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Fall Quinoa Salad

This warm quinoa salad is perfect for fall. Roasted butternut squash gives this dish a great texture and flavor, along with savory spices and cinnamon. It’s great as a side for dinner, or as a cozy vegan dinner when served by itself.

This recipe calls for cinnamon, which may seem odd for a savory dish. It lends the quinoa mixture a subtle warm spice that pairs wonderfully with the butternut squash. You may omit the cinnamon if you’re skeptical, but it makes this dish really shine!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups spinach
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon
2 T oil
2 Tsp cumin
2 Tsp paprika
2 Tsp salt (or to taste)
1 Tsp cinnamon (optional)

Preheat your oven to 425 and prepare a baking sheet line with parchment paper.

Mince your garlic cloves and set them aside.

Peel and cut your butternut squash into cubes. Toss them in your oil and place them onto the lined baking sheet, leaving some space between each piece. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add your minced garlic to the baking sheet with the butternut squash. Roast the squash and garlic for 10 more minutes.

While your squash is roasting, bring 2 cups of water to boil in a medium sized pot. Add your quinoa and simmer it on medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat when done.

Chop your spinach into medium-sized pieces and add them to a small saucepan to wilt the spinach, about 2 to 3 minutes.

When your butternut squash has finished roasting, add the butternut squash and spinach to the pot with the quinoa. Stir to combine.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the pot. Add your spices, salt and garlic to the pot. Stir the quinoa salad to combine all the ingredients. Enjoy!

Spring Salad with Strawberry Dressing

Fresh. Light. Tasty. This salad is the perfect way to ring in spring. Make this salad for yourself or double, triple, even quadruple the recipe to make and share with others! It is perfect to bring to a party or pair with protein for a hearty meal!

Salad dressing ingredients (makes 1 serving)

  • 6-8 Strawberries
  • 1 T. Honey
  • 2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar

Salad Dressing Instructions (makes 2-3 servings)

  1.     Chop up strawberries, throw in bowl, and microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
  2.     Once the strawberries come out of the microwave, mash them with a fork.
  3.     On low heat add mashed strawberries, honey, and apple cider vinegar to a pot and stir until combined and most strawberry chunks are mashed.
  4.     If some strawberries chunks still remain, strain if desired.

Salad Ingredients

  • 1-2 cups of spinach
  • 1/2- 1 cup of arugula
  • 1 beet
  • 5 asparagus
  • ¼ cucumber

Salad Instructions

  1.     Chop asparagus and beets as you please and roast in the oven at 400 for 30-35 minutes, flipping half way through.
  2.     Dice the cucumber.
  3.     In a large bowl add spinach, arugula, and cucumbers.
  4.     Once the asparagus and beets come out from the oven, let them cool, and then add them to the salad.
  5.     Top the salad with dressing and enjoy!

 

Guest Bloggers: James Madison Dietetics

Alexandra Balbontin, Taylor Coleman, Julia Danisewicz, Emily Salvaggio, and Taylor Singleton