will be pretty light this week. I'm going out of town from Friday thru Monday and will have internet access, along with access to free food. So I'm opening up the option for guest posts again. If anyone would like to post a recipe or opinion post on here as a guest blogger, please email me at glasssa@earlham.edu

Recipe: Cilantro Tabouli

This recipe is super easy, it just requires a lot of waiting. good for potlucks!

ingredients:
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced, or to taste
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
salt to taste

directions:
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, turn off the heat, and stir in the bulgur wheat. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to absorb water. Strain off any liquid left unabsorbed, if necessary.
Place the bulgur wheat in a large salad bowl, and lightly toss with the tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, pepper, and salt until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate the salad for at least 3 hours to blend the flavors; serve cold.
serves 6

weekly food shop

I decided to try a new grocery store this week: outpost natural foods. it's a co-op, but there's 3 of them throughout the city, making it feel a little like riverwest food co-op meets whole foods. it wasn't terrible, but as far as co-ops go, i prefer riverwest over outpost.

here's what i bought:
10 apricots
1 cantaloupe
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
baby carrots
whole wheat pita bread
1 bunch cilantro
1 pear

total: $22.19

How to Eat Healthy on a Tight Budget, According to a Dietician (along with my opinions, of course)

I frequent livestrong.com for recipes and articles on a regular basis. So when I found an article entitled "The Cheapest and Most Nutritious Foods" advertised on their homepage, I had no choice but to read it.

Below are the four foods listed in the article, and whether or not I agree with the arguments.

1. Oats
Yes, they are cheap and versatile. But are they nutritious? If consumed in the form on plain oatmeal prepared with water, yes. But how often is that the case? While there are ways to add extra flavor to your oatmeal while keeping it healthy (dried fruits and nuts are my favorite examples), it is more common for people to pour on the maple syrup and spoon on the brown sugar.

2. Bananas
Bananas are constantly offered at 69 cents per pound at a large grocery store near me, so it's clear that they're cheap. However, I am torn over whether or not I would consider them nutritious. Yes, they offer tons of vitamins. However, those vitamins also come with tons of carbs, which isn't helpful if you're trying to lose weight. At the same time, it does give you a long-lasting boost of energy, making it perfect for the 4:00 pick-me-up. I used to eat a banana with my lunch every day, but stopped buying them because I was getting fed up with them going bad before I could eat them all.

3. Frozen Vegetables
Those of you who have read my blog thoroughly know that this is something I purchase often. The further I get into The Omnivore's Dilemna, the more I realize that I need to be smarter about the kind of frozen vegetables I purchase. In an attempt to consume fewer preservatives, I'm no longer buying green giant just for ones. I recently bought a bag of frozen veggies at pick 'n save with zero preservatives. So basically, I agree with this addition to the list.

4. Sweet Potatoes
I'll say it-I love sweet potatoes. Especially in burritos. And for pasta sauce. Heck, I'll eat one baked with some fresh dill. According to livestrong.com, one medium sweet potato is only 100 calories and packed with vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron, and a moderate amount of fiber. They're pretty low in carbs, too. No reason for these babies not to be on the list, as far as I'm concerned.

Here is the link to the article:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/126693-cheapest-nutritious-foods/

so what do you think? do you agree with me/the article? I want to hear your opinions!

Open Thread: Whole Foods

Recently a friend sent me a link to this article:
http://www.postbourgie.com/2010/06/02/skinny-people-shop-at-whole-foods

As someone who frequents Whole Foods, I'd like to point out that this study would have very different results if done in Milwaukee. I'd like to see this study done in multiple cities instead of just Seattle.

I'd like to hear the opinions of everyone else on this article. So go ahead and read it and post your reaction in a comment! I promise I'll read them all and try to respond to everyone, too.

Recipe: Quinoa with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

(picture to come soon!)

This recipe appealed to me at first because the only thing I didn't have on hand for it already was a can of chickpeas. It's delicious and I love the extra kick of flavor from the lime juice...it's unexpected in a refreshing way! Because it can be served cold, it's perfect for potlucks/picnics, too.

ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

Bring the quinoa, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Once done, stir in the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper.

serves 6

(did I mention how easy this recipe is!?!?!?! I LOVE IT!!)