Southwestern Quinoa Salad

I seriously cannot believe that it is already August! Didn't I just get home from finals?? Wasn't July 4th yesterday?? Where does time go?!?! I'm excited because August means my birthday and my return to Chapel Hill, but I must say I am not ready for classes! I am in full on summer mode.

I love summer. I always have. I especially love the fresh foods ready to be eaten during the summertime: berries, corn, watermelon, etc. Yum yum yum. With all these fresh foods readily available, and with swimsuit season well upon us (eek.), I love having healthy go to dishes.

This summer, I have fallen in love with the healthy protein-rich and fiber-filled quinoa. I have definitely hopped on the quinoa bandwagon. It is so easy and can be made in a variety of different ways, making it versatile for any meal! With so many recipes floating around, you seriously can't get bored with this stuff.

This dish is packed with black beans, corn, and red bell peppers - nom. The lime juice and cilantro give it a bright, fresh taste and make this, for me at least, a summery dish. This is healthy and filling and pairs well with grilled chicken!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad (makes 4-6 servings)
Recipe from Archer Farms Market

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.25 oz.) can sweet corn, drained OR 2 ears of fresh, cooked corn
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. ground cumin

Directions

1. Thoroughly rinse 1 cup quinoa with water. Combine quinoa and 1 and 1/2 cups water in medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 to 15 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender.
3. Remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes.
4. Combine beans, corn, red bell pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl. Stir in cooked quinoa.
5. Combine lime juice, oil, and cumin in a small bowl. Toss with quinoa misture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or chilled (I prefer chilled).

Spinach & Smoked Gouda Penne Bake

This past weekend, I visited my wonderful friends who are up in Chapel Hill for the summer. It was a great weekend that included a shopping trip with some lovely girlfriends (holler atcha Hannah and Bushman), Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt (THE BEST), and a trip to the driving range with my boyfriend. I packed a lot into a couple of days and it made me all the more excited to get back to school for a new semester!

Over the weekend, I went to three classic restaurants in Chapel Hill and ate my heart out. I dined on my favorite veggie wrap at Spanky's Friday night, ate a drool-worthy sandwich at Sutton's on Saturday for lunch, and  enjoyed Sunday morning brunch at Breadman's. Like someone pinch me...total food heaven.

God Bless Sutton's Drug Store.

In order to not feel TOTALLY guilty about my food consumption AND to save money (I'm a broke college student 4 realz), I brought up a pasta bake so that one of my weekend meals would be taken care of.

This colorful dish is filled with tons of fresh spinach, bell pepper, garlic, and tomatoes, and it's all topped with lots of smoked gouda...YUM. It's healthy and delicious all in one. And more importantly for many, it's super easy to make and is a great meal to throw together in a pinch and serve alongside a simple salad.

When my mom found this recipe in our local newspaper, it quickly became a family favorite. Try it out yourself and I am sure you won't be disappointed!

Spinach & Smoked Gouda Penne Bake

Recipe from The Charlotte Observer

• 2 tbsp. (approx.) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small/medium yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
• 1 (6 oz.) bag washed baby spinach
• 1 (12-16 oz.) box penne pasta
• 8 oz. smoked gouda cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Boil the pasta in salted water according to package directions, drain, and keep warm.
2. Prepare 13x9 lightly greased glass casserole dish and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
3. In a deep skillet pour in the olive oil (approximately 2 tablespoons or 2 turns of the skillet) and turn on medium-high heat.
4. Add the onion to the skillet and allow to cook for about two minutes, constantly stirring. Next, add the minced garlic and again, allow to cook for about two more minutes, stirring. Add in the yellow pepper, repeating the same steps to cook until the vegetables are softened.
5. Next, add the diced tomatoes.  Reduce the heat to low-medium and cook vegetable mixture together for about 5 minutes.  
6. Turn the heat off and add spinach, a little bit at a time, allowing to wilt.  Add vegetable mixture to the cooked pasta, and toss with 1/2 of the shredded gouda cheese.
7. Pour pasta concoction into greased casserole dish and sprinkle remaining shredded gouda over the top.
8. Cook in prepared oven for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted - ENJOY!