Springtime Quinoa with Green Peas, Feta and Mint

Springtime Quinoa with
Green Peas, Feta and Mint

It is finally Springtime here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, although this past weekend felt more like summer with temperatures reaching into the upper 70s.  The only things missing were the leaves on the trees, green grass and flowers.  Not that I was complaining.  I spent as much of the weekend as possible outdoors, raking my recently thawed garden beds, sitting on my front steps enjoying the sun and playing baseball with my kids.  And the best way to celebrate the end of what I think was one of the stormiest and coldest winters I have ever experienced, is to eat a couple of good meals outside, listening to the sounds of birds chirping, wind blowing and children yelling. :)

Although I couldn't go to my barren garden to get any of the fresh ingredients for this dish yet, I definitely plan to make it again once I have my own green peas and mint growing in abundance. The combination of the mint, the feta and the Greek olives give this salad a Mediterranean twist that tastes as fresh and wholesome as it is good for you.  If you are like my husband and I and have never been keen on the strong flavor of regular quinoa, you really should give organic red quinoa a chance.  It has a much milder flavor, while still providing a large serving of protein and fiber.  It cooks up quicker than rice and can be served warm or cold.  We ate this salad the night I made it with a side of rotisserie chicken and organic grape tomatoes, but it honestly tasted better the next day straight out of the fridge.  The perfect Spring (or Summer!) salad is only about 30 minutes away!

High Protein Pasta Dinner with Sun Dried Tomato Paste

High Protein Pasta Dinner
with Sun Dried Tomato Paste

Not every meal I make is planned out in advance or highly complicated.  Most of my meals are actually very simple combinations of foods I have on hand in my freezer or pantry all the time.  This dinner is one such example.  I had some frozen organic whole wheat pesto filled raviolis in my freezer that had been there for awhile and thought I would figure out a quick and simple weeknight dish by combining them with some sun dried tomatoes I had been wanting to use.  I love sun dried tomatoes and know that they are really good for you, but usually the process of slicing them up into thin strips or pieces is time consuming and I just didn't feel like spending a long time prepping dinner.  (I was also in the middle of making a batch of muffins for breakfast so I really needed to keep things simple).  So I decided to let my magic bullet blender do the work for me and attempt to make my very own sun dried tomato paste.

I was not planning on even writing this "recipe" up in my blog, but the result was so delicious, and so simple to throw together, that I thought it was worth sharing, especially after receiving this morning's Dr. Oz newsletter which listed both sun dried tomatoes and green peas as "surprising sources of protein."  I honestly had no idea.  I knew that they were both highly nutritious, but I didn't know that a cup of each one contains a remarkable 8g of protein! Green peas are also really high in fiber and one cup provides 100% of your daily vitamin C.

As for the sun dried tomatoes, they are truly one of nature's healthiest foods. As stated above, one cup contains 8g of protein, in addition to 7g of fiber and half of the potassium that your body needs in a day.  They are also high in iron, the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, as well as vitamin K. Sun dried tomatoes also contain high amounts of vitamins A and C, as well as other highly important antioxidants.  Honestly, they are amazing, and the perfect way to add some super nutrition to any pasta dish you are making.  I did use pesto filled ravioli, but this paste would be good with any type of pasta, rice, chicken or fish meal, or even as a spread on a sandwich.  I definitely plan to make it again soon and will share how I incorporate it into my next culinary adventure.  Buon appetito!