Receta Healthy Quinoa Salad and AFBHLS Guest Post by EA Stewart
It seems just yesterday when I celebrated the birthdays of my children in January this year. How time flies…three more months and its new year again! The series AFBHLS which I started a few months back is one of my most favorite projects this year on my blog. Getting to know how the foodie friends manage to stay healthy amidst a busy schedule of cooking, work and blogging is really inspiring.
And what better than having a registered dietitian who also makes real food taste great on AFBHLS! EA Stewart from the blog Spicy RD mixes together a handful of nutrition advice, a dollop of delicious recipes, a pinch of gluten free tips and a dash of spice to your life.
Adventurous and health freak, she amazed me with her recent post on river rafting and water sports. At forty plus she could dare to jump off a mountain cliff with such ease and do white water rafting with her kids.
I selected some of my favorite posts from her blog which highlight her passion for sports, gluten free cooking and healthy-living.
1. If you are a Tea lover like me you would love to have a peek into her drawer and see the in numerous varieties of tea there. Read about the benefits of your cuppa here at Tea For Two.
Tea for Two Pic courtesy; EA
2. These Gluten free Blueberry Streusel Muffins are loaded with nutrition.
Gluten free Blueberry streusel muffins Pic courtesy; EA
3. This mom is quite adventurous and loves to travel a lot, gosh..she jumped this high..yes that’s EA in that splash! Read her adventures here.
EA with a Splash! River rafting adventure.
Over to you EA;
EA Stewart
I am so honored and excited to be guest posting today on Lite Bite! I can’t thank you enough Sanjeeta, for this wonderful opportunity for me to share my healthy living tips, along with one of my favorite recipes with your readers today!
For almost 1 year, I have been writing about nutrition, gluten-free cooking, and whatever else fancies me over at my blog “The Spicy RD”. The name for my blog came to me after finding inspiration from this famous quote by English poet William Cowper.
“Variety is the very spice of life that gives it all is flavour.”
My Healthy-Living Secrets;
It is very fitting because my approach to healthy eating and healthy living is very much about variety and balance. As a registered dietitian and a mom, I feel it’s so important to be a good role model for my clients as well as my children. To me, that means eating a wide variety of mostly whole, unprocessed foods and lots of fruits and veggies; drinking mostly water {but I start every morning with coffee and also enjoy a good martini, straight up with extra olives!}; and indulging in any favorite foods I may be craving from time-to-time {perhaps chocolate cake or carne asada fries???}
Fortunately being active and exercising has been a part of my life since I was a child and my husband, children, and I live an active life {family ski trips are quickly becoming a favorite vacation now that the kids can keep up with us!} My exercise routine, like my diet, is also full of variety. I am not one to enjoy the same exercise routine everyday, so to motivate myself, I try and mix things up! At home, I work out on an incline treadmill or spinning bike, plus I also lift weights and work out with several exercise DVD’s. I also enjoy exercising outside as much as possible and enjoy hiking (or occasional short runs) with my friends and my labradoodle Harry. I consider myself very fortunate to live in San Diego where the weather is mild year round, and I have access to some beautiful hiking spots, including one of my favorites, Torrey Pines State reserve.
Ultimately, though, healthy living to me is more that just eating right and exercising. It is also about spending time with family (my number one priority) and friends, as well as finding time to enjoy my hobbies that include traveling, photography, interior design, cooking (of course!), and, most importantly for “peace-of mind” taking long, hot bubble baths!
Mixed Up Healthy Quinoa Salad
Healthy quinoa salad Pic courtesy; EA
I deliberated over the recipe I chose to share with you today-Mixed Up Quinoa Salad-because another AFBHLS blogger recently shared her delicious quinoa recipe with you. In the end, though, I decided to share the recipe because it holds a special place in my gluten-free cooking repertoire. Shortly after I eliminated gluten from my diet more that 3 years ago, I discovered Quinoa, a super nutritious and naturally gluten-free grain for the first time. This salad, which you can adapt as you please with any combination of veggies, nuts, and cheese, quickly became a big hit, not only with me, but also with my gluten-eating friends. It has since then become my “go-to” party dish, and the wonderful thing about this recipe is that as good as it tastes right after you make it, it tastes even better the next day!
Healthy quinoa salad Pic courtesy; EA
Ingredients;
- {Makes about 8 cups for 5-6 main dish servings or 16 side dish servings}
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup red or sweet onion, chopped {About 1 onion}
- 1 cup of frozen green peas, cooked
- 2 cups finely chopped spinach, kale, chard {I used gorgeous Rainbow Chard!}
- ½ cup pine nuts (Cashew nuts work well too, or use your favorite nuts of choice)
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (or omit if preparing a vegan dish)
- ½ to 3/4 cup Golden Balsamic Vinaigrette {1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus ¼ cup golden balsamic vinegar}
Method: Rinse quinoa thoroughly and drain. Combine rinsed quinoa with water in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until all the water has evaporated {About 15 minutes}. Fluff with a fork and set aside. While quinoa is cooking, chop onions and spinach/kale/chard, and cook peas. Once quinoa is cooked, transfer it to a large bowl and add onion, spinach, peas, pine nuts and feta cheese. Pour dressing on top and combine until well mixed.
I hope you enjoy my Mixed Up Quinoa Salad as much as I do!
And, thank you again Sanjeeta for this wonderful opportunity to share my recipe with your readers on your beautiful blog!
Thanks EA for this healthy Mixed Quinoa Salad recipe. I agree with you when you say that healthy-living is not just eating right and exercising it is also about spending time with family & friends and following our passion.