Quinoa and Beef Salad – High protein lunch

Did you know that Quinoa is in fact a seed and not a grain?

I’ts high in protein, good news for body builders, fitness fanatics and vegetarians and it’s also gluten-free.

I love the texture of Quinoa, it’s very similar to couscous although you cook it like you would cook rice.

Try this high protein salad for lunch, a great and filling super food for when you hitting the Gym in the afternoon!

Ingredients 

500 g Beef cut into thin strips

1  1/2 cups of cooked Quinoa

3 tbs of Olives (pitted and sliced)

1/2 cup of cooked Corn

3 sprigs of spring onion

1/2 onion finely diced

Salt to taste

Olive oil for frying

15 ml of Salad Dressing of your choice

Fry the onion and the beef  in  a little olive oil, set aside. Chop the spring onions and add to beef. In salad bowl mix together the remainder of the ingredients adding the beef last. Add Salad dressing of your choice and mix through one last time.

Serve hot or cold.

Tips

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Quinoa contains a chemical called saponin that has a bitter soapy taste. Most commercial Quinoa will already be washed, but it’s a good idea to rinse it before you use it in case there are residues.

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Too tired to cook Cous-Cous and beef salad

I love cooking but sometimes I’m just too tired and too lazy to cook.

On days like these I  make my cous-cous beef strip salad. Not only is it  packed with goodness it is also quick and easy to make, and by quick I mean 30 minutes.

So what is your “too tired to cook recipe”?

Serves 4

Ingredients

10 ml olive oil

400 g steak cut into thin strips

1 tsp Robertson’s steak and chop spices

1 punnet of mushrooms sliced

I red bell pepper cubed

1 onion sliced

1 green chilli chopped

1 tsp Roberson’s veggie spices (optional)

1 garlic glove chopped

1 cup Cous-Cous (cooked to instructions)

60 g of cheese (Cheddar or Gouda) cubed

50 g black olives (pitted and sliced)

1 tomato cubed

1 /2 cucumber cubed

2 gherkins sliced

1 tbs salad dressing of your choice.

Ground black pepper to taste

 

Cook the Cous-cous as per instruction on the box and allow to cool.

Chop the tomatoes, cucumbers and gherkins and mix together. (put everything in a sieve that is over a bowl to allow the extra water and juices to drain while you are busy with the rest of the salad. This will prevent the salad from being soggy once mixed).

Heat your oil in a pan. Fry the onions until soft, add the mushrooms frying for another few minutes. Add the beef strips, garlic, chilli, red pepper and spices and fry until the beef are cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool down a bit.

Transfer the tomato mixture to a large salad bowl and add the salad dressing, the Cheese and Olives.  Add the beef mixture and the Cous-Cous and mix with a fork.

Season with ground black pepper.

 

Tips

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The salad can be made a day in advance and taste really good if left overnight giving the cous-cous the opportunity to just suck up all the lovely juices from the meat and mushrooms. However if you want to make it before hand don’t add the  tomatoes, cucumber and gherkins, rather mix this in just before serving.

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a Hearty Bean salad

I don’t know if this is an age thing, but somehow Valentine’s day is getting more enjoyable as the years go by….Somebody should have told me years ago that being in your 30′s is far better than being in your 20′s. Let’s hope the 40′s is even better!

Well since I’m sharing my son’s Valentine chocolates tonight I should make up for it with a healthy salad tomorrow, you know, just to balance things out.

If you love beans you will love this salad.

Ingredients

400 g green beans

1 x tin mixed beans

1/3 cup rice vinegar

5 tbs sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1 wheel of feta cheese

Cook the green beans in salt water till soft, strain, cut in half and set aside.

Strain all the water from the tin of beans and add to salad bowl.

Add the green beans to the mix beans and season with salt and pepper.

Mix the sugar with the vinegar in a sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes, making sure that all the sugar have dissolve.

pour hot vinegar mixture over your salad.

Assemble salad in glass containers also adding some of the vinaigrette in each container. Divide the feta cheese amongst the containers and add last.

refriderate and enjoy later.

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Steak and Onion, Cheese burger salad

 

 

You know I could never understood how some moms could complain about their children being fuzzy eaters or simply refusing to eat veggies. Honestly I always thought it was the mother’s fault for not introducing their children to the different textures and taste of veggies at a young age.

But off course with all “know it all mommy’s” like myself  I  sit with a teenager that suddenly don’t eat any veggies! Seriously!? We are talking about a little 3-year-old boy who made his mommy look so good in the supermarket in front of other mommy’s by asking me to buy broccoli.

Which reminds me, I never got to thank the producer of Power Puff girls for that broccoli episode where the aliens invaded the broccoli and the children had to save the parents who ate the broccoli by only means of eating the broccoli themselves.

So since my son don’t eat any veggies anymore (unless it’s on a pizza or a hamburger),I’ve decided to make a hamburger salad.

Yes I know what you’re thinking…She is from South Africa, pumpkin in the muffins and salad with grated cheese, pure bribery and corruption!  :)

Ingredients 

Serve 4

1 Iceberg lettuce

6 Gherkins sliced

2 Tomatoes cubed

1 Onion thinly sliced

300 g Steak cut into strips

2 Bread rolls

1 Avocado  cubed

Olive oil for frying

1 cup grated Cheese

Freshly ground pepper.

Fry your onions in a little oil till caramelized and set aside.

Fry the steak with a little seasoning of your choice and set aside.

Cut the bread rolls in big cubes and transfer to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toast under a hot grill on both sides.

Assemble salads individually and top with grated cheese and a dash of  freshly ground pepper.

Tips

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Avocado is great first foods for babies, mash without adding any salt.

Freeze leftover veggies in ice cubes for the little ones. Next time you’re in a hurry simply reheat for a quick healthy meal.

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Steak with Salsa Verde, Crushed potatoes and Cucumber Salad

Salsa Verde – I don’t know why I have never tried this before! it is simply delicious.

This Salsa Verde recipe included eggs which were not to bad but next time I will make it without the eggs as the Salsa Verde is soooo  good on its own.

You are welcome to add more olive oil, mine is the skinnier version!

For the Salsa Verde

1 heaped teaspoon capers

50 ml olive oil

2 gherkins

1 tbs rice vinegar

5 mint leaves

a handful of fresh parsley

1 garlic glove

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp of castor sugar (optional)

In a food processor mix all above ingredients untill finely chopped.

Take two hard boiled eggs, mash it up and mix in with the Salsa Verde sauce.

For the cucumber Salad 

Peel and grate 1 large cucumber. Add 2 tsp of fructose or 1 tsp sugar and 2 tbs of rice / white vinegar. Season with salt and a lot of white pepper.

Keep in the fridge until dishing up and transfer to smaller bowl draining all the access juices.

For the Crushed potatoes 

Boil a medium size  potato until soft. Place on a baking tray. Use your potato masher and crush the potato flat.

Season with Salt and pepper, or any other spices you fancy. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese and bake at 200 degrees until golden brown.

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