roasted cauliflower mushroom quinoa salad

a simple hearty salad full of texture and flavor. a great side dish, but also filling enough to be a meal on it's own. i could eat this for days and days. if you don't like blue cheese, you can substitute feta, goat cheese, or just forego the cheese all together. mMmm good!

roasted cauliflower mushroom quinoa salad

(adapted from this recipe.) 

ingredients:

- 1/2 head cauliflower cut into pieces

- 8 oz. crimini mushrooms, cut in half

- 1 tbs oil

- 1/2 tsp thyme, chopped

- 1 c quinoa

- 2 c chicken broth

- 1/2 c pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

- 1/4 c crumbled blue cheese

- 1/4 c balsamic vinegar 

- salt & pepper to taste

- 1/2 tsp thyme, chopped

directions:

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. on a baking sheet toss cauliflower and mushrooms in oil, thyme, salt and pepper

3. roast for 30 mins, flipping half way, so that the vegetables caramelize

4. while the vegetables are cooking, pour chicken broth and quinoa into a pot. bring to a boil.

5. reduce heat to a simmer and cover to cook for 15-20 minutes or until all water has been absorbed.

6. remove quinoa from heat and put to side

7. once vegetables are cooked toss with quinoa, pecans, balsamic vinegar. sprinkle with blue cheese and thyme.

quinoa, couscous and kale

before i go on, i'd like to say that every time i eat cooked spinach i hate it more than the last time. i don't know why i continue to torture myself with it. i like in it's raw form (like a salad or in spinach smoothies) or if it's buried in some cheesy gooey things (like spinach dip), but i cannot get around the weird film or whatever it is that it leaves on your teeth. and sometimes when i eat it i feel like i'm about to choke to my death. so while i made this side dish with spinach, i would recommend kale instead. it's so much better with kale, trust me. 

for a quick, super nutritious, guilt free side dish, make this quinoa and couscous. it's pretty tasty and goes well with most things.

quinoa, couscous and kale


ingredients:
- 1 c quinoa
- 1 can low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 c couscous
- 1 small shallot, diced or minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- approx 3 c kale chopped into bite sized pieces
- salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1. put quinoa and chicken stock in a pot and heat until it reaches a boil.
2. once boiling bring it down to a simmer and cook for approx 15 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. transfer to a large bowl and set aside
3. while quinoa is cooking, over medium heat cook shallot until transparent
4. toss in garlic and cook for one more minute
5. toss in kale, salt and pepper and cook until just wilting. add to bowl with quinoa
6. bring 3/4 c water to a boil and add couscous and some salt.
7. simmer couscous for approx 8 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. transfer to large bowl with other ingredients
8. toss and enjoy!