My kids are hearty eaters and knowing that I typically
reserve Sundays as my day to go all out, they start inquiring about Sunday
dinner a couple a days before. I on the other hand was rather finicky as a
child but my kids seemingly don’t know nuttin bout that life. It’s a wonder
they don’t bang their silverware on the table screaming, “where’s my dinner
woman?”
In an effort to eat healthier and make better food choices which
I think is an ongoing and consistent mission which one just has to commit to, I’m
using more fresh veggies and fruit instead of canned and/or frozen.
Sometimes I do well and other times, I digress. But I said
early on in the summer that I would commit myself to not just tailoring meals
at dinner to be healthier but my kids lunches and being more conscious about
setting the example for them. As I was preparing dinner last eve, I realized
that I almost always have some form of bread. My kids LOVE cornbread and no
sooner had I planned to add it to the dinner lineup, than I decided you know
what, cornbread is not the healthiest of options. I decided instead to go with
a pasta salad infused with quinoa which is a much healthier grain. I’ve fallen
head over heels in love with quinoa as of late and that which I used to pair
with white rice, I instead pair with quinoa but it’s also a great addition to
certain dishes to give it more abundance if you will. A pasta salad can
sometimes seem measly but the quinoa makes it appear to have more volume thus
enticing my kids more which when it comes to healthy eating, enticing them is
key to them not turning their noses up.
This is a very simple mostly improvised recipe that doesn’t
require exact measurements. I eye-balled mostly and then upon tasting, if you
feel like it needs more, add more. But you can’t really go wrong. I cooked an entire
pack of pasta because I wanted leftovers for both lunch and dinner.
The recipe follows:
1 14oz. package of whole wheat spaghetti – whole wheat pasta has more fiber and is more nutritious
(Follow package instructions for boiling)
1 C. of quinoa
(Follow package instructions for preparing. I use white
quinoa and boil in 2 cups of chicken broth which adds way more flavor than
using just water)
While boiling, chop the following:
1 zucchini
1 tomato
1 green pepper
1 green pepper
2 green onions
and add:
1 can of kernel corn (no chopping required)
NOTE: I also added roasted broccoli simply because I LOVE it but it's an extra step and not necessary unless you are obsessed like me. If you would like the recipe, please just comment below.
and add:
1 can of kernel corn (no chopping required)
NOTE: I also added roasted broccoli simply because I LOVE it but it's an extra step and not necessary unless you are obsessed like me. If you would like the recipe, please just comment below.
By this time, the spaghetti should be done. The quinoa may
take a bit longer but will be done by time you are ready to add to the dish.
Pour the water off of the spaghetti or strain and dump into
a bowl. Afterwhich, add your chopped veggies and prepare to season
your noodles with the following:
½ C. Olive Oil
¼ C. Soy Sauce
1T. Garlic Powder
1t. Ginger Powder
1t. Five Spices
Chinese Powder – this is an Asian space which has a great flavor
Pepper – season as little or as much as you like
Dash of Red Pepper – season as little or as much as you like
depending if you like it HOT
Pinch Kosher Salt
1t. Spike – this is a multi-purpose seasoning similar to
accent but less salty in my opinion
1T Rice Seasoning – This is an Asian spice used in sushi
dishes. It can be a bit tricky to find, check the Asian food aisle. It lends
great flavor to salmon and tuna dished especially.
Add quinoa
Toss altogether and let sit so the noodles can absorb the
flavor. I let mine sit in the fridge for about 2 hours and then stirred it up
again prior to serving. The great thing is that this dish can be enjoyed cold
or room temperature and it lasts. And it taste even better the second day.
How do you infuse healthy/eating options into your diet? I can use new ideas all the time.
How do you infuse healthy/eating options into your diet? I can use new ideas all the time.
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