Christie's Non-Recipe Weeknight Quinoa Bowl

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Christie's Non-Recipe Weeknight Quinoa Bowl

Spending a lot of time in the kitchen is a back-burner priority for many moms (or anyone!) who just need to get a meal on the table. This healthy and completely customizable recipe will be ready for hungry bellies in about 20 minutes. Quinoa - we always buy ours from Costco!) Meat - can be anything - leftover chicken, ground turkey, meatballs, whatever you've got!) Veggie - Frozen or fresh, whatever you have on hand. broccoli, jarred artichoke hearts (Costco fave) and zucchini are a favorite. Also the frozen peppers and onions from trader joes. Sauce - Cream of chicken soup, butternut squash/roasted bell pepper soup (Trader Joe's) or even spaghetti sauce. Heck, I've even put in salad dressing for some extra flavor!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Quinoa
• 4 cups Water or vegetable/chicken stock
• Roughly 1 lb or more Meat of choice (whatever you've got on hand: leftover chicken, ground turkey, meatballs, etc.!)
• About 2 cups (cut, cubed, diced, or however you like) Vegetable of choice (again, what you've got in your fridge or freezer: broccoli, artichoke hearts, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.)
• To taste Sauce of choice (butternut squash or roasted red pepper soup, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce...get creative!)
• To taste Parmesan (or other) cheese

Instructions

In a large pot, bring quinoa and water (or stock) to a boil; prepare according to package directions. Christie says: Remember, it's a 1:3 ratio of quinoa to water--some instructions say to strain it beforehand, but I never have. In a separate pan, prepare your meat accordingly (if it's a leftover, it just needs to be reheated; if it's frozen or raw, cook until it's thoroughly done). Prepare vegetables as desired (cook or keep 'em raw!) Once quinoa is ready, assemble your bowl: Take a scoop of quinoa, add the meat, veggies, and top with a sauce of your choice. Top with parmesan cheese or any other cheese of your choice. Christie also likes to add Cholula hot sauce for an extra kick!

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: 6-8 servings

Kitchen Sink Morning Juice

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Kitchen Sink Morning Juice

If getting more fruits and veggies into your diet is a part of your New Year's resolution, as well as dusting off that fancy juicer in your pantry, try this non-recipe recipe. It just might become your go-to.

Ingredients

• Beets
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Pear
• Orange
• Ginger root
• Apple
• Kale or spinach

Instructions

Depending on how much your juicer holds or what you have on-hand, you can vary the amounts of each of these ingredients. My typical juice includes: 2 large beets, about 4 carrots, 1 cucumber, 1 pear, 1 orange, about 2 inches of ginger root (yes!), 1 apple, and a handful of kale or spinach (or whatever greens you'd like). If I have other produce such as rutabaga or sometimes even a jalapeño, I toss that in, too. Really, it's about what you can keep in your fridge consistently! Add all ingredients (one at a time) to your juicer. Pour over ice and enjoy. Store the rest in the fridge for tomorrow.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 2 mins Total time: 12 mins Yield: 4 individual servings