My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

Lentils

Quinoa-Lentil Salad…A Salad that Fills You Up

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Are you looking to add more salads to your menu? I can help you with that! This Quinoa-Lentil Salad will fill you up AND taste great! If you don’t have quinoa you can substitute cooked brown rice. 

Quinoa Lentil Salad also contains lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.

Have you noticed how some salads leaving you feeling hungry an hour after you finish eating? That won’t happen with this salad. The quinoa and lentils will fill you up! 

I prefer to cook the quinoa and lentils ahead of time and toss this together in a few minutes. If you still need to cook your quinoa and lentils don’t worry, it only takes about 20 minutes. You can chop veggies while you wait. I add various veggies depending on what I have on hand but this is my basic recipe.

Quinoa and lentils on a bed of lettuce with tomatoes and cucumbers.

Quinoa-Lentil Salad

This recipe is designed for one but you can easily make as many bowls as you like. It’s a great meal prep salad but I recommend using grape tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes for the make ahead version.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cooked lentils (seasoned with a little garlic and onion powder)
  • 1/2 cup cook quinoa (or substitute cooked brown rice)
  • 2-3 cups mixed greens or your favorite lettuce
  • 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup diced cucumbers
  • 1/8 cup diced red onions

Do

  1. If desired, heat (seasoned) lentils and quinoa.
  2. Fill a large bowl or plate with greens/lettuce/
  3. Dump lentils and quinoa over greens, then top with diced veggies.

Serve

I love this salad with equal parts lemon juice and red wine vinegar (1 Tbsp each) but it is also delicious with my other oil-free dressings. Try the popular Sweet & Tangy Salad Dressing or the new Creamy Italian Salad Dressing that my pickiest kid eats with a spoon!

For more salad inspiration check out my Salad Board on Pinterest! I’ll be adding lots of new salads and oil-free salad dressings this summer. You don’t want to miss them!

Yield: 1

Quinoa-Lentil Salad

Quinoa-Lentil Salad

This Quinoa Lentil Salad is very filling and great any time of year. In the winter serve it with warm quinoa and lentils and in the summer you can keep them cold.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cooked lentils (seasoned with a little garlic and onion powder)
  • 1/2 cup cook quinoa (or substitute cooked brown rice)
  • 2-3 cups mixed greens or your favorite lettuce
  • 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup diced cucumbers
  • 1/8 cup diced red onions

Instructions

  1. If desired, heat (seasoned) lentils and quinoa.
  2. Fill a large bowl or plate with lettuce.
  3. Dump lentils and quinoa over greens, then top with diced veggies.

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© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Salads & Wraps

Vegan and Gluten-Free Taco Muffins

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I love Tacos! There, I said it. I’m willing to bet that you love tacos too. What I don’t like is the mess my kids make every time they eat them. These Vegan and Gluten-Free Taco Muffins may just be the solution we’ve all be looking for.

If you’ve ever tried my Lentil Tacos then you will see where I’m going with these delicious, hearty muffins. Before you start doubting Taco Muffins let me ask you, have you ever had meat loaf or a faux beanie loaf? Taco Muffins are not that far of a stretch. You can even use a mini loaf or a full loaf pan but I haven’t tried it, yet.

Vegan Taco Muffins

I want to make sure you understand from the beginning that these are savory, taco flavored muffins. My teenage son that I was just being clever and had quite a shock when he took the first bite. I don’t know what he was expecting but he couldn’t stop eating them. My 3 year old devoured most of them over 2 days. I had to cut him off. I got a couple and put one in the freezer to experiment.

taco muffins gluten free and vegan

Taco Muffins (gluten-free and vegan)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
  • 1/2 cup Potato Flour
  • 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
  • 1 tsp xanthum gum
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, sea salt, onion powder and cumin
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk
  • 1/2 to 1 cup water
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • Lentil Mix (1 1/2 cup cooked lentils; 1 tsp each of garlic powder, sea salt, onion powder; and 1/2 tsp cumin)

Do

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and prepare muffin pan. I spray with a light coat of spray oil.
  2. In a small/medium bowl make Lentil Mix by combining lentils and spices together then set aside.
  3. In a large bowl mix flours, xanthum gum, spices, baking soda and baking powder and mix.
  4. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup mix liquids.
  5. Pour liquids into dry ingredients and stir with a sturdy spoon. Add more liquid as needed. Mine was clumpy so I used a potato masher to help.
  6. Spoon in a small amount of batter into muffin tin, just enough to cover the bottom.
  7. Then dump the Lentil Mix into the remaining batter in the mixing bowl and stir well. Continue filling muffin cups.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve these muffins while slightly warm, or straight out of the fridge if you have leftovers. They are equally good the next day and don’t need anything added. These are perfect for lunch boxes or to take to soccer games.

I haven’t tried making wheat versions yet but it’s not my list. I think you could also use a gluten-free flour mix if you don’t have these flours available.

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Hearty Lentil & Barley Stew

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Baby it’s cold outside! Don’t worry, this Hearty Lentil & Barely Stew will warm you right up.

Lentil Barley Stew

This stew contains gluten but you can use rice or quinoa in its place for a gluten-free option. The potatoes, carrots and celery along with the lentils and barley will provide plenty of fuel for shoveling snow or chasing your kids.

Hearty Lentil & Barley Stew

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Dry Veggie Broth Mix
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 small potatoes (with skin on), chopped
  • 1/4 cup dry (uncooked) barley
  • 3/4 cup cooked lentils (or 2/3 uncooked)

Do

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a pot and cook over medium heat.
  2. Cook until barley is soft, maybe up to 45 minutes. Add more water water if necessary.

Serve

This is delicious with crusty bread and a side salad.

What is your favorite winter stew?