"Easy Breezy, But Far From Beautiful" Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Quinoa Salad

I love chickpeas. Full of protein, hardy goodness and so versatile; they truly make any salad better. I couldn’t have this blog without a recipe that incorporated them in some way. So after I did my grocery shopping for the week and browsed recipes, I figured I needed to find something that incorporated chickpeas and cauliflower. Why? Because I had a giant floret of cauliflower sitting on my shelf of the refrigerator, and what’s one to do with a giant floret of cauliflower and a can of chickpeas? Jessica’s Dinners, Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Quinoa Salad of course.

Cauliflower waiting to be boiled and blanched

The only thing that would’ve made this recipe better would be red quinoa. Red quinoa would’ve broken up the colour and make the dish look a little more exciting, but just because it isn’t colourful, doesn’t mean it wasn’t flavourful, because oh boy, it was!!

Strained Chickpeas

At the grocery store you can buy rainbow quinoa, which is a mix of red and white quinoa. It looks great and it would be beautiful in this dish.  

I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. It’ll be perfect for your vegetation and vegan friends. Eat up!

Finished Product

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
½ head of cauliflower, broken into florets
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried well
1 cup of quinoa, cooked
¼ cup chopped mint
¼ cup chopped parsley (I didn’t have parsley but if I did I would’ve loved to use it)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. cumin
1 chopped garlic clove
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While you prep the cauliflower and chickpeas, bring 2 cups of water and the quinoa to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa absorbs all the water.  Set aside to cool slightly. Blanch then toss the florets in a small amount of olive oil and put them in the oven.  Spread out evenly on a baking pan and roast in the oven until crispness desired, tossing halfway through. Combine the mint, garlic, pepper, salt, paprika, lemon juice, oil and cumin and pour over the quinoa and chickpeas. Toss the cauliflower in with the rest of your ingredients. Plate and sprinkle with parsley. Add any additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste.

"Nothing Fancy" Quinoa Omelette Bites

This week was pancake Tuesday. Now, I don’t know about everyone else but when I was a kid I LOVED pancake Tuesday. My mom made amazing pancakes and I would smother them in butter and maple syrup and call it a day. So, I bet you’re thinking I made quinoa pancakes or something, right? Wrong. I didn’t make pancakes, though those would probably be delicious, I did make breakfast for dinner. This week I made Quinoa Omelette Bites. They were super quick, super easy and most importantly, super delicious. 

The recipe came to me from an Instagram account I was told to follow (due to her vast amount of quinoa recipes) called - @healthyfitnessmeals. Scrolling through the photos I saw this one and noticed how simple it was. I don’t know if you can tell by now, but I am a huge fan of the quick and easy. I’m a student who’s got things to do and a limited budget to work with so this recipe was perfect for me. 

You can totally personalize this recipe as well by adding anything you enjoy putting in your omelettes. I love western omelettes, so next time I make these (which won’t be long) I’ll probably make them with those ingredients. But today I made these quinoa bites with green onion, spinach and chedder cheese. Nothing fancy, but hey, all the good things in life aren’t.

Whisking the ingredients 

   

Just about to go in the oven

   

Quinoa Omelette Bites

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
½ cup shredded chedder cheese
3 eggs (you can use plain egg whites if you are into that kind of thing)
1 clove minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped fresh spinach
2 chopped green onions
salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or line with muffin tins (I used muffin tins – it made for an easier clean up and I’m all about that). Cook your quinoa and then add it to a medium sized bowl and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Whisk eggs and add it to quinoa along with the rest of your ingredients. Mix thoroughly and place into muffin tins. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Take out and let them cool for 10 minutes, or if you’re like me until their cool enough so you don’t scorch your mouth. Enjoy! 

The Omelette Bites on top of a spinach salad with a roasted tomato and basil vinaigrette 

"As Comforting as it Gets" Quinoa Mac 'n' Cheese

Being a student there is one thing that I have come accustom to and that’s Kraft Dinner. There’s nothing better and nothing cheaper than a huge pot of creamy, cheesy, pasta goodness. Expect maybe one thing – creamy, cheesy, quinoa goodness. 

This year I tried out quinoa mac 'n' cheese for the first time and I not only impressed myself but I impressed a few of my friends as well. When I explained how easy it was, everyone was on board. I made it from memory by watching my mom make homemade mac 'n' cheese when we were kids. She’d start with a roux (pronounced "roo") and then would add the cheese. So when I first made this recipe I basically eyed everything on my own. This made things quite difficult when I tried to explain to roommates and friends how to make it. “What’s a roux?”, “How much flour?”, “How much butter?”, “How do I know when it’s done and I can add the cheese” and my all time favourite “How much milk?”. All I could say was, “add everything so it’s all a thick consistency” or the straight up answer “I have no idea, Google, how to make a good cheese sauce.” I’m brutal, I know. I'm sorry...

This recipe is so good and to be honest I love it even more than classic mac 'n' cheese. The texture is fun and when it’s fresh out of the oven, it’s gooey and cheesy and the best reason of all – it’s a lot better for you. I figured something so good could be made even better if I added some fun ingredients to it. I decided I’d add canned tomatoes and green onion –  who doesn’t love those things? 

Pack down tight before you top with parmesan and breadcrumbs 

                                                 
Quinoa Mac 'n' Cheese

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups  quinoa
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups of cheese
1 can diced tomatoes
2 chopped green onions
¼ cup parmesan cheese *
¼ breadcrumbs *
a couple dashes of hot sauce*
salt and pepper to taste 

* - OPTIONAL

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add quinoa and water to a pot and boil until the quinoa has doubled in size and water is gone. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter and flour. Keep whisking until a thick paste forms. Add the milk and continue whisking. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Keep whisking the whole time. Once it reaches a boil add salt, pepper, hot sauce and cheddar cheese. Strain tomatoes from the can. Add cooked quinoa, tomatoes and green onion to the cheese sauce. Pour mixture into a baking dish and top with bread crumbs and/or breadcrumbs if desired. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!                                     

There was only three of us and this is how much was left. SORRY, we like to eat! 

             ***I apologize for the lack of photos this week. We were a hungry bunch of girls.***