Jeweled Quinoa Salad

What You Need

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 T olive oil

4 green onions, chopped

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

3 tsp garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

2 T dried apricots

2 T dried cranberries

2 T dried raisins

1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

1 T lemon juice

What You Do

~ Combine turmeric with 1 1/2 cups hot water and stir until dissolved.

~ Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add green onions and quinoa and sauté for three minutes. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Pour turmeric water over quinoa. Add bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste.

~ Bring to a simmer and reduce to low. Cover and cook 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Fold in fruits and cover. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir in pistachios, green onion and lemon juice and enjoy!

Veggie Quinoa

I have to admit, sometimes I just have no idea what to make for dinner. One night a few weeks ago, my husband was hungry and wanted something different. It was late and I didn't have the energy for a trip to the grocery store so I tried something new. I took inventory of the vegetables and grains we already had in the kitchen and came up with the recipe below. I used quinoa* (keen-wah) instead of rice because it's nutritional value allowed for a more rounded meal. After posting it on my Facebook page, I received some feedback that a recipe similar to this by Betty Crocker already exists. However, my recipe includes a few additional veggies. Enjoy!

What You Need

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 teaspoon olive oil 
1/2 cup onion, diced 
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced 
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup yellow peppers, diced 
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup cooked corn
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper (or more to taste)
1 can (14oz) vegetable broth



What You Do

~ Rinse quinoa thoroughly and drain well


~ In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Once heated, add quinoa and onions. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (until it turns a light brown color)


~ Stir in the remaining ingredients. Heat to a boil; then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook at simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the broth is absorbed into the quinoa.


~ Fluff with fork and serve.



*Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.