I sometimes find myself hungry at odd hours–usually when I’m studying. Since it’s finals time and I usually like to have something to snack on while I study, I decided it’s better not to reach for the tempting sweets (chocolate is my downfall–you will quickly learn that). But, sometimes if you find your fridge is a little empty, you have to be creative. And that’s what I decided to do (with a little help from my friend!)

Quinoa Veggie Salad

I started out with the initial idea of doing something with the quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wa) I purchased at Whole Foods. It’s always frustrated me because I never could think of what to do with it. But it’s simple! Treat it like rice, boil the water, throw the quinoa in, and make sure you you put a cover on the pot so that the grains will soak up the water. I used a mix of red and white quinoa (because colorful food is always better!) and when it was done it looked something like this:

You will see the little white sprouts coming out of the grains when it is finished. It will come out a little crunchier than rice, but it has a nice texture. Depending on your texture preferences, you can add more water and cook for a bit longer for a softer texture. But remember, the less you cook it, the more health benefits you will get out of it. Either way, quinoa is an excellent source of essential amino acids, protein, fiber, iron and more.

But plain quinoa wasn’t going to cut it. I took a little bit of broccolini and grape tomatoes, threw it in a pan with olive oil and flavored it with a dash of salt.

You can use pretty much any veggies you have in the fridge–bell peppers, tomato, carrots, broccoli, squash, whatever! You could even get creative with it and throw some chopped walnuts and cranberries. For me, I stuck with the only veggies in my fridge (broccolini and grape tomatoes) and placed it on top of the quinoa. To add flavor, I put a little balsamic glaze on the plate to boost the flavor. Mmmmm it was delicious, light and satisfied my late night hunger. Not to mention it’s super healthy and took a total of 20 mins to make.

What do you usually make when it seems like there’s no food in the house? I’d love to hear your make-shift recipes!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl