one of my biggest efforts to keep my "healthy-ish" lifestyle going is finding new things to take for lunch each week. going out is too expensive and too easy to add a side of french fries to. so i try to bring at least 4 days a week to save money and calories. but since i normally take the same thing every day for a week to cut down time and money, it can get monotonous. so i'm always on the hunt for something new to spice up my routine.
but this one was surprisingly filling, fresh and tasty. and as i was enjoying it, i was thinking that i could easily recreate this myself to take to work for lunch this week. so i did, but with my own enhanced twist.
this past weekend, i went to brunch at le pain quotidien, which is french for something i never remember, with my friend nicole. we split the "organic quinoa detox salad," and it was awesome. i mean, just look at how pretty it is:
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| so colorful! so pretty! so obviously not my photo |
normally, i'm in agreement with my girl honey b on all things salad:
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| preach. |
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| i'm not a photographer. and i use tupperware. oh you fancy, huh? |
so before we get into the "how to make phase" please note that i do not know how to write recipes correctly, and normally i just throw things together. the directions will be stream of consciousness because that's all i really know how.
quinoa detox salad: adapted from le pain quotidien (i'm trying to give credit so i don't get sued)
makes 1 large salad
in a big bowl, start with 2 big handfuls of spinach and baby kale each.
add a handful of grape tomatoes - about 7 or so.
take a medium carrot and either shred it with a box grater or peel into ribbons with your vegetable peeler, which is what i did. add that to the bowl.
thinly slice about a quarter of a cucumber, or as much as you like for crunch.
add a big handful of chopped red cabbage (i normally buy pre-chopped because i'm lazy, but a small head of cabbage is so cheap so you might as well chop it yourself.)
now here is where things get complicated: quinoa and tofu.
quinoa: cook according to package directions, but add in a heaping tablespoon of tumeric to the water before you turn the water on and give it a swirl. once it's cooked, stir in a big handful of chopped parsley.
tofu: drain as usual then cube. season with your favorite spices - i go with garlic, salt and pepper. add to a heated non-stick pan that has a slight coating of pam, just in case. cook over medium heat until warmed through and slightly brown all sides. it doesn't matter if it gets crumbly, it's all going to be okay.
add a 1/3rd cup of the cooked quinoa and 1/3rd cup of the tofu to your salad.
then, add 2 tablespoons of some kind of hummus to the plate. since the original salad had sliced avocado on it, i've been using hope spicy avocado hummus, and it's been a good kick for the taste.
top with some kind of tahini-based dressing and the juice of a lemon half. toss to coat and then chow down.
according to my calorie tracking app, it's around 430 calories, 13g of fat, 14g of fiber and 23g of protein. not too shabby for a full meal. plus i'm sure it's got like a ton of other important nutrients and other good stuff in it.
so just eat the salad and let me know what you think. it may sound daunting, but it's really not. but i bet if you served it at an impromptu brunch, people would be impressed.
add a handful of grape tomatoes - about 7 or so.
take a medium carrot and either shred it with a box grater or peel into ribbons with your vegetable peeler, which is what i did. add that to the bowl.
thinly slice about a quarter of a cucumber, or as much as you like for crunch.
add a big handful of chopped red cabbage (i normally buy pre-chopped because i'm lazy, but a small head of cabbage is so cheap so you might as well chop it yourself.)
now here is where things get complicated: quinoa and tofu.
quinoa: cook according to package directions, but add in a heaping tablespoon of tumeric to the water before you turn the water on and give it a swirl. once it's cooked, stir in a big handful of chopped parsley.
tofu: drain as usual then cube. season with your favorite spices - i go with garlic, salt and pepper. add to a heated non-stick pan that has a slight coating of pam, just in case. cook over medium heat until warmed through and slightly brown all sides. it doesn't matter if it gets crumbly, it's all going to be okay.
add a 1/3rd cup of the cooked quinoa and 1/3rd cup of the tofu to your salad.
then, add 2 tablespoons of some kind of hummus to the plate. since the original salad had sliced avocado on it, i've been using hope spicy avocado hummus, and it's been a good kick for the taste.
top with some kind of tahini-based dressing and the juice of a lemon half. toss to coat and then chow down.
according to my calorie tracking app, it's around 430 calories, 13g of fat, 14g of fiber and 23g of protein. not too shabby for a full meal. plus i'm sure it's got like a ton of other important nutrients and other good stuff in it.
so just eat the salad and let me know what you think. it may sound daunting, but it's really not. but i bet if you served it at an impromptu brunch, people would be impressed.
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