Sweet Quinoa and Rice Salad

My parents got me a yummy Quinoa and Brown Rice blend for Christmas, and with it, I created this delicious salad!

Sweet Quinoa and Rice Salad

Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups uncooked quinoa/rice blend (or one of the two) - Cook with water or veggie stock according to directions
- 3 large handfuls of organic spinach, chopped
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes,halved
- 1.5 cups frozen sweet corn, thawed (or canned)
- 1.5 cups (1 can) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

- Avocado for serving

Sauce:
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 Tb. Tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tb. apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tb. agave nectar (or honey)
- 1 Tb. of your favorite dried spices (oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, etc)
- fresh cracked pepper

Directions:
1. Cook Quinoa and rice according to instructions
2. While it is cooking, combine all Sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir
3. When quinoa and rice are cooked, put in a bowl for about 10 minutes. Add all other ingredients, and then pour sauce over the salad and mixed until combine.
4. Garnish with avocado. Serve warm or cold.

Pineapple Stir-fry Salad

 

Pineapple Stir-fry Salad

Serves 4-6

Stir-fry Ingredients
- 2 Tb. veggie stock or water
- 1 large onion, rough diced
- 2 bell peppers, rough diced
- 4 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen), rough diced
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 1 cup pineapple (fresh or frozen, or canned....but only if you have to)

Sauce Ingredients
- 1 Tb. garlic, minced
- 2-3 Tb. agave or honey
- 1 Tb. lemon or lime juice
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2-3 cup pineapple juice (fresh or frozen, or canned....but only if you have to) (or if you don't have juice, just increase pineapple chunks in stir-fry ingredients to 2 cups)
- 1/8-1/4 cup water (as needed to leave enough juice for the sauce)

Cous Cous
- 1.5 cups cous cous dry
- 1.5 cups water or veggie stock
- 1/2 Tb. olive oil (opt.)

Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 (packed) cups spinach, torn or chopped

Garnish
- 1-2 avocados
- 1/2-2/3 cup cashews or pecans, rough chopped

Directions:
1. In a large pan or wok, (with veggie stock or little water) over medium high heat, saute all veggies and pineapple chunks  until onions are translucent and other veggies are tender. Add all the Sauce Ingredients as soon as you get all the Stri-fry Ingredients into the pan.

2. In a medium sized saucepan, bring 1.5 cups water (and oil if using) to a boil; add cous cous; remove from heat and cover; let sit for 5 min. Then fluff with a fork.

3. To assemble salads split all the ingredients into 4-6 portions (in large bowls is best) (do 4 portions if this is your whole dinner, 6 if you have another side) Add them in this order:
1. salad
2. cous cous
3. stirfry
4. garnish

Tips:
- I invented this recipe just with items that I had in my fridge that needed to be eaten, and items that I always have in my pantry/fridge or freezer. So be creative and substitute with whatever you have! For example, you could use 
oranges for pineapple, 
almonds for the nuts, 
rice or quinoa for the cous cous, 
etc.
- Obviously, if you want to add meat or beans, go for it! The possibilities are endless, this is stir-fry we're talking about!

Carmelized Onion Gravy

Caramelized Onion Gravy

Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 Tb. minced garlic
- Optional: 1 cup diced mushrooms
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1/8 tsp. salt

- fresh cracked pepper
- 2 Tbsp. flour + 3 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. vegan margarine

Directions:
1. Finely dice the onion, garlic (and mushrooms if using) 
2. In a skillet over medium heat melt margarine 
3. Add veggies, herbs, salt and pepper until onions are caramelized (about 10 min.)
4. Add stock and bring to a boil, simmer for about 12 min.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and water. Add to skillet and stir.
5. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.

I got my idea from this Mushroom Gravy on The Garden Grazer