Tri-This; Quinoa

Quinoa is supposed to be pretty much the perfect food. It is super high in protein, low in sugar, and gluten free! It is actually a seed not a grain, did you know that? Quinoa has recently become one of my favourite ingredients. So here are a few experiments I have tried with it that turned out well!

1. Quinoa Crusted Turkey Burgers

This is an adaptation of a recipe I posted about here. But instead of using breadcrumbs to coat the turkey burger, I used Quinoa!  It crisped up really well and is obviously a fantastic healthy substitute for breadcrumbs. I actually added curry powder to the turkey mixture this time, which turned out great! I also put in a little bit less garlic.

Ingredients;

Burger
400g Lean Turkey Mince
1 Clove of Garlic
1 or 2 tsp Ground Cumin (or/and curry powder)
Chopped coriander

Crust
Cooked Quinoa
Pepper and Salt to taste
2 eggs
Olive oil

For the full recipe check out this post, substituting breadcrumbs for quinoa, obviously!

2. Quinoa Flap Jacks

I've seen a few recipes about which use quinoa as an ingredient in a sweet dish, so I thought I would give it a go myself! My idea was to make little snack bars, but I think actually they taste better served with yoghurt, so these are perfect for a breakfast treat! Full of goodness and no naughty ingredients at all!

Ingredients;
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup oats
2 mashed bananas
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup raspberries
sesame seeds
Ground flax seed
Agave nectar to taste

Rinse and cook your quinoa, then put to one side. Mash the bananas and mix with the coconut oil, oats, sesame seeds, ground flax seed and quinoa. Add agave nectar to taste. Add the raspberries last and mix in carefully. Put the mixture in a flat baking tray. It would probably be a good idea to line the baking tray with baking paper, but I didn't think of this at the time! I cooked this in the aga for about 30 minutes, but just keep checking on it until it is brown on top, but not burnt!

3. Quinoa Salad

I like to make all sorts of quinoa salads, it really just depends what is in my cupboards! My favourite is probably salmon with peas, sweetcorn and avocado. This one is really tasty too!

Ingredients;
Quinoa
Broccoli
Onion (Diced)
Chorizo Sausage
Butter

Rinse and boil up your quinoa. Meanwhile fry up some diced onions, small chunks of chorizo sausage, and broccoli with a little butter. Rinse your quinoa then chuck it in the pan with everything else for a minute or two. Finished!

Are you a fan of quinoa? 

Laura xXx

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Tri-This - Avocado

I've got a bit of a thing about avocados, I could eat them all the time! Hence why I have chosen them to be the subject for todays Tri-This! Aside from delicious guacamole, (which I made in this post), there are soo many things you can make with Avocados, some even rather unexpected! 

1. Avocado and Haloumi Salad

This might look simple, but eating avocado's in a salad is as delicious a way as any! And now that I have discovered Haloumi, I'm sure I will be eating lots more too!

Ingredients;

1 Avocado

Haloumi - Pan fried

Tomatoes

Tinned Sweetcorn

Spinach

I don't think I really need to give you instructions how to make this, it's pretty self explanatory!

2. Avocado and Chocolate Brownies

Ok, so this might sound a bit weird. But I'm sure you are used to me putting avocado in desserts, and if you aren't you can see my last try here. I found the original recipe, which I adapted slightly, here. I'm not going to lie, this isn't the healthiest recipe I have ever done featuring avocados, but it is better for you than a normal brownie, plus it is wheat free and you would never know! These are yummy and I highly recommend you try them!

Ingredients;

1 large avocado (well mashed)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup agave nectar

2 tablespoons coffee (not coffee grounds, mixed with water)

1 large egg

1/4 a cup melted butter

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup gluten free flour

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Essentially just mix it all together well, then put the mixture in an 8in x 8in baking tin. I baked mine in an aga for about 50 minutes, but you can refer to the original recipe if you are unsure.

3. Avocado and Tuna Sandwich

And last but not least, this is one of our all time favourite lunch go-to recipes. It is so simple and healthy too!

Ingredients;
1 Avocado
1/2 tin of tuna
Bread
Tomatoes (optional)
Mayonaise (optional)

Again, I'm sure you don't need much guidance with this one. The key is to mash the avocado before adding the tuna, then mix it all together well. Sometimes I chop up some baby tomatoes and pop them in the mix. And when I'm feeling naughty, and Chris isn't watching, I PUT MAYONNAISE IN IT! Shh, don't tell Chris.

What are your favourite Avocado recipes?  

Laura xXx

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