Super healthy, super-food quinoa salad

by Francine

photo via fresh-fruit-daily.com

You already know tofu is healthy for you in a variety of ways. Now put it in the company of quinoa, kale, avocado, and pomegranate seeds (super foods) and you've created a tasty, easy-to-fix salad that you can make ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator several days! By the way--there are a number of super foods and the lists vary, but you can bet that no one will dispute the benefits of eating the four included in this recipe (kale, quinoa, avocado, and pomegranate seeds).

This recipe was originally posted on Glue and Glitter by Becky Striepe and linked to from care2.com. We added the tofu to the recipe. -fs

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 pkg. tofu
• 2 packed cups kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 1/4 cup additional olive oil

Cooking Directions

1. Cook the quinoa in the water or vegetable or chicken broth. (2 cups liquid to one cup quinoa. Rinse quinoa thoroughly through a sieve, then add to liquid. Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.) Once cooked, transfer to the large bowl that you’ll be serving your salad in.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the kale, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Coat the kale well, and set it aside to wilt for at least 10 minutes.
3. When the quinoa has cooled, transfer the kale mixture, pomegranate seeds, avocado, onion, and additional olive oil to the bowl with the quinoa, and toss well. 

Go Quinoa

by Francine

photo via queensubewell.blogspot.com

Jam-packed with goodness and protein - from the tofu and the quinoa, this dish is sure to please. And you can add your creativity by customizing it differently each time you make it. (Which in itself is one of the supreme joys of cooking.) Make a large batch and store what's left in the refrigerator. Stays delicious for several days. In fact, the flavors blend and the overall experience is enhanced!

i cup quinoa, rinsed once or twice through a sieve 

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (for the quinoa) or just plain water

about 3 or 4 cups of fresh spinach, chopped fine

a couple handfuls of parsley, chopped fine

2 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced fine (if you're like me--you'll want at least 4)

6 or so tbs of olive oil

juice of a whole lemon (or more--i.e. to taste)

i block of flavored tofu (i.e pesto, pepper, smoked, etc. )

2 or 3 Roma tomatoes

oregano (to taste)

basil (to taste)

black pepper

salsa (as hot as you like it)

onion (optional)

1 or 2 lemons

Make the quinoa (bring to a boil with 2 cups of liquid and then simmer for 20 minutes) and let it sit at room temperature. Chop the spinach and parsley together as fine as you can manage. Dice the tomatoes. If you use onion, chop it fine. Dice the tofu into small bites. 

Add all the ingredients to the quinoa and mix. Add the oil-lemon mixture and mix in. If it seems that there isn't enough to distribute generously throughout the mixture, add more oil, lemon, and garlic accordingly.

Serve with the salsa. 

In a small jar, add the oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. Mix in vigorously. Dish out into pretty bowls or plates. Season with salsa to taste.

It's About Quinoa

Once called "the gold of the Incas," quinoa is high in protein. And that's not all--it's a complete protein, meaning that it has all nine of the essential amino acids. It's especially loaded with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. It's a very good source of manganese as well as magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus. So indications are that it can help people with migraine headaches, diabetes, and arterioscelerosis.

Quinoa is also a good source of riboflavin (also known as B2), which is necessary for proper energy production within cells.

Quinoa is gluten-free and easy to digest.

Look for red quinoa salad from Tofu Yu at the Farmers Market and other local markets!