Thursday, October 27, 2011

Make Ahead Quinoa Goodness

So I have this aversion to homemade sandwiches (with the exception of grilled cheese). I don't want to bring them to school for my lunch. I would bring leftovers, but I'd rather save those for dinner!

That's why Gussy's prompt this week is so timely: RECIPES. It's the perfect opportunity for me to share the healthy lunch I make ahead of time - it takes about two hours to prepare on a Saturday and it gives me three weeks worth of lunches!!

(Do you know how awesome it is to grab my lunch out of the freezer every morning with nary a thought or worry about it? Done, and done!)

So here it is:


Quinoa Goodness 

(if you've never tried Quinoa before, it's kinda like rice - this is a good recipe to start out with!)
Disclaimer: recipe is adapted from here and quadrupled to make a lot of lunches!

4 cups quinoa (cook according to directions-easy!)
4 cans (15.5 oz) chickpeas (aka: garbanzo beans)
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 can of corn
4 chopped/halved zucchini (or yellow squash)
1 red onion, diced
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup lime juice
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp. dried parsley
Salt to taste

Directions:

Cook quinoa as directed. Chop zucchini and red onion and cook in some olive oil. Drain tomatoes. Throw quinoa, zucchini, red onion, and tomatoes in the biggest bowl you own. Dump in the seasonings.

Recommendations:

If you're feeding an army, let it chill for an hour or two (this tastes best cold or at room temperature). 

If you're making 3 weeks of lunches, scoop out 1.5 cups of quinoa goodness and freeze in a ziploc bag. Then all you need to do is grab a piece of fruit and a cookie in the morning and you're all set to go! (I keep a bowl and a spoon at work.)

Enjoy :)

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13 comments:

  1. I've never had quinoa, but I have heard that its fabulous! As someone who takes lunch when she has a job, this looks wonderful! I'll add it to my recipe list!

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  2. That sounds really good. We love quinoa in our house...I often make it as a side dish.

    Will definitely give this a try!

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  3. Yum! I love quinoa and it's so easy to make! Thanks for sharing this recipe :)

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  4. I love quinoa! And, I hate packing lunches...I should try this!

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  5. Yum, yum, yum. Just bought some quinoa from Sunflower & this looks like a great recipe! Thanks Sarah!

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  6. Oh, I'm definitely going to have to try this one out! It sounds delish.

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  7. I have never had quinoa before (and obviously never typed it as my spell check is currently not recognizing it...) But this sounds like a great place to start! I might have to make it in a smaller batch first to see if I like it but I love all the veggies in it... And a perfect lunch - quick, simple, filling and healthy! Thanks so much for sharing this! :)

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  8. I've never tried quinoa either but I keep coming across recipes for it. Guess it's time to try!

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  9. I've never heard of it. Sounds interesting!

    http://mandycrandell.blogspot.com/
    http://twitter.com/#!/MandyCrandell

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  10. I've never had quinoa but this sounds mighty tasty! I might have to try and track some down in Seoul (anyone know the Korean for 'quinoa'?!!)

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  11. Hi! I really like this recipe...when you take the quinoa out of the freezer in the morning, do you return it to a fridge at work?

    Does it keep okay at room temp (70F) for 4-5 hours?

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  12. This sounds so healthy and affordable!!! (I just googled make ahead quinoa and your site was one to pop up)


    Does this keep well at room temp after being taken out of the freezer or do you let it thaw in a fridge at work?

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