Black Bean Quinoa Salad

I tend to be very boring and consistent with my week day lunches. I usually have a salad, with the ingredients only mildly changing (if at all) from one week to the next. I like to plan my lunches at the beginning of the week, usually making one big batch from which I can scoop out each day's serving.

Needless to say, the same thing every day, every week gets old very fast. I don't like being bored by my lunches. It makes me much more likely to snack throughout the afternoon, and the impromptu snacks are rarely as healthy as the planned ones.

This meal is anything but boring. The spice of the green onions, the toasty flavor of the roasted pecans, and the slight pop of the quinoa keep my taste buds interested and intrigued with each bite. Packed with protein, this meal can replenish all the calories I burn in one of my lunch-time intense work-outs. I had discovered that on the days I go to my more intense weight class (Body Pump), a simple salad was no where near filling enough to propel me through the rest of the afternoon. Enter this Black Bean Quinoa Salad. With this as my meals for the week, I was happy, I was intrigued, I was filled. Need I say more?

Black Bean Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa (I used tri-color, but any kind will do)
2 cups veggie stock
2 cups spinach
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped and roasted

1. Rinse quinoa. In a medium sauce pan,  bring veggie stock and quinoa to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or as directed on package.

2. While quinoa is cooking, if you have not already done so you will need to roast your pecans. Roughly chop pecans. Toast in oven at 350 for about 10 minutes.

3. Once the quinoa and pecans are done cooking, combine all ingredients in one bowl. Serve and enjoy. If you're making this for the week ahead, separate into individual serving containers for ease so you can just grab one and go in the morning!

Lemon Parmesan Quinoa with Seared Scallops

I promised myself I would be more diligent at posting to my blog in 2014, but I was reminded at how completely horrible I am at keeping New Years' resolutions. Rather than set unrealistic expectations for the year, knowing that if history continued to repeat itself I would give up within a few weeks, I decided this year to forgo the New Years' resolution practice. Instead of giving myself an official start date of January 1 and something so official as a resolution, I decided that I would rather give myself goals for changes in my life.

Changes in your life and your lifestyle don't simply happen overnight. I think this is a huge contender for why resolutions don't last. People expect to change some part of their life beginning January 1, and as soon as something doesn't fall into this plan, rather than just trying again or continuing to try, we give up on the goal completely.

That being said, while I would *like* to post my recipes and cooking endeavors more consistently, I know that I have never been diligent at such a practice. I love to cook, and I love to write, but I don't always feel like combining the two. Rather than completely giving up on this, I will continue to try. I know that it's already the end of January and I haven't added anything since before Thanksgiving, but I'm not ready to give up something that brings me joy. I love cooking, I love cooking for people, and I love sharing my cooking with anyone who is around.

Now that you've made it through my soliloquy, you have earned a recipe.

This was such a simple and wonderful dish. I had tried several recipes with seared scallops before, but this was the first time I combined it with quinoa. I know some people don't like quinoa, but I just love it. It's like a blank slate, ready to absorb any flavors you lend. I enjoyed the quinoa so much, I made a whole batch the following week to take as my lunches to work. It was a welcome, fragrant, delicious, lemony change.

Lemon Parmesan Quinoa with Seared Scallops
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 lemon
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/3 cup parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt, pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
12-18 scallops (3 per person)

1. Rinse quinoa in cold water. Cook as directed on the package (usually, bring to a boil on stove with 2 cups water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes).

2. Once the quinoa is cooked, add the zest and juice from the lemon, green onions, onion powder, garlic powder, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops. Cook for 3 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional three minutes or until browned.

4. Serve scallops over quinoa. Garnish with additional parmesan.

Serves: 4-6