One Pot Quinoa Salad

I’ve really been putting in an effort to eat healthier lately. Over the summer I lived a fairly active lifestyle, but my meal options were sometimes quite a pitfall. There were many days that I traded my healthy home cooked meals for a plate of nachos or pizza because they were convenient while we were out and about. Don’t get me started on the amount of fried or greasy foods I consumed while in England. So I am heading back to the healthy basics. I have reread one of my first (and most read) posts from all the way back in February. The post is entitled, No More Fast Food and it discusses why I am taking a stand against fast food and what alternatives I am choosing for my health and my family.

In an effort to get myself off on the right start I am hoping to go on a Clean Eating diet for a couple weeks. I’ve downloaded a list of ingredients that are okay to consume while on this diet and I realize it is really not that difficult. The main foods left off this list are those that are processed, packaged, or contain harmful chemicals for the body. This weekend I plan to go more in depth about this diet so that you can see some of the specifics a little better, but for now I am going to give you a Clean Eating recipe for one-pot Quinoa Salad. This dish is best served warm, however, if you should choose to you may refrigerate it after cooking and eat it chilled. It makes a brilliant lunch item for back-to-school or office lunch packers. So here is a look at this delicious and healthy recipe.

(Also, recipe credit goes to my amazingly creative and beautiful sister, Morgan 🙂 )

One Pot Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 Tb EVOO

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green or red bell pepper

1 cup quinoa, uncooked

1 cup vegetable broth, or reduced sodium chicken broth

1 (15oz) can of black beans

1 tomato, chopped

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

Recipe:

1. Heat EVOO in a large skillet. Add garlic and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for approximately one minute                                                     
2. Stir in quinoa, broth, beans, tomoato, corn, and seasonings. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and smmer until quinoa is cooked through, about twenty minutes. 
3. Serve immediately

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Yields: 4-8 servings depending on serving size

This meal is so delicious and very filling. I made a pot and put the leftovers in the refrigerator to pack for lunches this week. My sister is going on a vegan/organic foods kick and so I stole this recipe from her. She’s pretty awesome. Let me know if you have any recipe suggestions for someone who is trying to cut out processed and unhealthy food from my diet.