Quinoa Recipe with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Leeks and Slivered Almonds

This elegant and easy grain dish is vegan and gluten-free. Plump golden raisins add a burst of sweetness. Slivered almonds add some crunch.

First- make your quinoa.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
Sea salt, to taste

Add the quinoa and water to a pot (or do it my way- in a rice cooker- here's how) and season with sea salt, to taste. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook the quinoa until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa can be fluffed with a fork.

Meanwhile- preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a roasting pan, combine:

1 leek, washed, trimmed, sliced
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed, halved (or quartered, if large)
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/4 cup plump golden raisins, packed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
Sea salt, to taste
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried dill

To serve:

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Toss the prepared Brussels sprouts, almonds, and golden raisins in the olive oil. Sprinkle with golden balsamic vinegar. Season with sea salt, minced garlic and dill; and toss to coat. Roast for roughly 20 to 25 minutes, stirring at least once, until the Brussels sprouts are tender, and browned a bit.

Remove the pan from the oven. Add in the fluffed cooked quinoa and chopped parsley. Drizzle with fruity extra virgin olive oil, to taste. Add sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine the roasted Brussels sprouts and hot cooked quinoa.

Yield: Serves 4

from glutenfreegoddess

Zesty Mahi Mahi

serves 2

1 1/3 pound mahi mahi (I used 2 fillets)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 jalapeno, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced crosswise
juice of 1 lemon
2 tblsp white wine vinegar
salt & pepper
For topping:

1/4 cup basil, chopped
2 tblsp minced garlic
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tblsp buttermilk
3 tblsp minced shallot
In a medium size bowl, mix the 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup minced garlic, jalapeno, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar. Stir to combine. Place the mahi mahi in a glass baking dish. Pour the marinade over the fish & marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the chopped basil, 2 tblsp minced garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, buttermilk, and minced shallot in a small bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the fridge. Liberally salt and pepper the fish. Bake in the dish with the marinade for 30 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Remove the fish from the oven and top with the basil mixture. Enjoy while hot!

Health Tip: Mahi mahi is a great source of selenium, which is essential for proper thyroid functioning. Just one 3-oz piece of cooked mahi mahi contains 40 mcg, that’s 57% of the daily recommended amount of 70 mcg.

from EatHealthyFeelGood

Baked Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

adapted slightly from Cookin' Canuck

Meatballs
1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced


Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and spray with cooking spray.

Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl and use your hands to combine until evenly distributed - try not to overmix. Using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture (I just eyeballed it), form the meatballs by rolling the mixture into a ball in your hands. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

To make the sauce: Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small pan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

When the meatballs have finished cooking, remove them from the oven and brush liberally with the sauce then return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.

from tracey'sAdventures

Turkey Meatloaf

Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
• 2 pepperoncini peppers, sliced
• 1/4 cup salad green olives, chopped
• 1 cup bread crumbs, plain
• 1 zucchini, coarsely grated (~1 cup)
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 TBSP garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp black pepper, fresh cracked
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup milk, whole
• 1/2 cup pasta sauce, parmesan tomato herb
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated

Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position. Preheat oven to 325° F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix quickly just to combine. Don't overwork the mixture or you'll get a compact loaf.
Loosely form the mixture into a loaf and lightly press into a 9x5 loaf pan. Top with parmesan tomato herb sauce and spread evenly over surface. Bake for 40 mins at 325° F.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, then return to oven and bake another 10 mins.
Remove from oven. Serve turkey meatloaf hot. Goes great with garlic mashed potatoes, portobello mushrooms, and peas-and-carrots. Enjoy!
from Basil-Kitchen