Nopales, Quinoa, Avocado Salad

I first saw nopales at the grocery store in San Diego.  TDH and I had no idea what they were but we were just dating back then and he was willing to try anything!  For the next few days I added them to our salads or stir frys while teaching him and his roommate how to cook.  I was unaware of their nutrition benefits until a few years later when I read The Jungle Effect by Dr. Daphne Miller.  Nopales are full of dietary fiber, vitamins, magnesium, potassium and calcium.  Dr. Daphne "prescribes" nopales to her diabetic patients because studies show they affect the glycemic index.  Plus, they are crunchy and tangy!

Last week I mixed them with quinoa, ripe avocado, green onions (my kitchen staple), cucumbers and jicama.  All of these ingredients can easily be found at the farmers market right now.  We actually picked up the nopales at a road side stand in Fallbrook while en route to pick up our new chickens.

Ingredients
nopales, chopped
jicama, chopped
green onions, chopped
cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 c quinoa, cooked
lime
lemon
cumin
olive oil
maldon salt
pepper

To Do
1.  Mix all chopped vegetables, cilantro and quinoa.
2.  Squeeze half a lemon and half a lime over the salad mixture.
3.  Drizzle olive oil.
4.  Top with a few shakes of cumin and pepper and a dash of maldon salt. 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Vegan

START FRESH + FINISH HEALTHY

Fresh Ink in Competitor Magazine

Thank you Competitor Magazine for featuring my Almond & Quinoa Bliss Bars in your May issue.  I was honored to share pages with Cafe McClean out of Salt Lake City and No Meat Athlete from Maryland.  Make your own Bliss Bars at home with a few simple ingredients.  I always have a stash in the freezer for lazy mornings or training days.  Recipe here.

 

Crushed Red Pepper & Herb Focaccia Bread

I have a confession to make.  My parents didn't cook much growing up.  We grew up on take out.  I used to be AWFUL in the kitchen.  One time I baked cookies for a boyfriend in high school and he unfortunately shared them with his entire math class.  The teacher was horrified while everyone else had to spit them out.  The boyfriend told me later that day we would hire a professional chef if we ever got married.  (In case you are wondering, we didn't get married and TDH and I do not have a personal chef.)

I'm telling you this because I don't want you to be afraid of baking your own bread.  I had no idea what I was doing the first few times.  I tend to stick to focaccia bread because you don't need to knead it or use a special machine.  The trickiest part is getting the dough consistency right.  It should be slightly sticky and damp but not so sticky it clings to your hands.  In order to help you master fresh bread I will answer your dough questions via twitter.  Send pictures, questions or new ideas to @marissaborelli. 

Now, for the recipe.  My aunt's father-in-law passed down this recipe to her and I've tweaked it over the years.  Here's the latest version, incorporating super protein quinoa, brimming with fresh herbs from the backyard and flaked with crushed red pepper.  I didn't mince the herbs much this time around.  We've been watching Jamie Oliver's cooking show lately and in honor of one of his favorite sayings, "not mucking about" I threw whole thyme sprigs in the dough.    

Ingredients

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 package yeast

pinch of sugar

3/4 c quinoa flour

2 ¼ c whole wheat pastry flour

3 c unbleached white flour

2-3 tsp salt

4 sprigs rosemary

small handful of fresh thyme

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 ¼ c water (add a little more if using whole wheat flour)

first cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil (the good stuff)

Maldon salt

1.  Whisk together yeast, water and sugar. Let yeast expand for 10 minutes.

2.  Mix flours, herbs and spices.  Add water slowly and combine with a mixer, spatula or your hands.  Dough should be slightly sticky.  If it sticks to your hands too much add more flour, if it is cracking add more water. 

3.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil in a bowl three times the size of your dough ball.  Place dough in bowl and cover with a damp washcloth, secure with a rubberband.  

4.  Let rise until double - 1-6 hours (the bakers in Italy let it rise all morning or overnight but one hour is sufficient in a pinch).

5.  Preheat oven to 425* F

5.  Prepare a large cookie sheet or two 9x13 pans with good olive oil and sea salt on bottom and sides to prevent sticking.

6.  Stretch dough out on prepared pan or cookie sheet.  Punch holes with thumbs in dough, drizzle with olive oil and dust with Maldon salt.

7.  Bake 12-15 minutes.  

Almond & Quinoa Bliss Bars

Preheat oven to 350*

Ingredients

2 c rolled oats

½ c unsweetened coconut

½ c quinoa flour

1 c  nuts (almond, walnut, cashew, peanut)

½ c seeds (chia, flax, sesame)

½ c tahini

1 c unsweetened peanut butter

1 c honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

-       Mix dry ingredients in a big bowl.

-       Combine tahini, peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract in a glass bowl. Microwave for 1 minute.

-       Combine wet and dry ingredients. 

-       Spread the mixture on a greased cookie sheet or pyrex pan.  (I greased with coconut oil, you can use butter, earth balance or the ever-so-easy-but-must-be-awful-for-you PAM)

-       Bake at 350* for 15 minutes OR leave raw and cut into bars.
     Makes about 20 servings.

The bars freeze for months!  I eat them on training days, race days or sprinkle on top of yogurt or in soymilk.

Nutrition Content:
Calories: 288
Total Fat: 16.6g (the good kind)
Cholesterol:  0mg
Sodium:  57mg
Total Carbohydrates:  30.0g
Dietary Fiber:  5.2g (21% of your daily!)
Sugars:  15.4g (from the honey)
Protein:  9.0g
Vitamin A 0%     •     Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 7%     •     Iron 12%

PS: These bars were such a hit Competitor Magazine featured em'!