Pesto Quinoa Salad

I'm constantly on the hunt for recipes that I can make and bring to social events. I found this pesto quinoa salad recipe and modified it a bit.  It's often hard to find something tasty, IC-approved, and normal to bring to a gathering.  This salad fits the bill even if it is a little hippie/girly.  I say this because all of the females raved, and my dad said, "Good thing I love you, because I do NOT like your salad." Just proves you can't please everyone! However, I did get two requests for this recipe, so I call it a success.  And might I add that I love having it in the fridge for a quick, no prep (once it's made!) lunch.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

Pesto Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 can chickpeas 

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 cucumber (leave on the side if you have picky, non-cucumber-loving guests)

1 cup crumbled feta cheese 

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup pesto 

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa (this evidently makes it taste less bitter.) Put quinoa in medium saucepan and cover with 2 cups water.  Heat on stove over medium high heat. When it comes to a boil, turn heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and fluff with a fork (all water should be absorbed. If it is not, return to heat, cover, and cook a few more minutes.) Put quinoa in large bowl and stick in fridge to cool.

2. Chop up peppers and cucumber. 

3. Combine all ingredients and store in fridge for a few hours to chill, serve, and enjoy! 

Notes: if you want a bright green salad, follow all the previous steps, but do not mix in the pesto.  Prepare the pesto and mix into the salad right before serving.  Once the pesto sits on the salad for a few hours, the salad turns a brown-ish color... The flavors come together and it tastes better (in my opinion,) but it doesn't look as appealing. You make the call! 

Roasted Red Pepper Turkey Meatloaf

Okay, who else misses meat loaf?  Honestly, I was never a huge meatloaf fan, but my husband... it was one of his favorites (and, thanks to this recipe, still is.)  IC demanded the stopping of meat mixed with ketchup, tomato paste, and Worcestershire, and I have long played in the kitchen trying to come up with a yummy substitute.

I chose to use ground turkey in this because I am ever searching for ways to lower the fat intake in my diet.  I don't know about you, but I initially gained weight once getting diagnosed, and I think it was largely because I was searching out anything that would make my taste buds happy.  (And the abundance of meds didn't help either.) I felt deprived in so many ways, but I could eat french fries and milkshakes, so I ate a lot of french fries and drank a lot of milk shakes.  That attitude helped pack on some pounds, and I am now hunting out ways to cut fat and calories without cutting out more taste.  This recipe fits into that category for me.  The turkey actually makes a really juicy and tasty loaf, and the spices and bread crumbs just round things out perfectly.

In my hiatus, I started gluten free and dairy free.  Honestly, I am not pushing that one of you, but I find the changes to really help with my IC, likely because of the inflammation those ingredients often cause.  I used corn chex and rice chex crumbled for my breadcrumbs, you choose whatever bread crumbs work for you.  Hopefully now that my diet is figured out again, I will be sharing yummy things often again.  

Now get together your meatloaf, mashed taters, and green beans.. Southern comfort to the rescue.

Roasted Red Pepper Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb ground turkey
1 1/3 c. bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

3 roasted red peppers
1 Tbl. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In food processor, mix roasted red peppers, olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning, and sugar until well blended and smooth.  Put 1/3 cup of this mixture aside for topping.
3. Using your hands, squish and combine turkey, bread crumbs, egg, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and (all but 1/3c.) roasted red pepper mixture.  When mixed, spread into a loaf pan.  Top with reserved 1/3 cup of roasted red pepper mixture.
4. Bake for 1 hr and 15 mins or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F... Enjoy!