My Plant-Based Family

Eating Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet recipes, On a Budget.

Quinoa

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

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We’ve been eating my Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole for years. It’s a crowd pleaser. I’ve adapted it and made many different versions. It seems like it’s time to do it again. I’m taking the same flavor and most of the ingredients plus quinoa! It make it even easier, I’m making it in my Instant Pot!

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

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If you are like me, you probably have a giant bag of quinoa in your pantry. I don’t know why, but in the summer I always gravitate toward quinoa.

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is technically a seed but most people treat it like a grain. It should be cooked before eating. Quinoa has a slightly nutty flavor.

Quinoa is a great versatile food to add to your rotation. We enjoy it in stir frys instead of rice, in breakfast bowls instead of oats, as a replacement for taco meat, your imagination is the limit.

Should I Washing Quinoa?

If you are new to quinoa, you will want to rinse your quinoa first. Quinoa is coated in saponin. It’s bitter and will make you think quinoa is gross. If you rinse the quinoa well, we use a fine mesh strainer, you’ll be able to get the saponin off easily.

Many brands of quinoa will prewash it to remove the saponin.

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

I love how versatile this recipe is. I enjoy it hot and cold. Whether I reheat leftovers or serve them cold, I love topping it with my pico de gallo. What can I say, fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro are irresistible.

When I know I need a filling meal on the go, this is one of my top choices.

Yield: 4 servings

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa is a quick and easy recipe your family will love. Adapt it to your individual preferences.

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

Ingredients

  • 1 15 ounce can Black Beans (drained, rinsed)
  • 1 1/4 cups water or veggie broth
  • 1 cup Quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1 cup Diced Tomatoes (from the can, drained)
  • 1 cup Frozen Corn
  • 2 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 Lime, sliced for garnish
  • 2 Avocado (diced)

Instructions

  1. Dump the black beans, water/veggie broth, quinoa, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt into the Instant Pot.
  2. Close the lid and close the pressure valve. Press manual/pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. Once it is done, release the pressure manually. Remove the lid carefully.
  3. Serve in bowls topped with lime wedges and diced avocado. Fresh pico de gallo is my favorite way to enjoy it.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers in an air tight container. Enjoy for 3-4 days.

You can eat leftovers warm or cold.

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© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Instant Pot

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

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Every once in a while I get on a kick where I only want to eat one thing, fortunately for me that one thing is a super simple, whole food, Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl!

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

The temperatures in Arizona area finally on the rise. I’m slowly putting my soups aside and embracing fresh, raw veggies! If you are still frozen I’m sorry! Maybe you can enjoy this bowl in front of the fire and think about warmer days ahead!

The great thing about Mediterranean Bowls is that you can easily adapt it based on what you have and what you like.

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Gluten-Free Mediterranean Bowl

Most of the Mediterranean Bowls I’ve seen use quinoa but some use rice or no grain (or pseudo-grain) at all. Quinoa is great because it’s gluten-free, easy to cook, and I always have some in my pantry.

While the quinoa cooked, I got the veggies ready. Romaine lettuce is my favorite but you can choose your favorite greens. I love red and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion. Chickpeas were the perfect addition because I also made hummus! My Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus was perfect in this but I may try my Red Pepper Dip next time.

I set out all the veggies, chickpeas and quinoa and my son made his own bowl. His was pretty much the same except he added apples and cuties and left out the hummus and peppers.

After cutting up all the veggies, I have enough for lunches all week plus some snacks! I’ve been able to make a quick salad with the veggies too. It’s so much easier to eat healthy meals when they are prepped and ready to go!

There are endless combinations you can choose for your bowl if this one isn’t exactly your thing.

  • Sweet Peppers
  • Artichokes
  • Avocado
  • Pickled Onions
  • Carrots
  • Sprouts
  • Micro Greens
  • Roasted Veggies
  • Fresh Herbs
  • Spinach

The list is endless! Please leave a comment and let me know what you want to eat in your bowl!

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

Oil-Free Mediterranean Bowl

Most Mediterranean Bowls are topped with oil or and oil and vinegar type dressing. The hummus does a great job replacing the need for oil and the extra squeeze of lemon gives it an extra boost of acidity. You do not need the oil!

My boys love balsamic vinegar, if you are a fan, you could try it in this bowl. I didn’t think it would mix well with the hummus so I left it out this time.

When I made this bowl I bought olives to go with it. Our grocery store has an olive bar that I’d been wanting to try. My kids and husband love olives so I thought this would make the bowl a little more fun for them.

I, however, do not like olives. I’ve never found an olive I didn’t want to spit out! HA! While I put a few olives in my bowl I didn’t actually eat them. I loved my bowl so much I couldn’t risk it. More for my family.

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

This Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl is gluten-free, nut-free, and perfect for the veggie lovers in your house. This meal is easy to make ahead during meal prep and take for lunch or enjoy it at the end of a long day. These measurements make 4+ bowls.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 head romaine lettuce (or your favorite lettuce).
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1-2 bell peppers (I used 1 red and 1 yellow)
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onion
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes (or equivalent fresh diced tomatoes)
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lemon
  • Kalamata olives (optional)
  • 1 cup hummus

Do

  1. Bring 2 cups water to boil, then add the quinoa and cover with a lid. Turn pot down to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until quinoa is done and water is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and set aside.
  2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the veggies. If you haven’t already, wash and dry them. I prefer to peel the cucumbers, dice the red onion, tear or slice the lettuce, and dice the bell pepper. I like to leave my bell peppers in pretty big chunks but its just a personal preference. I’ll leave the tomatoes whole if I’m saving the bowl for later and cut the tomatoes in half if I’m having it now.
  3. Create an assembly line with all the veggies. Drain and rinse your chickpeas.
  4. If you are making hummus from scratch, make it now.
  5. Assemble your bowls.
    1. Make a bed of lettuce with 1 cup romaine.
    2. Scoop in 1/4-1/2 cup cooked quinoa.
    3. Arrange fresh veggies on both sides of the quinoa.
    4. Add a dollop of hummus. Since it’s oil-free, I used about 1/4 cup.
    5. Spoon in about 1/3 cup of chickpeas.
    6. Garnish with lemon wedge and olives.

Serve

This Mediterranean Bowl is perfect for a weekend meal prep that can be enjoyed all week. It tastes just as good coming out of a lunch bag as it does when it’s freshly made, you can’t say that about most lunches!

Yield: 4 Bowls

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl

This Plant-Based Mediterranean Bowl is gluten-free, nut-free, and perfect for the veggie lovers in your house. This meal is easy to make ahead during meal prep and take for lunch or enjoy it at the end of a long day.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 head romaine lettuce (or your favorite lettuce).
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1-2 bell peppers (I used 1 red and 1 yellow)
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onion
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes (or equivalent fresh diced tomatoes)
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lemon
  • Kalamata olives
  • 1 cup hummus

Instructions

Bring 2 cups water to boil, then add the quinoa and cover with a lid. Turn pot down to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until quinoa is done and water is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and set aside.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare the veggies. If you haven’t already, wash and dry them. I prefer to peel the cucumbers, dice the red onion, tear or slice the lettuce, and dice the bell pepper. I like to leave my bell peppers in pretty big chunks but its just a personal preference. I’ll leave the tomatoes whole if I’m saving the bowl for later and cut the tomatoes in half if I’m having it now.

Create an assembly line with all the veggies. Drain and rinse your chickpeas.

If you are making hummus from scratch, make it now.

Assemble your bowls by making a bed of lettuce with 1 cup romaine. Scoop in 1/4-1/2 cup cooked quinoa, then arrange fresh veggies on both sides of the quinoa.

Add a dollop of hummus. Since it’s oil-free, I used about 1/4 cup.

Spoon in about 1/3 cup of chickpeas and garnish with lemon wedge and olives.

Did you make this recipe?

We'd love to see it! Tag us and use #MyPlantBasedFamily!

© Holly Yzquierdo
Do you eat Mediterranean Bowls? What are your favorite ingredients?

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 also contains lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.

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

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

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Do you want to know two words that make me swoon? Well I can think of several words but the two I’m referring to are cilantro and lime! I love them both but paired together they can take any dish to a new level. I’ve used the lime juice in the plastic lime and frozen cilantro and it was good but nothing compares to using fresh limes and fresh cilantro.

cilantro lime quinoa

I think the biggest reason is the fresh lime zest. My favorite zester is the Better Zester, it has a zest “catcher” that also measures the amount of zest. I’ve scraped off with zest off with a knife but my zester makes it much easier. I have more recipes coming that use a zester as well, here is a hint: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Lemon, Cake. I don’t want to be too obvious. 🙂

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked quinoa
  • 3 1/2 cups of water (you may need a little more, have 4 cups available)
  • 2 limes (you’ll use about 1 Tbsp zest and 1/4 cup lime juice)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup cilantro

Do

  1. Rinse your quinoa well then cook it in a pot with 3 1/2 cups of water over medium heat. Cover with a lid.
  2. While the quinoa is cooking zest limes then squeeze the juice into a cup or bowl. You will want to remove any seeds the squeeze out. Also chop cilantro, I prefer to use only the leaves because I don’t like using the stems. Set all of this (zest, juice, cilantro) to the side.
  3. After about 15 minutes check on the quinoa. When it is mostly done and all of the water has been absorbed pour the lime juice, zest and cilantro into the pot (add salt if desired) and stir well. Cover with the lid and let it cook for about 5 more minutes. Use more water if needed.

Serve

I love Cilantro Lime Quinoa with Unfried Black Beans and fresh salsa but you can use your imagination. If you think the quinoa is drying out too fast feel free to use more water, I thought it soaked up the lime juice better by using less. This recipe is difficult to mess up.

This post is shared at Plant-Based Potluck Party Link Up

Quinoa Recipe Roundup

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Last week at Healthy Cravings I talked all about Quinoa. I was making a list of recipes to send out to the participants when I realized I needed a Quinoa Pinterest Board. Now I’m able to save all of my quinoa recipes in one place.

Quinoa Recipes

I don’t want to miss out on your favorite recipes too! Leave a comment with your favorite recipes so I can Pin them!

My Favorite Quinoa Recipes

Quinoa-Lentil Tacos

1. Quinoa-Lentil Tacos are my favorite way to eat tacos! They taste great in crunchy taco shells or in a giant veggie filled burrito.

Quinoa seasoned for Tacos

2. Quinoa Taco “Meat” comes a close second. It is perfect for people who can’t eat lentils and is easy to mix up using leftover quinoa.

Quinoa-Squash Salad

3. Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad is a great salad for fall and winter. Seasonal veggies can be substituted once your squash is gone.

Lemony Quinoa wraps final 3

4. Light and Lemony Quinoa Salad is perfect for warm weather or anyone wanting a filling but not heavy meal. This is a great wrap to fuel your workout. I ditch the wrap and serve this in a bowl for my 2 year old. He is a veggie lover and loves quinoa.

Summer Berry breakfast quinoa HT1

5. Summer Berry Breakfast Quinoa can be made any time of year. I usually keep frozen berries in the freezer but when I’m out I just substitute diced apples. My boys beg for quinoa all the time. The 4 year old always means “breakfast quinoa” because he likes it sweetened.

6. Chickpea Quinoa Stir Fry was a family favorite, thanks in part to the fresh pineapple that really made it great. After we found out about my sons pineapple allergy we switched to nectarines or leaving pineapple on the side and adding it to the individual plates.

I also love to add quinoa to soups, stir fry’s and casseroles. Many people even add it to their smoothies. I have lots of other quinoa recipes in the works.

What are your favorite Plant-Based quinoa recipes? Leave a comment below so I can pin them to my new Quinoa Pinterest Board.

Lite & Lemony Quinoa Salad {Wrap}

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Do you need a lite meal that doesn’t make you feel overheated and sluggish?

Lite & Lemony Quinoa Salad Wraps final 1

This Quinoa Salad is infused with lemon and full of crisp cucumber and bell pepper. The quinoa and chickpeas give this salad plenty of fuel that make it perfect for a side dish, a topping on a leafy green salad, or in a wrap. I add a few more calories by adding hummus to my wrap and giving the quinoa something to stick to.

Lemony Quinoa wraps final 3

Lite & Lemony Quinoa Salad {Wrap}

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 to 2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 cup diced cucumber
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup diced red or yellow bell pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • juice and zest from 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Do

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
  2. Chill before eating to allow flavors time to mingle.

Serve

This versatile dish can be served on a green salad for protein filled meal, as a side dish at a potluck, or as part of a wrap. I like to spread hummus on a tortilla, fill it with raw spinach, then add the Quinoa Salad.

What is your favorite quinoa salad?