It’s fresh, healthy, and it looks pretty too.

It’s also really quick and easy to make, and it keeps the hunger at bay for quite some time.

Give it a try one day and see for yourself.

Vegan Quinoa Citrus and Snow Pea Salad

Ingredients:

That’s what I did today.

These lettuce wraps are…

Cute. Delicious. Healthy.

Colorful. Delightful. Wholesome.

They taste fantastic, and they’ll pick you up and give you energy without making your blood sugar crash later.

This ... [read more]]]>

That’s what I did today.

These lettuce wraps are…

Cute. Delicious. Healthy.

Colorful. Delightful. Wholesome.

They taste fantastic, and they’ll pick you up and give you energy without making your blood sugar crash later.

This recipe is also very versatile. You can use fresh berries instead of dried. You can use bell peppers or tomatoes instead of Peppadews. And if you don’t like lime juice as a dressing, use anything else instead.

Have fun! Make some lettuce wraps and get picked up!

Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa, Fruit and Veggie Salad

Ingredients:

• 6 Bibb lettuce leaves
• 2 tbsp. red quinoa
• 1/2 qt. water
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/3 cup Peppadew sweet piquante peppers, diced
• 1 small apple, shredded
• 1/8 cup fresh peas (from snow pea pods)
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. dried blueberries
• 1 bunch green onions/scallions

Step One:  Make the Quinoa

• Bring 1/2 qt. of water to a boil on high heat in a small pot.
• Add the quinoa and olive oil.
• Reduce the heat to medium high, and cook the quinoa, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft but firm.
• Drain the water off the quinoa, and then rinse it with cold water.
• Place the cooked quinoa in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Step Two:  Make the Quinoa Fruit and Veggie Salad

• Wash and shred the carrots and apple. Add them to the bowl with the quinoa.
• Remove the peas from the pods and then add them to the bowl with quinoa.
• Dice the Peppadew peppers, and then add them to the bowl with the quinoa.
• Stir in the blueberries and lime juice, mixing it into the quinoa salad.

Step Three:  Assembling the Lettuce Wraps

• Remove the leaves from the head of Bibb lettuce.
• Wash them and pat them dry with a paper towel.
• Place 2 tbsp. of the quinoa fruit and veggie salad onto each of the lettuce leaves, making sure not to put the salad mixture on the edges of the leaves.
• Wash the green onions/scallions, and then cut the green part of the onions off the bunch, making sure you cut them so they’re long enough to tie your wraps.

Note: The idea to make lettuce wraps and to tie the wraps with scallions came from a magazine I picked up at the grocery store. The magazine is called “Chinese Favorites,” and it’s Vol. 8, No. 22, February 8, 2011 issue of Favorite Brand Name Recipes. The publisher is 2010 Publications International, Ltd. The recipe was on page 4 (Asian Lettuce Wraps). While the ingredients I used are totally different, I just want to give credit to where I got the idea to make a lettuce wrap with my salad.

• Use the green part of the scallions to tie your wraps. To do so, just place the scallion under the wrap and then tie it into a knot. Here’s a picture that will show you how I did mine.

• Place the lettuce wraps on a plate or serving dish and enjoy.

Whose says cookies need a pound of butter in the dough to be good? And who says cookies can’t be tasty and healthy at the same time?

These quinoa cookies are extremely high in protein and much lower in fat than most other cookies. They have a wonderful crunch, and while they’re not sweet, buttery cookies ... [read more]]]> Whose says cookies need a pound of butter in the dough to be good? And who says cookies can’t be tasty and healthy at the same time?

These quinoa cookies are extremely high in protein and much lower in fat than most other cookies. They have a wonderful crunch, and while they’re not sweet, buttery cookies like most cookies I know and love, these quinoa cookies are tasty and go great with a cup a tea or coffee.

I’ll definitely make them again, and when I do, I plan to double the amount of cranberries I used so they have a stronger berry flavor.

Quinoa Kefir Berry Cookies

Adapted from: Robyn at Green Smoothie Girl

These lentil burgers are really easy to make and they’re quite tasty too! I have to be honest with you and tell you that they’re on the dry side, but if you add on some toppings like mayonnaise, ranch dressing, lettuce, and tomato, you won’t notice the dryness. We topped our lentil burgers with ajvar. ... [read more]]]> These lentil burgers are really easy to make and they’re quite tasty too! I have to be honest with you and tell you that they’re on the dry side, but if you add on some toppings like mayonnaise, ranch dressing, lettuce, and tomato, you won’t notice the dryness. We topped our lentil burgers with ajvar. Yum!!

Since this batch of lentil burgers made so many patties, we only baked part of them for our meal this evening. We refrigerated the remaining lentil mixture, and tomorrow night we’ll bake some more for dinner. Then we’ll take part of the lentil mixture, make patties out of them, and freeze them in small freezer bags. Sometimes it’s nice to have something in the freezer you can quickly make on busy nights. One day next week I’ll just thaw out a few and bake them. It’s easy, quick, and delicious!