Detox Quinoa Salad

"Detox"--it's a word that you either love or you hate, but probably hate. In the past four days since I started my detox, I've had friends ask me about my experience. Without fail, the reaction I've received is a raised eyebrow or even a slight groan followed by something along the lines of "Wow...that sounds horrible." Gee, thanks guys; as if depriving my body of every food and drink it has ever loved wasn't reminder enough. Despite that, I don't hate this detox. I've already started noticing benefits even after four days. If I stick with this for the full two weeks, who knows how great I'll feel. So, "detox", I'm one of the few who loves you. Let's be friends, at least for the next ten days.

Quinoa Veggie Stir Fry

Sometimes I get in a rut. I'm definitely a creature of habit. When I find something that works, I stick with it. For example, I may or may not have packed the same lunch every day from kindergarten to eighth grade. And the only reason I had to switch things up was because I got braces (and sandwiches are not braces friendly). While finding a recipe that works is great, I constantly have to remind myself to switch things up a bit and try something new.

Black Bean and Quinoa Soup

A great thing about fall, along with pumpkin, is making warm, hearty, comforting dinners. I'm not a huge fan of soups and stews seven or eight months of the year, but I definitely find myself craving a warm bowl of soup in the cooler months. There is something about being bundled up in a blanket and eating a bowl of soup that has comfort written all over it. Add a fireplace and snow outside and that would be downright amazing.

Mediterranean Style Shrimp Stuffed Peppers

I've been noticing a lot of stuffed pepper recipes popping up on Pinterest lately. While I love stuffed peppers, I've never actually made them for myself. So after seeing so many stuffed pepper recipes, I decided to try creating my own.

Mediterranean Salad

This is a different twist on my Quinoa, Chickpea, and Avocado Salad. With the addition of crumble feta cheese, this recipe has more of a Mediterranean vibe to it. This salad also eliminates the avocado topping and just uses sliced avocado placed on top. This cuts the prep time and makes the salad even easier to prepare. This recipe is great served as a light lunch, or would pair well with a grilled turkey burger or grilled chicken for dinner.

Quinoa, Chickpea, and Avocado Salad

Quinoa is the newest cool food. If you want to pretend that you have any type of culinary knowledge, "quinoa" (pronounced "KEEN-wah") should now be apart of your vocabulary. Quinoa is the new greek yogurt, just like greek yogurt was the new sundried tomatoes. There is always a new "in" food, and quinoa is currently all the rage.

This grain has received lots of attention due to its high protein content (nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein-pretty impressive for a grain!). Quinoa is also high in fiber, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Basically, this is a miracle grain.