Did you know you can buy precooked quinoa?
I didn't! I found that bag in Target. Haven't seen it anywhere else yet but I have a feeling it will catch on.
Of course you could cook up your own batch but having things like this in your pantry is a great way to be prepared when you just don't have time or, let's face it, the energy.
Today was one of those days. I wanted something yummy for lunch but I was short on time. So I rummaged through the pantry and pulled out a few things that inspired me.
I wish I had some greens (kale or spinach would have been great) to bulk this up but I was short on fresh ingredients. It didn't matter though, the resulting salad was YUMMY.
The combination of beet and quinoa is fantastic. There's something about the earthy beet and the nutty seed, add in the feta and BAM: A perfect trifecta!
Here's what I did...
- 1 8oz can sliced beets (drained with 1 tbsp of the liquid reserved)
- 1 Package of cooked quinoa (or about 2 cups of your own)
- 2 oz (56g) crumbled feta
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 (21g) tbsp honey
- 1 tsp dried parsley, plus more for garnish
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- Healthy pinch of kosher salt
Drain the beets, reserving some of the liquid for the dressing. Roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces.
Add the beets, quinoa and feta in a bowl.
In a another bowl whisk the lemon juice, honey, parsley, thyme and salt with the reserved beet juice.
Pour the dressing over the quinoa, beets and feta. Toss.
Pour a cup of the salad onto a plate and sprinkle with dried parsley.
I really thought 1 cup wouldn't be enough of a serving (I like bigger portions) but based on the nutritional information I decided to give it a chance. It was VERY satisfying!
I packed up the rest for tomorrow! To be honest. I might have it for breakfast. 🙂
| Servings | Amt per Serving | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 Cup | |||
| Calories | Fat | Fiber | WWPs | |
| 350 | 12g | 4g | old: 7 | new: 10 |
| Sugar | Sat Fat | Carbs | Protein | |
| 13g | 4g | 51g | 13g | |
While some people's reactions seem extreme, the points made are valid if you have significant health concerns. BPA is in fact a lining used in all metal-canned preserved foods. It's not inherently evil, it prevents spoilage and botulism (food poisoning leading to "lock jaw") from being widespread concerns. However, because BPA is so pervasive in our environments, if you truly wish to remove this synthetic hormone agonist from your life, starting with canned foods is a good place. You also need to eliminate any plastic used to store food and drink.
But, as the author states, she uses canned beets quite sparingly, and when fresh isn't an option or a trip to the market is truly impractical.
This is a great recipe. I made it quick and with some fresh ingredients by planning a day ahead. Day Day 1: I roasted a chicken over prepacked baby carrots and radishes. Takes about 5 min to get in the oven then I just hang out for 45 minutes while it cooks. I cooked the beets at the same time for day 2
Day 2: cut the cooked beets, shredded the leftover rotisserie chicken and followed the above recipe
ps nothing against canned beets health wise I'm just obsessed with the flavour of roasted beets
When I saw the beet salad recipe a few days ago I just left it alone because it really did not sound appetizing to me at all. But then I decided to check out the post because I like Roni's writing style and, well, I follow all of Roni's blogs. To be honest, I was a little surprised at the defensive attacks made by other commenters in response to Amy's comment. I didn't think the comment was rude or offensive. She just gave an opinion and Roni reply was diplomatic and truthful. For those of you who think there is such a thing as 'uncalled for feedback' are sadly mistaken and, in my opinion, don't really understand the nature of blogs. As I'm sure Roni is fully aware, having a blog opens up the floor for both positive AND negative comments. We can choose to say nothing at all (as in my case about this particular recipe) or we can comment on it. Get over it, people. It's not like Amy ripped Roni to shreds. It wasn't a personal attack. She didn't use curse words. I've seen comments WAY more offensive and disgusting on many blogs. Amy's pales in comparison.
Not to bandwagon this topic, I think this blog is amazing. I'm a 23 year-old that knows relatively little about healthy cooking. This is one of the first recipe sights that helped me learn how easy it is to incorporate healthy ingredients into everyday cooking. Thank you, Roni, for your creative, quick recipes and for welcoming strangers into your kitchen. It has certainly given me more confidence in owning what I eat and in trying to make healthy meals in my own home.
I do not consider this at all healthy. In principle yes, but the ingredients as shown, beets in a can probably with BPA, and all the other ingredients are or do not look organic or fresh at all.
I'm sure you'll find lots of stuff on my site you wouldn't deem healthy. This blog is about sharing MY adventures in eating healthier. Canned beets and quinoa are definitely healthier than what I used to eat -- Hello bacon double cheeseburger and chicken nuggets from fast food!
I don't live in a 'fully organic, everything is fresh all the time' world. If you do, FABULOUS! Then take my idea and use fresher ingredients. My goal is to inspire, not tell people what is or isn't healthy.
Are you kidding me?!? She said she was short on time and this is a perfectly good option! People lead busy lives. Who are you to judge what's healthy or not? Not your place! It's WAY better than going to McDonald's when you're short on time. She made do with what she had. Take your negativity elsewhere.
Are you kidding?? Do you grow your own beets? I really wouldn't be afraid of canned or frozen vegetables or fruits... taking the idea of "healthy" too far is a little concerning - how about beets in a jar - would that be considered ok? I thought BPA was in plastic, are the cans plastic lined - I'll have to look that up. People have been canning foods forever. You're making the assumption that "organic" and "fresh" are superior but I don't agree - sounds better but that may be a result of marketing/brainwashing. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. BTW looks delicious Roni!
Amy, Feel free NOT to make this recipe. Feel free to unsubscribe from this blog. Making comments like that is called "uncalled for feedback". If you don't like it, move on. At least that is the nice thing to do. It is easy to criticize from behind a computer. Often this comments are made to make the critic feel better about their lifestyle. So go back to your fully 100% organic, fresh kitchen and make yourself a fully 100% organic and fresh dish and feel assured (although false) that you are a better person that everyone else. Happy eating! Roni, great idea! Seems very versatile. : )
I would like to respond to Amy's comments. Though there is a probable validity to some of the statements presented, I don't think the author is advocating those concepts. The impression I get is the recipe demonstrates a quick meal or side-dish that has healthy grains and vegetables. At best what I like is that it shows some different products and different food combinations. Given your comments, use this as an example and supplement in what you think is your healthy version.
The benefit of the internet is that there are probably thousands of blogs focused on healthy, organic recipes so if that's important for you than you should probably focus on reading those. Or you could take your time to start your own blog to share your point of view. Or you could substitute different ingredients for the ones Roni included. It's not really necessary to put a negative comment on a blog that someone put time and effort to write.
I think the recipe looks delicious myself! As someone who had little time/ energy/ funds, it looks like a great mix of items and something that be a good weeknight recipe. Thanks Roni!