One of the silver linings of the last few months? Many of us are cooking for ourselves and our families more than ever. These three options can be simple, healthy additions to your routine. Bon appetit!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
A Mediterranean diet features vegetables and fruits, unprocessed grains, seafood, high-protein (and high-quality) dairy, raw nuts, and, of course, olive oil. This flavorful Mediterranean quinoa salad can be a delicious gateway for your family to Mediterranean cuisine.
Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa, uncooked
1 cup cucumber
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 lemon
1/2 small red onion
1/3 cup olives
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup feta cheese (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1: Cook quinoa according to packaging. Once it’s cooked, let cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Prepare vegetables. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, then into slices. Slice tomatoes in half. Slice lemon in half. Cut red onion into thin slices. Cut olives in half. Remove stems and mince parsley. Mince garlic.
Step 3: Add all vegetables and herbs (reserving 1/4 of parsley) to quinoa. Pour over olive oil and squeeze the juice of the entire lemon onto the salad. Add feta cheese if using. Toss to combine, then top with remaining parsley.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
This fun favorite is easy to cook and packed with low-calorie protein. Plus, the sauce can be stored in the fridge for a week, making it simple to prepare in advance.
Ingredients:
1 lb large, raw, peeled shrimp
1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper
Pesto Sauce:
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup mint
1 1/2 cup spinach
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon parmesan or pecorino cheese (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1: Rinse, peel, and dry shrimp. Thread shrimp onto 4-5 skewers. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 2: Make sauce. Add all sauce ingredients except olive oil to food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped, then continue to pulse as you slowly add olive oil, until desired texture is reached. If using cheese, fold in finely grates cheese once done processing.
Step 3: Heat BBQ to medium-high. Once hot, place skewers on BBQ, and cook for 2-4 minutes per side.
Step 4: Squeeze lemon over shrimp and toss with pesto. Serve the grilled shrimp skewers immediately!
Perfect Salmon Burgers
Summertime usually means lots of barbecue—typically filled with hot dogs, greasy chips, and burgers doused in cheese and mayonnaise. We’ve created this salmon burgers recipe as the perfect alternative to the standard fare.
Ingredients:
Patties:
1 lb fresh salmon
1 egg
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 small yellow onion
1/2 jalapeño
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
Avocado sauce:
5.3 ounces of Greek yogurt (a single serving cup)
1 avocado
1 lemon
1-2 cloves garlic
3-4 basil leaves
salt
For serving:
red onion
butter lettuce
sprouted or gluten free buns
Instructions:
Step 1: Make sauce. Remove stems from basil. Remove skin and pit from the avocado. Juice lemon. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, you can add water slowly to thin it out. Set sauce aside.
Step 2: Remove skin from the salmon and cut into smaller chunks. Peel the onion and cut in half, setting one half aside. Cut jalapeño in half lengthwise and remove seeds, setting one half aside. Add all burger ingredients to a food processor and pulse until fully minced and combined.
Step 3: Divide salmon mixture into four equal portions. Mold each portion into a burger patty. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Step 4: Serve salmon immediately with thick slices of red onion, your avocado sauce, and buns or butter lettuce to wrap.