Healthy Quinoa Lunch Bowl

Back in January, I posted my Healthy Quinoa Breakfast Bowl recipe. Now it’s time to talk about lunch!

Thai Mango Coconut Vegetables with Rice

Today, I’m sharing one of my favourite spring/summer dishes. It’s light, healthy, easy to make, and includes one of my favourite fruits: mango.

Bagel with Smoked Salmon, Avocado, and Capers

Have I mentioned yet that one of my favourite foods is smoked salmon? I love it on salads, in wraps, on crackers, and on sandwiches.

Easy Mango Avocado Salsa Recipe

Since I was little, my favourite fruit has always been mango. Now that it’s summer and mangos are easy to find, I try to eat one every day and have been experimenting with different recipes. One of the easiest mango recipes that I make often is this delicious mango salsa. It’s sweet, creamy, flavourful, and refreshing.

My favourite way to eat it is with some tortilla chips for an afternoon snack, or at dinner as a topping for fish.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1.5 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Easy Lemon Shrimp Linguini

I could eat pasta every day. Some weeks, I do. It’s easy to make and there are so many different combinations. My most recent favourite is this Lemon Shrimp Linguini. It takes very little prep time and can be made even on those nights when everyone gets home late and there’s not much time to prepare dinner.

Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 of a 454g box of uncooked linguini
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 of a 340g package of frozen, cooked salad shrimp, thawed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
grated parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:
1. Cook linguini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic, shrimp, and red pepper flakes. Stir occasionally for two minutes.
3. Add chicken stock and lemon juice to the shrimp mixture. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally for two minutes. Stir in pasta and parsley. Mix until combined and pasta is coated in the sauce.
4. Serve with parmesan cheese.
Adapted from Damn Delicious

Pineapple Shrimp Stir Fry with Coconut Rice

I
t’s been a little while since I’ve posted a recipe, so I wanted to share my new favourite rice dish. This stir fry features a few of my favourite things: pineapple, shrimp, and coconut. It’s very easy to make and is a bit more unique than the average stir fry.

The original recipe is from Canadian Living, and I modified it to make it a bit more fall appropriate (it’s too cold to go outside to use the grill).

Recipe

Ingredients:

Stir fry
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
25 cooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pineapple cut into small cubes
1 carrot, grated

Rice
2 tablespoons butter
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add green onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir occasionally until softened (4 minutes).
3. Add rice. Stir until lightly toasted (2 minutes).
4. Stir in coconut milk, water, and salt; bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and no liquid remains (15 minutes).
5. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and ginger.
6. Add shrimp and pineapple to a pan and cook over medium heat. Pour lime juice mixture over the shrimp and pineapple. Stir occasionally for about 6 minutes.
7. Add pineapple and shrimp to rice. Mix in shredded carrots before serving.

Zesty Quinoa Patties with Pineapple and Avocado

As someone who rarely eats meat, I’m always looking for meatless alternatives that aren’t carb filled or bland. These zesty quinoa patties are a perfect option for a vegetarian meal and they are great for summer with fruity toppings like pineapple and avocado.

I found the recipe on Portuguese Girl Cooks and modified it to suit my family’s tastes. Here is my version.

Recipe

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups cooked and cooled quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked)
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil for frying
1 sliced avocado for serving
1/2 fresh pineapple for serving, cut into chunks (canned pineapple will also work)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine cooled quinoa and bread crumbs. Mix until the quinoa is evenly coated.
2. Add the next 7 ingredients and mix to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and Dijon mustard. Add the egg mixture to the quinoa mixture and mix to combine.
4. Using your hands, form the quinoa mixture into patties. Use about 1/2 cup of the mixture for each.
5. Heat the grapeseed oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the patties a few at a time. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown.
6. To serve, add a few quinoa patties to a plate and top with sliced avocado and pineapple. Add a bit of lettuce on the plate for garnish (optional).

Healthier Shrimp Fried Rice

I could eat rice, or pasta, or pizza, or just carbs in general every day for every meal. But, since I’m trying to eat healthier, I’m always trying to create health conscious alternatives to my favourite foods.
This dish is my healthier version of shrimp fried rice.

Recipe

Ingredients:
cooking spray
2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites, scrambled
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
4 cups cooked rice (best if it’s cooked the night before or a few hours before and chilled in the fridge)
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic
4 white mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2cups peeled/cooked salad shrimp, thawed
1 tbsp soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
1/2 tbsp fish sauce

Directions:
1. Spray a medium pan with cooking spray and scramble the whole eggs and the egg whites. Set aside.
2. In a larger pan, add the grapeseed oil, onions, and garlic. Saute for two minutes and then add the mushrooms and shrimp. Stir to combine and saute for a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to shrink.
3. Add the cooked rice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and scrambled eggs. Stir for a few minutes until all ingredients are combined and the rice is warm.
4. Serve with slices of avocado and lime.

Barley Risotto with Mushrooms, Spinach, & Goat Cheese

I love cooking with barley in the winter! It has a great texture and it’s a healthy alternative to white rice. This specific recipe is very easy to make, and it works well as a side dish or a complete meal since it contains a grain, a vegetable and a protein.

Recipe

Ingredients:
4.5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
1 1/4 cups pearl barley, rinsed
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 white button mushrooms, sliced
3 handfuls baby spinach, rinsed
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. butter
goat cheese for garnish

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring chicken stock to boil. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add barley and white wine vinegar. Stir to coat. 
4. Add two cups of warm chicken stock and bring mixture to boil. Simmer until most of the stock is absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more. Stir frequently. Simmer until barley is tender, about 40 minutes.
5. In the meantime, heat oil in a medium-sized pan over high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until they begin to brown. Reduce heat, cover and cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Once barley mixture is ready, add mushrooms and spinach to the mixture, stirring well to combine.
7. Spoon risotto into bowls and add goat cheese on top.
I hope that you enjoy this recipe! How do you like to make risotto?

Quinoa with Kale, Pomegranate, & Feta

I hosted Christmas Eve dinner this year and wanted to make a dish that was light, healthy, and red and green for the holidays.

I decided to make quinoa with kale, pomegranate, and feta because it is a great complement to any other dish, it’s good for you, and it features ingredients in festive colours. Not to mention, this dish is perfect to serve year round!

Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad
1 package of quinoa (255 grams)
10 leaves of kale, washed and cut into small pieces
1 pomegranate
1 cup of crumbled feta

Dressing
6 tsp honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions (I boil 2 cups of water, stir in the quinoa, reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and leave quinoa covered for 5 minutes to absorb any remaining water).
2. Allow the quinoa to cool completely (I usually cook it two hours ahead of time or I cook it the day before and store it in the fridge).
3. Whisk olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well mixed.
4. Place the kale in a large bowl and pour the dressing over it, mixing until coated.
5. Add the cooked quinoa, feta,and pomegranate seeds, tossing thoroughly to combine. 



What’s your favourite holiday dish?