A registered dietitian Sarah-Jane Bedwell suggests quinoa recipes for the whole week. They are healthy, easy to make, delicious and budget-friendly as well.
For this purpose, quinoa is a great choice. The gluten-free grain is simple to make and delivers five grams of fiber per cooked cup. It’s also very versatile which makes it a great option for prepping a batch on Sunday and using it in healthy meals throughout the week.
1. Sunday
First, take 1.5 cups of dry Ancient Harvest Organic Quinoa, combine it with 3 cups of water in a large pot and bringing it to a boil, reducing to a simmer, and cooking for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Tip: you know quinoa is done when you see a spiral string, which is the germ ring, coming out from each grain.
Now, we have three cups of cooked quinoa to use in a variety of ways throughout the work week.
2. Monday
Let’s start with a breakfast quinoa. Fluff ½ cup of the cooked quinoa with a fork and add ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, and 1/8 teaspoon each of fresh orange zest and ground cinnamon. This tasty, nutty breakfast has just 300 calories while providing 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. Tip: If you prefer a warm breakfast, simply heat all ingredients together, stirring constantly in a saucepan over low heat until warmed.
3. Tuesday
The chilly winter weather has us craving hot and hearty dinners. So take about ½ cup of the pre-cooked quinoa to make this quinoa veggie burger. The quinoa combined with cannellini beans, Panko bread crumbs, and egg produces the perfect texture, and the Italian herbs yield a yum-worthy flavor. Plus the patty has 8 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein. Win!
4. Wednesday
This great lunch is so satisfying that it is hard to believe that it only takes a couple of minutes to throw together. As Sarah-Jane says, it’s a Mediterranean take on a burrito bowl that combines ½ cup of that cooked quinoa, 3 ounces tuna, ¼ cup artichoke hearts, 2 cups baby spinach, ¼ cup each diced cucumbers, feta cheese, and tomatoes, and 1/8 cup sliced Kalamata olives. Then you top it all off with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar. It’s filling, tasty, and provides a whopping 30 grams of protein. Easy-Peasy.
5. Thursday
Now, it’s time to put quinoa on snack-duty by using 1 cup of the pre-cooked quinoa to make these super delicious Almond-Cranberry Quinoa Cookies. The sweet and chewy snacks have around 200 calories with 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein per serving.
6. Friday
You can use the final ½ cup of cooked quinoa to make a personal pizza using this recipe for quinoa pizza crust:
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups (12 ounces/360 grams) Basic Quinoa (pages 12–13) or Pilaf‐Style Quinoa (page 14)
- 1/2 cup (1 ounce/30 grams) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 large eggs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Sweet and Tangy Roasted Tomatoes (page 27) or two pints of grape or cherry tomatoes, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and roasted on a foil-lined baking sheet at 425 degrees for 45-60 minutes in the oven
- 4 ounces/120 grams fresh mozzarella, cut into batons
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
Directions
- Adjust an oven rack to the upper third of the oven and preheat it to 450°F/230°C.
- Heat the oil in a medium ovenproof skillet until simmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the quinoa and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Then, with a rubber spatula, flatten out the quinoa. Reduce the heat to medium and cook about 10 minutes without stirring to allow the quinoa base to crisp.
- While the quinoa cooks, season the eggs with salt and pepper and whisk them in a large bowl. Pour the eggs over the quinoa and dollop the roasted tomatoes evenly over the eggs. Arrange the cheese in a circular pattern over the eggs.
- Bake until puffed and set, about 10 minutes. Turn the broiler on and broil until the frittata is puffed and golden and the cheese has begun to char, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Top with basil.
The crust is the perfect combo of crispy-on-the-outside and fluffy-on-the-inside. Just throw on your favorite sauce and toppings, and you have the perfect Friday night dinner at home. According to Sarah-Jane, it is way better than delivery!
See also: This Delicious Hot Drink Is Packed With Antioxidants.