Vegan Mexican Quinoa Salad

INGREDIENTS

Cooked Quinoa
Canned Black Beans (Rinsed and Drained)
Chopped Romaine Lettuce
Chopped Tomato
Corn (I used Canned from Trader Joe's)
Salsa
Lemon Juice
Herbs: Pepper, Cilantro, Onion

DIRECTIONS

1. Cooked Quinoa: Anytime you make quinoa it is 1 part quinoa and 2 parts liquid. For example, when making 1 cup of dry quinoa, add 2 cups of liquid. I cook my quinoa in a rice cooker and leave it on for 20 minutes with the top on. Cooks perfectly with no mess.
2. Build Your Salad: Romaine lettuce, cooked quinoa, black beans, tomato, corn, two heaping spoonfuls of salsa, juice of 1 lemon, and herbs.
3. Enjoy this guilt free vegan salad any day of the week for a quick lunch!

Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp

INGREDIENTS

1 Spaghetti Squash
Cooked and Peeled Shrimp
Onion
Sun-dried tomato
Tomato
Pesto
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS

Spaghetti Squash:

1. Cut a spaghetti squash in half
2. Rub the open side with olive oil
3. Bake with open side down on a baking sheet for 35-45 minutes in a 400 degree oven
4. Once cooked, scoop the insides out with a fork to make spaghetti line strands

Pesto and Shrimp Sauce:

1. Saute chopped onion in a large pan with olive oil
2. Add sun-dried tomato, shrimp, tomato, cooked spaghetti squash to the pan and stir.
3. Add a generous amount of pesto to coat the dish

Top It Off:

1. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
2. Add ground pepper. parsley, oregano and basil

Vegetarian Quinoa Power Bowl

INGREDIENTS

Cooked Quinoa (in water)
Chickpeas
Black Beans
Canned Tuna in Water (No Salt Added)
Steamed Broccoli
Chopped Tomatoes
Finely Chopped Spring Mix
Juice of 1 Lemon
Any Seasoning


DIRECTIONS

1. Cook your quinoa: Rinse the quinoa, bring the water to a boil and add your washed quinoa [Per every 1 cup of dry quinoa, cook in 2 cups of water]. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the water is obsorbed and the quinoa is cooked. 
2. Cook your beans: Soak beans in water for 12 hours. Bring water to a boil and add beans, cover and cook on medium heat for 30-45 minutes depending on how long they were soaked [the longer they soak, the more water they absorb and cook faster]. You can also use canned beans to make this process go faster :)
3. Wash and chop the tomatoes, spring mix and broccoli. 
4. To a large bowl add quinoa, beans, tuna, tomatoes, spring mix and broccoli.
5. Add the juice of 1 lemon and any seasoning.

NOTES

• I love to make a big batch of this in the beginning of the week and enjoy a bowl every day for lunch. Right before eating, add the lemon juice and seasoning!
• I would recommend opening your fridge and your pantry and tossing in any vegetables, or protein you have handy. Experiment!
• You will find 42 grams of protein in just 1 serving!! 1 serving = 4 cups (as shown in the photo above).

Mediterranean Kidney Bean Salad

My beautiful grandmother gave me the idea for this wonderful recipe!

INGREDIENTS

Kidney Beans
Organic Corn
Bell pepper
Walnuts
Green onion
Organic Kale/Spinach mix

DIRECTIONS

Place your kidney bean salad on a bed of mixed greens (I used kale and spinach).
Top with your favorite dressing (I used balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, lots of pepper)

MEAL PREP IDEA

I like to make a large batch of the kidney bean salad on Sundays. Then I know what I will be eating for the rest of the week. Portion out 4-5 meals for every day of the week in a Tupperware and enjoy for one meal a day!

Benefits of meal prepping...

• You know what you will be eating for the week
• Allows you time out of the kitchen mid-week
• Food is ready when you are hungry
• This way, you will never eat out of emotion
• You know what ingredients you are putting in your body