Quinoa Haystacks

In one of my recent posts I talked about the quinoa salad our friend Matt made for us when we stayed with him and Chelsea.  In the last two weeks I’ve probably made it at least eight times.  I just can’t get enough of it.  It’s so filling and so incredibly healthy and the yummiest “salad” I’ve ever had.   I changed the name to Quinoa Haystacks because it reminds me of the haystacks my family ate when I was a kid.

For those of you  who’ve never heard of haystacks (which is probably everyone) this is how you make them:  heat up a can of beans and tomato sauce and once hot enough, add it to a plate of plane nacho chips.  Next add raw veggies (green & red sweet peppers, celery, tomatoes, corn, peas, etc.).  On top of that add a bit of salsa and enjoy.  At the time we would add shredded chedder cheese and sour cream.  When we stopped eating dairy we would obviously leave out those last two ingredients (and it tasted even better!) Not the healthiest meal, but a great way to get your kids to eat some veggies.

Quinoa Haystacks are very similar but instead of nachos, I use quinoa, and instead of beans in tomato sauce, I use plain black beans.  Much healthier plus it has protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, all in one dish.

 

Here’s the list of ingredients I use when I make it.  I didn’t include amounts because it’s all personal preference.  Add as little or as much of each ingredient as you like.

Ingredients:

• cooked white quinoa, cold
• english or baby cucumbers, chopped
• asparagus, chopped
• tomato, seeds removed & chopped
• red & green sweet peppers
• carrots, shredded
• celery, chopped
• canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• creamy avocado dressing (from “Raw Food Detox Starts Today”)

 

combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  This is a fun meal to make for your friends.  Have everything chopped  and ready to serve but let your friends add their own veggies to their bowls of quinoa.

(Thanks Matt & Chelsea for this awesome recipe!)

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