Fall Quinoa Salad

Ever wonder what fall in a bowl tastes like?

It basically tastes like this bowl of goodness.

I'm sure it's no secret by now that I love all things fall.  Pumpkin everything, the cooler weather, the changing leaves, football, tailgating...and the list goes on.

I decided to experiment with some of my favorite fall flavors and see if I could make it work all together.  The result was a delicious, protein packed salad that alternated between savory with a hint of sweet.

In other words, right up my alley!

This salad has a few steps, but it's not super labor intensive.  It's a perfect lunch or a great side dish!  It can be served cold, room temperature, or heated, and it delicious all three ways!

By the way, if you are looking for more fabulous fall recipes - check out "What's Cookin' Wednesday" on Buns in My Oven!

Fall Quinoa Salad
Serves 4 as a main, about 6 as a side

1 cup quinoa
2 cups of low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 bag of brussel sprouts, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups cooked, chopped turkey breast (rotisserie is great for this!)
2 cups chopped butternut squash
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Add the 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds to a dry skillet.  Heat over medium heat, stirring often, for about 2 minutes until toasted.  Set aside to cool.

Using the broth, prepare quinoa according to package directions, and set aside to cool.

Heat oven to 375.  Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray and lay the chopped brussel sprouts in a single layer.  Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and toss to combine.  Roast for 15 minutes, tossing about halfway through.  Set aside to cool.

Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to a large skillet.  Add squash and saute for about 10 minutes.  Then, add the maple syrup and stir to coat the squash.  Cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until tender.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, and turkey and toss to combine.  Then, add in pumpkin seeds and parmesan and mix well.

Enjoy!

More Smartpoint Recipe Updates!

A couple of side dishes :)

Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts: 4 Smartpoints / serving
Chickpea and Veggie Paprika: 3 Smartpoints / serving


More updates soon!

Roasted Butternut Squash

I'm going to be real.  I was never a big fan of vegetables.

I ate corn on the cob here, carrots there, but I never loved them.

As I've gotten older, I have definitely grown to love many more veggies.  Brussel sprouts are my jam, broccoli, zucchini, asparagus all routinely grace my plate.

Another one I really now love is butternut squash.  Not only is the pureed type a great substitute in macaroni and cheese, but it's delicious simply roasted with some spices.

Truth?  I bought it already cubed.  But you could certainly but a full squash and chop it if you are so inclined!

This quick and easy side dish has a smoky, slightly spicy flavor that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the butternut squash.

Roasted Butternut Squash
Serves 2 - 0 Smartpoints per serving

3 cups cubed butternut squash
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Preheat oven to 450.  Mist a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  In a bowl, toss squash and spices, then spread in a single layer on sheet.  Lightly mist cooking spray on top.  Bake for 15-20 minutes (cooking time may vary depending on the size of your squash cubes!)

Cheesy Baked Polenta with Mixed Herbs

I used to eat polenta all the time.  And then, I sort of forgot about it.

Seeing this recipe in my cookbook of the week, Sheet Pan Suppers, reminded me that I really need to get back into polenta.

This recipe is super easy and a delicious side dish.  The polenta gets nice and crispy on the outside, but super creamy on the inside.  The parmesan cheese adds a nice, salty kick.

I made 1 or 2 small modifications, so if you are following Weight Watchers - only 5 smartpoints per serving, which is 4 slices!

I had it for dinner with some zoodles and avocado and a fried egg.  It was absolutely filling and delicious!

Cheesy Baked Polenta with Mixed Herbs
Serves 4
5 Smartpoints per serving

Olive oil cooking spray
1 tube precooked polenta, cut into 16 slices
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground cracked black pepper
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 mixed fresh thyme and chives (or herbs of choice!)

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray a sheet with the olive oil spray.  Space out the polenta rounds evenly on the pan.  With a brush, brush each slice with olive oil.  Sprinkle with the salt and apper.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the polenta about halfway through.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese and herbs.  Return to oven for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

(I stored the leftovers in the fridge, and just reheated in the oven - they were great!)

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Let's face it, who doesn't love french fries?

Though, I'd also venture to say, most of us don't love all of the grease and fat that goes along with them.

Enter the roasted potato.

I've struggled for a while getting roasted potatoes exactly right - crispy on the outside, but creamy on the inside.  And with this recipe, I finally did!

You can really use any small potato for this.  I bought a bag at the store that had a mix of red, gold, and purple and those were delicious!

This is a super easy and delicious side dish for any meal!

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

1 1/2 lbs. small potatoes, cut into small wedges
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 450.  Once potatoes are cut into wedges, put in a large bowl and add olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Stir until the potatoes are coated.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir.  Bake for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Lemon Roasted Vegetables

Easy.  Light.  Perfect for summer.

I love roasted veggies as a rule, I just think the roasting brings out a fantastic flavor.  I decided to try and spice things up with a little lemon and loved the results!

I used broccoli and yellow squash but this could really be done with any vegetables you like!  The recipe made about 4 servings, but it could certainly be adjusted up or down as needed!

Lemon Roasted Vegetables

4 cups chopped vegetables
Juice / rind of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

In a large bowl, combine vegetables, lemon juice, rind, sea salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Stir to combine.

Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes.  Take out and stir vegetables, and continue cooking for 15 minutes (keep an eye, if you like them a little less done!).

Blog Bites: Crockpot Herb Roasted Potatoes

I was hunting down some easy Easter recipes, since I was hosting, and to me, anything I can make in the crockpot is great for entertaining.

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and it was super easy, could make it ahead, and really delicious!  We weren't quite ready to eat, so I just turned the crockpot down to warm once the 2 hours on high were up and they were perfect!

Warm Maple Brussel Sprouts, Pear, and Bacon Salad

Mmmmm.

I mean, with this combination, what could be bad?

I found this recipe on How Sweet Eats and decided to adapt it a bit.  Not a huge fan of blue cheese, and I did a few other little modifcations.

The result was delicious!

Now I served this salad warm, but it would also be delicious at room temperature!

Warm Maple Brussel Sprouts, Pear, and Bacon Salad
(Adapted from How Sweet Eats)

4 slices maple bacon
2 bags of shaved brussel sprouts
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large pear, chopped
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled


Heat large skillet and cook bacon until crisp and it has rendered some fat (about 5 minutes).  Remove bacon with slotted spoon and place on paper towel to absorb extra grease.

Add Brussel sprouts to grease, stirring gently to coat (you will have to add these in stages since the shaved brussel sprouts are pretty bulky, but they will wilt down!).

Cook until softened / wilted, and stir in maple syrup.  Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, and add salt and pepper.  Crumble the bacon and add back into skillet.  Then add half the goat cheese, and stir to combine.

Put mixture in serving bowl and add the chopped up pear, stirring to combine.  Add the remainder of crumbled goat cheese on top (if you are going to serve the salad at room temperature, then wait to add the goat cheese until right before serving).

Serve immediately OR let cool to room temperature.

Enjoy!

Side Dish: Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts

Is there anything better than the combination of salty and sweet?

In my opinion?  No.

If someone had told me years ago that Brussel sprouts would become pretty much my favorite vegetable, I would have laughed in their faces.

And yet here we are.  I LOVE them.

This side dish is the perfect combination of sweet from pure maple syrup, and salty from the turkey bacon.

This recipe makes one serving but could easily be doubled or tripled for a larger group!

Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts

1 cup Brussel sprouts, chopped
1 slice turkey bacon
1 tsp. coconut oil
2 tsp. pure maple syrup
Salt and pepper

In a nonstick pan, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan.

Add coconut oil to pan, and once melted, add Brussel sprouts.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes.  Crumble bacon and add back into pan.  Add the maple syrup and cook for another minute.

Serve and enjoy!

Side Dish: Chickpea and Veggie Paprika

Chalk this one up to trying to use leftovers and creativity!

A smoky, savory side dish that has a boost of protein and goes well with just about anything!

Side note:  You could pretty much use any veggies you have on hand.  I was using some leftover broccoli and cauliflower that I had steamed during my meal prep!

Chickpea and Veggie Paprika
(Serves 1)

1/2 cup of broccoli and cauliflower (precooked)
1/4 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. smoked sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste


Melt 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a frying pan.  Add in veggies and chickpeas and cook about five minutes on medium heat.  Add paprika, salt and pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

Serve immediately.