Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Black-Eyed Peas, and Corn

I picked up a quick lunch at Whole Foods the other day and tried out a new side in their hot food bar - a chile-spiked quinoa with beans, corn, and tomatoes. The idea of making quinoa with a mexican/southwestern flair hadn't occurred to me and I wanted to try out my own version. I had some butternut squash from my CSA box this week and love using squash, sweet potatoes, and yams in chilis and enchiladas so I thought this would go well with this dish. Instead of the black beans in Whole Foods' vesion, I used frozen black eyed peas, in addition to some frozen white corn. Don't be afraid to use certain frozen foods, as long as they don't have any additives. Frozen fruits and vegetables are flash frozen at the peak of their freshness and while they shouldn't be the star of any dish, they can be a great complement when the fresh version isn't available (or in the case of black-eyed peas, when you don't have hours to cook them). I topped this with queso fresco cheese and toasted hulled pumpkin seeds which I think add a great finish to round out the flavors and texture. This is one of our new favorite dishes, even for my husband who previously has not been a big quinoa fan.

Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Black-Eyed Peas, and Corn
Serves 4-6

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

1/2 one large or 1 small butternut squash
1/2 red onion or 3 red torpedo onions, chopped or sliced
1 1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 c. frozen black-eyed peas
2 c. frozen white corn
1 T. ancho chili powder
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Queso fresco cheese, for serving
Hulled toasted salted pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas), for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, peel, seed, and cut the butternut squash into small cubes. I peel the squash with a knife but a good vegetable peeler will work too. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the squash with the onion and coat with 1 T. olive oil and 1/2 t. kosher salt and stir to combine. Transfer to a sheet pan or rimmed cookie sheet and roast for about 45 minutes.

After the squash has been roasting for about 20 minutes, bring 3 cups of water, the 1 1/2 c. of quinoa, and 1 t. kosher salt to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. A few minutes before the quinoa is done, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the black-eyed peas and corn and 1/2 t. kosher salt and saute a few minutes until heated through. Drain any excess water from the quinoa, remove the roasted squash and onions from the oven, and add everything to the skillet with the black-eyed peas and corn as well as the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne and stir to combine. Divide into plates or bowls and top with crumbled queso freso cheese and the hulled pumpkin seeds.

Big Kale Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

You may have seen my kale salad post last fall, and it's something that I've been incorporating more and more into my cooking, such as this healthy main dish. It's simply a huge bed of the kale salad with roasted vegetables and almonds on top, but it's so good, so beautiful, and so healthy that I thought I should share it. Believe it or not, it's actually one of my husband's favorite dishes for either a weeknight dinner or weekend lunch. Plus, it's one of those meals that leaves you both fulfilled and feeling good afterwards! I sometimes double the amount of roasted vegetables while I'm already making it and use it in another dish - such as over a mixture or quinoa & lentils or pasta with parmesan cheese. 

Big Kale Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables
Serves 2 main-sized portions


Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour


Kale Salad:

2 small or 1 large bunch lacinato kale, rinsed, leaves ripped from stems, and cut or ripped into pieces

1/4 c. freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 T. fresh lemon juice 

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. dijon mustard

1/2 t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Roasted vegetables:
1 1/12 - 2 lbs. assorted root vegetables (I used carrots, celery root, red daikon, and golden beets), peeled and cut into ~3/4'' pieces
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. fresh thyme
1/2 t. kosher salt


1/2 c. toasted almonds (either buy them toasted or toast them yourself in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned)


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel/chop the vegetables while the oven is preheating and place in a medium sized bowl, then add the olive oil, thyme, and salt and stir to combine, then spread out on a sheet or roasting pan. Roast for approximately 45 minutes (no need to stir if they are in a relatively even layer).


Meanwhile, prepare the kale and grate the cheese. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together, then combine in a large bowl with the kale and cheese. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or for the entire time the vegetables are roasting (it's good to let the kale soften in the dressing a little bit).


When the vegetables are done, divide the kale between the two plates and top with the roasted vegetables and toasted almonds. Enjoy!

Fresh Ginger Lemonade (Hot or Cold)

Everyone wants to start the new year in a healthy way. After traveling in early January and fun over the holidays, I was ready to start my first-ever detox program this week. Detox programs range in aggressiveness and effectiveness; I'm following a more gentle program (The Clean Program) that is focused on resetting your body by eating clean, healthy food and eliminating what are typically inflammatory foods for a few weeks. It also of course requires cutting out alcohol, coffee, and sweets, but that really hasn't been so hard (as much as I do love wine). I've actually enjoyed coming up with ways to think up more uber-healthy meals and drinks. Along these lines, two of the best things for your digestive system are ginger (which promotes a healthy gut) and lemon (which promotes a healthy liver). I recently bought a ginger-lemon-mate drink the other day and thought that the ingredients were so simple that I could surely make my own. Turns out it was very easy to replicate and is a great drink either warm or cold to keep you healthy during the winter. Feel free to multiply the recipe if you want to make a larger batch - this makes one glass at a time.

Fresh Ginger Lemonade

Serves 1

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 t. fresh finely minced ginger (I found the kind in a jar works best) 

1-2 t. agave nectar

1 c. water

Put all the ingredients into a jar or glass and shake it up until mixed. Drink as is or heat it up - it's delicious both ways.

Almond & Kale Linguine

This dish was something I threw together the other night with some ingredients we had on hand and it turned out to be our favorite dish of the week. I had picked up some curly kale and thought that it would be fun to cut it up small to resemble curly parsley while also adding some extra nutrition to the pasta. I had some dried linguine (feel free to use either regular, whole wheat, or brown rice linguine) and thought I'd add in some toasted almonds to kick up the protein. This is a simple pasta but developed lots of flavor using some of the pasta water to make a light sauce and finishing with some fresh lemon juice and parmesan cheese. It's a quick, easy, healthy dish that's perfect for a weeknight meal.

Almond & Kale Linguine
Serves 2 (can be easily doubled)

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

8 oz. linguine
1/2 bunch curly kale, washed, leaves removed from stems, and chopped into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt

Boil pot of water for the pasta and add a few big pinches of salt. Cook pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, if using salted almonds, simply toast in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant (don't let them burn!). If using raw almonds, toast and then drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of fine grain sea salt and stir to coast. Set aside.

When pasta is almost done, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 10 seconds, then add the kale. Saute for only about 1-2 minutes until it starts to wilt.

Reserve 1/2 c. of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain the pasta, and immediately add it to the skillet with the kale. Add the cheese, almonds, lemon juice, and 1 t. kosher salt, then pour the 1/2 c. cooking liquid over the dish and stir for a minute or two until it all comes together. Separate into bowls and serve with a little extra parmesan cheese.