Creamy Dreamy Quinoa Salad w/ Roasted Cauliflower & Lemon-Tahini Drizzle (Vegan, GF)

Happy Monday! It’s felt like a while since I’ve had a spare few minutes to put up a post on here… life has been crazy these days! But, I was finally able to steal a few hours in the kitchen today on my day off to whip up the salad of all salads.

Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend, and that means party-season! Cheers to dining al fresco, cooking out, and spending times with friends. This year we’re hosting a few friends at our house potluck-style. As some of them follow vegan and/or gluten-free diets, I thought a big salad would be the perfect side to share. (There will also be “the meats”… but Ben is in charge of that area :P)

Creamy Dreamy Quinoa Salad w/ Roasted Cauliflower & Lemon-Tahini Drizzle

Vegan, gluten-free, and packed with protein for staying-power, I will definitely be tucking this one away in my recipe files! I used nutritional yeast (my first time using!) to give the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas a “cheesy” vibe, and of course a lemon-tahini dressing always takes the creamy factor up a notch.

Pair this with meat, tofu, or a poached egg to make it a meal. A few slices of avocado would be perfect here too. Oh my goodness. Get in my belly NOW.

Recipe below. Enjoy!

Creamy Dreamy Quinoa Salad w/ Roasted Cauliflower & Lemon-Tahini Drizzle (Vegan, GF)
Recipe Type: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Cuisine: Summer, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
The perfect potluck dish for Memorial Day! Vegan, gluten-free, and deliciously satisfying. Drizzle with some of the lemon-tahini vinaigrette to take the creamy-dreamy factor to the next level!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup rinsed quinoa
  • 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp greek seasoning (or just use garlic powder)
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 large tomato (or 1 cup cherry tomatoes), chopped roughly
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • handful baby carrots, chopped roughly
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • For drizzle:
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • juice of other half of lemon
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp honey
  • hot water, to thin
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower, garbanzo beans, mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, and seasoning. Spread in an even layer on a prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Cook for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool.
  2. Meanwhile, mix quinoa and lentils in a saucepan and add 2 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 18-20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and lentils are al dente.
  3. In a food processor, pulse the tomato, parsley, carrots, lemon juice 3-4 times or until roughly chopped. Don’t overdo it here- you don’t want gazpacho!
  4. Add the chopped veggie mixture to a large bowl and toss with spinach and the cooked grains. Top with roasted cauliflower mixture and sprinkle on additional nutritional yeast if desired.
  5. To prepare the lemon tahini drizzle, whisk together all ingredients in a jar. Add enough hot water to thin out, then drizzle on top of salad.
Creamy Dreamy Quinoa Salad w/ Roasted Cauliflower & Lemon-Tahini Drizzle (Vegan, GF)

ClaireLeave a comment

Wonton Muffin Tin Quiche

Looking for an easy, make-ahead appetizer or on-the-go breakfast? These wonton muffin tin quiches could not be easier to make, and can be frozen and reheated on your way out the door!

Happy weekend! I don’t know about you, but this week seemed super long. And busy! It’s not unusual for me to get home at 7:30pm these days, and before I know it it’s 10pm and I’m just finishing up the dishes from dinner. Weekdays that end late and start early need some careful planning, as it’s easy to let nutrition go by the wayside when I’m constantly on the go. Enter pre-prepped meals.

When I was in my 3rd year PT school internships, I started making all my breakfast and lunches ahead. Usually a kefir smoothie or a few power cookies for breakfast, or something I could quickly chug between patients in the hospital. Then for lunch I’d make sandwiches on the famously dense Ezekiel bread  (it’s so dense that you can make tuna sandwiches the weekend before and they are still perfectly non-soggy when you eat them five days later!). For more on my lunchtime meal prep, click here.

Wonton Muffin Tin Quiche

I’ve been looking to mix things up a bit with my morning meals. I find myself getting RAVENOUS around 11am, probably because I mostly wait until I get super hungry in the morning to eat. I typically bring a container of trail mix (almonds, raisins, dry cereal, and peanut butter pretzels) in the morning and snack on it between patients. And a banana around 10 or 11. But I think I need something with a bit more protein and fat to keep me full! So I decided to make a huge batch of these muffin tin quiches, easy to make ahead, pop in the freezer, and nuke for 30 seconds or so before eating. I might even bring a few to work to have on hand in the freezer there! Easy protein poppers for some good, healthy staying power to get me through my 10-hour days!

On another note, I read an awesome blog post this morning from one of my favorite bloggers, The ReaL Life RD, on “The Healthiest Way to Eat”. Robyn is an RD and NP and has such a unique perspective on dieting and what it means to be “healthy.” This post made me think a lot about what I value in my eating and what makes me feel GOOD without becoming obsessive! Great read. Thanks, Robyn!

Anyway, recipe for these mini quiches below. Enjoy the sunshine this weekend!

Wonton Muffin Tin Quiche
Recipe Type: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Easy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Perfect for making ahead, freezing and popping in the microwave for a few seconds before you head out the door for work!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup chopped veggies of your choice (I used mushrooms, red onions, broccoli, fresh spinach and tomatoes)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp each oregano and basil
  • 6 eggs, whisked lightly
  • 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
  • dash of nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
  • 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
  • 24-30 wonton wrappers (in the refrigerated section at the store, usually near the tofu!)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Spray 2 muffin tins with cooking spray. Line each cup with a wonton wrapper.
  3. In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil on medium high. Add garlic, veggies, basil and oregano. Cook on medium until tender. Remove from heat.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.
  5. Spoon a bit of veggie mixture into each wonton, followed by about 1 Tbsp egg mixture. Sprinkle on top with a few green onions and cheese.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes until wonton wrappers are lightly browned and egg is set. Cool and serve.
  7. (*To Make Ahead: Allow to cool completely, then remove wontons and store in an airtight container in freezer. When ready to eat, remove and microwave 30 seconds (or 1 min on low power) until heated through. The wonton wrappers may become slightly soggy when reheated in microwave, but still delicious!)

 

ClaireLeave a comment

Pasta Salad w/ Hope Kale Pesto Hummus

Happy Monday! Anyone else confused by this weather? Seriously, is it only February? This past weekend we enjoyed sunny and temps in the mid-70s! Ben and I had a relaxing weekend. Friday night we went downtown to Gonza Tacos y Taquila– good salsa, fish tacos and a strawberry margarita hit the spot! On Saturday, I enjoyed a nice long run on the American Tobacco Trail with Samoa to tire her out… but I think I only managed to rile her up even more. This face– I can’t resist!

Saturday night Ben and I went to a work BBQ for his company. We had a blast chatting, eating, and sipping on some brews. I can’t believe I was able to wear shorts! We contributed some deviled eggs and chili-stuffed cornbread, adapted from RecipeRunner.

One of the vegetarian dishes someone brought to the party was a big, colorful bowtie salad. I had forgotten how good this tastes during picnic season! I decided that since it’s been so warm, I might as well whip up my own version to last through the week.

Let picnic season begin!

Pasta Salad w/ Hope Kale Pesto Hummus

For a creamy dressing to go on this salad, I decided to use this new-to-me hummus from Hope Foods. Hope Hummus has ten different hummus varieties including original, spicy avocado, thai coconut curry, and even dark chocolate! I love that Hope Foods values preservative-free and local ingredients, clean water, and agricultural job creation. None of which is at the expense of amazing flavor. I’ve tried the original, spicy avocado and kale pesto so far, and none of them have disappointed! Hope is based out of Colorado and can be found in all major grocery stores in the refrigerated section.

This salad is super easy to whip up, especially if you have some of these ingredients in cans in your pantry already. I semi-cheated and got a lot of them from the salad bar in Harris Teeter. That way I could get just what I needed in the right amounts.

Pasta Salad w/ Hope Kale Pesto Hummus
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Summer, Picnic
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Let picnic and BBQ season begin! Next time you make a salad like this, consider using a prepared hummus like this one from Hope Foods!
Ingredients
  • 1 package tri-color farfalle pasta, uncooked
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2-3 cups chopped baby spinach
  • chopped peppers, artichoke hearts, black and/or green olives, shredded carrots (about 1 1/2 cups total)
  • 1 package Hope brand Kale Pesto hummus
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
  • 1 cup crumbled feta
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, minus 1 minute (to al dente). Add the broccoli in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving ~1/4 cup pasta water.
  2. In a large bowl, combine garlic through chopped vegetables. Add pasta and toss.
  3. In a mason jar, whisk together hummus, lemon juice, and reserved pasta water (add more or less depending on how thick you want your dressing- but it will thicken once cooled and added to the pasta!).
  4. Toss salad with dressing and feta. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.
Pasta Salad w/ Hope Kale Pesto Hummus

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to eat hummus?

ClaireLeave a comment

Warm Butternut & Farro Spinach Salad

Butternut Squash & Farro Spinach Salad

Happy New Year! What are your resolutions, goals, or intentions for the year ahead?

I hate the idea of resolutions, but I love the idea of having intentions. This year, I am intent to:

  1. Be a better listener. Sometimes I find I ask someone a question and then get distracted even before they finish telling me the answer! Hope to work on that this year. I also want to be better at resting.
  2. Rest better. It’s ok if the dishwasher hasn’t been unloaded and the laundry is still in the dryer 10 minutes after it’s finished running. These things will eventually get done, and I don’t need to feel like I have to check all 36 things off of my to-do list before I can sit down and breathe.

 

Many of you will probably have health goals as well, which is why I wanted to bring this recipe to you today! The new year is a great opportunity to start fresh in your eating and exercise goals, but remember to give yourself some grace and set yourself up for success by NOT expecting to be perfect. “Perfect” eating, in my book, means indulging sometimes, overeating sometimes, and cutting back when your body is telling you it’s had a few too many buckeyes.

I made this salad this past weekend when my parents and sister/bro-in-law were visiting for the holiday. We served it with steaks from Ben’s dad’s company, and black-eyed peas from my sister (because apparently they symbolize good luck?). All were delicious, and the smoke eventually cleared out of our house after pan-searing the steaks because our grill was out of gas…

This salad has all the flavorful reminders of the holidays while also being packed with protein, vitamins, and ruffage to reset your system! I love how the farro sticks to the squash and cauliflower to bulk it up a little bit. And the sunflower seeds provide a little extra crunch! I used a simple vinaigrette of citrus and balsamic vinegar, but you could really play around with it to your liking.

Happy eating!

Butternut Squash & Farro Spinach Salad
Warm Butternut & Farro Spinach Salad
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Healthy, Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Starting a new year doesn’t need to be painful when it comes to eating better. Ring in your year of good intentions and health goals with this delicious, vegetarian and protein-packed salad!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup farro
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 cup cranberries
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 16 oz spring mix or spinach
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup feta
  • For dressing:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 deg.
  2. Prepare farro according to package directions, until al dente. Remove from pot and cool for at least 10 minutes. (I used my rice cooker for this- comes out perfect every time!)
  3. While farro is cooking, shake all vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar.
  4. Combine 3 tbsp oil, squash, cauliflower, cranberries, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on prepared cookie sheet and roast 30 minutes, or until squash is tender.
  5. In a large bowl, drizzle about half of vinaigrette onto spring mix and toss.
  6. Add farro, roasted vegetables, feta, and remaining vinaigrette. Toss gently.
  7. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and additional feta or if desired.

 

ClaireLeave a comment

Cranberry Barley Risotto Stuffed Squash

Happy Turkey Week! How was your weekend?

This weekend we celebrated Turkey Day a few days early with our Durham friends. Friendsgivings are the BEST! So many different dishes to try, people to meet, toddlers to chase… but I had the hardest time deciding what to make!

Last year I made these sweet potato empanadas, but for some reason I just didn’t feel like putting them together this year! I was inspired a few weeks ago by this post from fANNEtastic Food, a creative alternative to traditional stuffing. I made a few tweaks and also stuffed some butternut squash since I tend to like the sweetness of butternut a little more than acorn. But if you serve these on their own, the acorn halves make a perfectly portioned serving!

Stuffed Squash w/ Cranberry Barley Risotto and Pepitas
Stuffed Squash w/ Cranberry Barley Risotto and Pepitas

Ben caught me in action, slaving away in the kitchen. Post workout, no makeup, sweaty mess I am… #reallife

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These are actually pretty simple to make… and depending on how many mouths you want to feed, you could easily do it all on just one big cookie sheet and one big saucepan.

Stuffed Squash w/ Cranberry Barley Risotto and Pepitas
Recipe Type: Main Dish, Side
Cuisine: Thanksgiving, Fall
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Looking for a fun way to lighten up your usual Thanksgiving stuffing? These little stuffed squashes taste as pretty as they look!
Ingredients
  • 2-3 acorn squash, halved (I sliced off the bottom of each half so they would lie flat in the pan!)
  • 2 medium butternut squash, halved
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp each fresh sage and parsley
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup barley
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 cup water or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • crumbled bacon (optional)
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
  • extra pepitas (optional)
  • honey for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 deg.
  2. Scoop out seeds from squash.
  3. Place squash halves skin side down on a large baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake 30 min or until tender. Remove from oven.
  4. In a large saucepan, heat about 2 tbsp olive oil on medium-high. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, sage, and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender- 5 or 6 minutes or so!
  5. Add barley and cranberries and give it all a stir. Add cider, water/stock, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 min until all liquid is absorbed. Stir in pepitas.
  6. Scoop filling into center of squash (I had to scoop a little extra out of the long part of the butternut squash to make room).
  7. Top with goat cheese, bacon crumbles, extra pepitas (if desired), and a drizzle of honey. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes until heated through.
Prepping ingredients.
Prepping ingredients.
Saute veggies, herbs and cranberries until tender.
Saute veggies, herbs and cranberries until tender.
Add barley and cook until liquid is absorbed.
Add barley and cook until liquid is absorbed.
Allow roasted squash to cool to the touch
Allow roasted squash to cool to the touch
Scoop filling into squash halves and return to oven to cook until heated through
Scoop filling into squash halves and return to oven to cook until heated through
Enjoy!
Enjoy!

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

ClaireLeave a comment

Twice-Baked & Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Twice-Baked and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Twice-Baked and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Happy Hump Day! Are you having a nice week? The weather here is warm again after a few really cold days last week… make up your mind, Durham! I guess there is a reason I never put away my summer OR winter clothes all year.

Anyone who knows me at all knows my obsession with sweet potatoes. My dentist actually asked me a few years ago if I ate a lot of them because the inside of my mouth was orange.

Umm… *sheepish smile*

Recently I came across the MOST LEGIT LIFE HACK EVER. Sweet potato toasts! You can actually slice a sweet potato and toast it in the toaster like bread! I obviously had to try it.

But let’s get to the point of this post. Twice-baked, stuffed sweet potatoes. Apparently I was in the mood for them after coming back from my weekend in Texas, where I was celebrating a dear friend’s bachelorette party.

But let’s be real. Anything sweet potato-related that is mixed with cream cheese, butter, and spices is craveable all year long. So here you have it! Twice-baked sweet potatoes, this time with ground turkey.

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Twice-Baked and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Twice-Baked and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

These have meat in them for all you hungry men like my husband out there, but you could easily make them vegetarian- just sub in lentils or leave it out completely! Goat cheese for topping is a must.

They can also be easily frozen to be reheated later on… perhaps for Thanksgiving? (OK that may be a bit TOO long… but in my mind the freezer stops time). Maybe try your next game day meal- your guests won’t be able to stop themselves!

Twice-Baked and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Tex-Mex, Fall, Comfort Food
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Comforting and autumnal! They can also be easily frozen to be reheated later on… perhaps for Thanksgiving? (OK that may be a bit TOO long… but in my mind the freezer stops time).
Ingredients
  • 4 sweet potatoes
  • 1 package lean ground turkey
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 oz. spinach
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp each garlic powder, cumin, parsley
  • 1/8 tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
  • avocado slices
  • goat cheese
Instructions
  1. Microwave potatoes on high for 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, or until fork tender. Slice lengthwise.
  2. Using a spoon, scoop out inside of potato, leaving a little potato in the skins.
  3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium. Cook ground turkey on medium high heat until done, about 6-8 min. Add sweet potato filling, spinach, butter, cream cheese, milk, and all spices. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until well incorporated.
  4. Gently scoop filling into potato skins, and top with avocado slices and goat cheese, plus more parsley if desired.
  5. Bake at 350 deg, covered, for 20 minutes, then 10 mins uncovered until goat cheese has melted.
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Hope you enjoy!

ClaireLeave a comment