If you’ve been following this Blog for a while the you’ll know about my love affair with quinoa. One taste of this wholesome gluten-free grain was all it took to fall head over heels in love with it. Besides the fact that it is super nutritious, it’s also packed with protein, which makes it an ideal grain to consume for vegetarians who are lacking protein in their diets. The quinoa recipes I’ve prepared are countless, and it never ceases to amaze me how this grain continues to inspire new recipes, for example this quinoa-based rendition of traditional Greek salad. It has all the fixings of an authentic Greek salad; tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, onions, feta cheese, and so on, but with a heartier texture. Quinoa is the perfect grain to use as a blank canvas is so many recipes as it easily absorbs all the flavours it’s combined with. This refreshing and healthy Greek quinoa salad tastes delicious served cooled or at room temperature, and the best part is it tastes even better the longer it sits. What does that mean? Healthy, ready-to-serve lunches or dinners for days, to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home, packed up in school lunches or a healthy lunch option at work.

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The summer heat is still going strong here in Sardinia. In fact, this week has been one of the hottest since we arrived in early July. At any given point of the day – that is, if we’re not frolicking in the Mediterranean sea, we are searching for refuge from the heat; ice water, which is a rare find in Italy, since according to an old wive’s tale, can cause ‘blocco di stomaco’, (which could apparently kill you), air conditioner set to max, and super fresh meals, mainly salads prepared with fresh veggies from our garden. Albeit I love a fresh summer salad, I’m a grain kind of gal, and often incorporate grains into my summer salads. I love a hearty grain like quinoa or rice since they’re very versatile and can be served hot or cold. As of late Ive been preparing mostly cold rice salad recipes, like Sweet Pea Prosciutto Rice Salad, Italian Rice Salad, and this new addition to my repertoire!

You’d think that the best part of this salad would be that it is so easy to prepare – albeit a bit time-consuming if you do choose to experiment with black rice. Even better, it tastes even more delicious the longer the flavours have to sit and mingle. That means you can double the recipe and enjoy leftovers for days! My one suggestion would be to add the cherry tomatoes right before you serve the leftovers so they don’t create too much excess liquid in the salad, and top off the salad with some more fresh arugula for a crunchy bite.

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The one and only time I will devour tomatoes is when I’m in Italy, during the summer when they are grown fresh in our garden. If you’ve never grown your own or tasted garden fresh tomatoes, you’re missing out! Produce sold in supermarkets pales in comparison to the flavour of fresh, local, homegrown produce, in this case tomatoes. I crave them when we’re in Italy. Daily. Lucky for me, they’re right at my fingertips. The one con? There are usually too many to consume within the summer months, which leaves so many plump and delicious tomatoes behind in the garden. A great way to use them up is to prepare homemade sauce.

Roasting tomatoes is a great way to preserve the concentrated flavour and freshness of ripe tomatoes, plus the caramelization brings out their natural sweetness. This recipe calls for about 2 pounds of tomatoes but the quantity can easily be increased if you’re planning on storing some for future meals. The important thing to remember is to use a baking dish big enough so that they tomatoes are not overcrowded. Also, roasting time may vary depending on the variety of the tomatoes so be sure to check on them as they’re roasting, tossing them every once in a while to ensure even cooking. The preparation and cooking process for these is a cinch; halve the tomatoes, place them skin side down in a large baking tray or pan, bake until soft and the liquid has almost evaporated, then puree into a super smooth, silky sauce. My suggestion is to prepare a large batch so that you can store portions in the freezer for a quick fresh-tasting sauce during the winter months.

I know what you might be thinking…”You want me to roast tomatoes for an hour and a half on a hot summer’s day?” My answer is yes. And you will understand the reason why once you’ve tasted these tomatoes! I cannot rave any more about how delicious and flavourful this roasted tomato fettuccine recipe is however, feel free to add some of your favourite pasta-friendly ingredients, like crumbled goat cheese, cubed mozzarella, black olives, fresh capers, or a dollop of homemade pesto. These roasted tomatoes can also be added as a garnish, on top of a freshly baked piece of fish or on a crusty piece of Italian bread with a drizzle of oil and fresh oregano.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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For the past few years I am been delving more and more into vegetarian cuisine, and I have to say that it is so much more versatile than people give it credit for. Combining grains, legumes, and vegetables means endless possibilities in terms of flavour combinations. Grains like brown rice, millet, quinoa, and couscous are a blank canvas to any add-in, whether it be veggies, legumes, versatile sauces and condiments, seeds, nuts, sprouts, the list goes on. I’ve also discovered that the absolute easiest way to combine all that goodness in one plate, hence the rice bowl. The rice bowl has been my saving grace at so many dinner times, especially on busy weeknights. With a little bit of organization any rice bowl can come together in minutes.

Weekend prep time is a must for me – albeit I also find time during the week to prepare some staple ingredients while cooking up another meal. Most Sundays I cook up a batch of grains – usually quinoa or brown rice, chickpeas and lentils, and sauté or roast a few different types of veggies. Everything gets stored in it’s own individual container in the fridge for easy access. With everything already prepared all I have to do is combine them with a few add-ins; fresh greens like kale or spinach, pumpkin seeds, cashews, pesto sauce, tapenade, avocado, hummus, guac, fresh tomatoes, the options are limitless. It’s amazing how with only a few ingredients you can create a different culinary masterpiece every time you prepare a rice bowl.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

Not a fan of cauliflower? Try one of these other delicious combinations;

Brown Rice Primavera Bowl
Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Bowl
Chickpea Quinoa Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette
Caramelized Onion Quinoa Bowl
Salmon Quinoa Salad with Lemon Caper Vinaigrette
Warm Shrimp Quinoa Bowl
Ginger Sesame Broccoli Rabe Quinoa

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Summers in Sardinia are hot, and consequently the oven rarely gets turned on. Fresh salads are an integral part to summer fare, but since they are prepared so often they can get so predictable and boring. This salmon quinoa salad is definitely more interesting than your average salad. It was a no-brainer to prepare for lunch today since I had all of the ingredients on hand, including the green beans which were freshly picked from our garden this morning! The delicious combination of avocado, salmon, green beans, lemons, and capers actually surpassed my expectations. The lemon caper vinaigrette really makes this salad pop, while the quinoa makes it hearty enough to be considered a meal all on its own. On that note, I’m over lettuce-based salads at the moment. Eating lighter fare for the summer does come with the territory, but sometimes you just need a heartier, richer, and more flavourful salad to satisfy your hunger. And this salad is it! 

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This popular pasta dish was created in a small village called Amatrice, located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. At its most authentic it is made with smoky guanciale, pecorino cheese, olive oil, dry white wine, San Marzano tomatoes, hot pepper flakes and salt. While most pasta sauces that include tomatoes also call for onions, garlic, and herbs, the most classic recipe includes none of the above as they were once upon a time too expensive for the shepherds who used to prepare this dish. Since then there have been countless interpretations of this recipe, one of which I am sharing with you today.

My recipe differs from the original recipe is a few ways. My reasoning? When you’re cooking for kids you have to be a little lenient with conventionality. I’ve substituted cubed pancetta for guanciale (simply because that’s what I had on hand), and also opted for small bowtie pasta as opposed to spaghetti or bucatini. Omitting the hot pepper flakes was a given, but you can easily add some as a garnish if you like the heat. Instead, I added some cracked black pepper for garnish.

On a side note, we’ve been living in Italy for almost a month now and the locals seem somewhat baffled that my 4 and 6 year old cannot yet elegantly twirl their spaghetti around their forks. Almost sacrilege for Italians, I’d say – or so it seems. It’s an art, and one I’m sure kids here learn at a very early age. My kids will succeed in due time. For now, I’d rather save myself the mess and headache and prepare a smaller, kid-friendly pasta – and I’m quite concern my kids appreciate a quicker and less stressful method of eating their pasta. Regardless of the substitutions and choice of pasta, this dish is rich and flavourful and is always a winner at the dinner table.

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Summer days in Sardinia also call for the beach! And the stunning beaches are plentiful here. Now that the kids are older visits to the beach are much easier – they carry their own toys, change themselves, and put on their own sunscreen. Even better, they can feed themselves! Long gone are the days when I had to prop them up against a beach bag, feed them with a spoon and ensure they didn’t fall over into the sand, or even eat the sand! Now they plop themselves down on their towels, grab their snacks out of the cooler, and we’re good to go.

This healthy summer pasta salad is one of their favourites. They’re not big fans of cooked vegetables, but fresh veggies are a winner, especially when they are homegrown ones that they’ve helped grow in our garden. The combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil is already delicious, but the addition of black olives adds some tanginess, and the fresh mozzarella gives a creamy flavour. All you need as a condiment is some extra virgin olive oil and a touch of salt. This fresh healthy salad can be served at room temperature or cooled, and makes for a great pack n’go meal. It tastes even more delicious the day after prepared as the flavours have time to sit and combine.

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I have a confession to make. I’m obsessed with cauliflower. It actually surprises me that I haven’t posted more cauliflower-inspired recipes on the Blog, considering I roast an entire head of cauliflower at least once a week. If you’ve never tasted roasted cauliflower, you’re missing out. Slowly roasting the cauliflower coaxes out all the natural sugars, resulting in sweet, caramelized, tender florets.

My other obsession? Quinoa. It should be a pantry staple in everyone’s kitchen. It has a rich, nutty flavour, is loaded with protein, and tastes delicious with just about everything. There is always a bag or two of quinoa stashed in my pantry. Albeit quinoa is easy to come by nowadays, the quality of it varies extensively. Since I consume it so often it’s important for me to choose the best quality brand, like GoGo Quinoa . The combination of the caramelized cauliflower and the nutty quinoa, dressed with a creamy and tangy avocado lime vinaigrette makes this clean eating recipe full of fresh, simple flavours, yet rich and satisfying too!

I have one more confession to make. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t convince my kids to eat this. For starters, there’s green in it. Enough said. Secondly, they have yet to appreciate cauliflower as much as I do – no matter which way I prepare it. It’s all good. They’ll get there, and in the meantime, I’ll serve myself seconds!

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Cooking to have leftovers is my ultimate secret to meal planning. Sunday mornings are usually reserved for making big batch meals, as well as cooking grains and legumes for the week so I can whip up easy buddha bowls on the fly. I got my hands on some fresh wild salmon filets at the grocery store the other day, and I won’t lie – I was giddy! For a while now, the farmed counterpart has turned me completely off, with the increasing news about its quality and potential health risks. Of course, if you prefer a more cost effective option, you could always use a good quality canned salmon or tuna. Either way these wholesome fish burgers will be delicious. Cooking proteins at their peak freshness is another key to ensuring optimal flavour in meals, so I usually prepare fish and meats the day I purchase them, even if we don’t consume them that specific day. Besides that, another plus to pre-cooking proteins is that it reduces much of the prep time, which is ideal for quick and easy weeknight dinners. Adding these salmon filets to my Sunday meal prep list was a no-brainer. Besides, when you’ve got three burners going at once, turning on one more doesn’t make a difference in terms of time or effort.

These healthy salmon rice burgers are more filling than you might expect, yet they’re still light and fresh in flavour. They’re a great way to get some more fish in your diet and can be served in a bun with a bit of tartar sauce or avocado, or alongside a simple salad for a light and clean lunch or dinner. They have a crispy, light exterior, and they’re crumbly and moist on the inside. They can be stored in the fridge of the freezer. To reheat you can either warm them in the microwave, or sauté them in a pan for a few minutes to get that crispy, browned exterior.

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One of the best aspects of being a food blogger is that I get to share my favourite clean eating recipes with my readers. Another bonus is that I have the possibility to share delicious, healthy products that I’ve discovered you. And do I have an amazing product to share with you today!

I’d like to introduce you to GoGo Quinoa, an amazing company based in Montreal, Canada, that boasts a line of over 30 delicious products, all of which are vegan and gluten-free. GoGo Quinoa offers ethically produced and fairly priced products without compromising on quality and delicious flavour. The fact that the GoGo Quinoa brand prides itself on providing high quality, flavourful products truly resonates with me, since providing quality meals for my family is a top priority. I’d love to describe in precise detail how delicious all (yes, all!) of their products are – like their decadent and rich chocolate cake mix, their fluffy pancake mix, and their hearty pastas (which Globe and Mail deemed as one of the best gluten-free pastas) however, I would need more than one Blog post for that!

Today I’ll be introducing you to their Quinoa Tri-Color medley. Quinoa has been a constant on my grocery list for many years, and I can say in all honesty that this product is by far the best one I’ve had, in terms of flavour, convenience, and quality. This recipe for ginger sesame broccoli rabe quinoa was so simple to prepare – I just cooked a pre-rinsed portion of their organic quinoa and combined it with some broccoli rabe sautéed in a garlic, ginger, sesame, and soy sauce. Now, back to GoGo Quinoa and the awesome giveaway I have for you today!

GoGo Quinoa has generously partnered with me to offer you the chance to win a package of their delicious Tri-Color Quinoa, plus a bag of their breakfast cereal Cinnamon Crunchies, which also happens to be a healthy grab n’ go snack! Just follow the instructions below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to Canadian and U.S. residents and will run for one week, from January 10th to January 17th, 2017. The lucky winner will be announced at random on January 20th.

For more information about GoGo Quinoa, go to:
Web: GoGoQuinoa.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GoGo-Quinoa/219373574767975
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoGoQuinoa

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