A delicious smoothie makes for a great light summer breakfast or a filling healthy snack that also cools you down. Let’s start with a basic strawberry smoothie recipe and then I’ll give you some ideas for variations as well.

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

• 6 large strawberries
• 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt
• 1 cup low fat milk

Put everything into a blender, blend and serve. You can easily multiply this strawberry smoothie recipe to serve several people.

Variations:

Let’s start with the obvious. Strawberry and Banana are always a yummy combination. Add 1/2 banana to your smoothie per person.

I usually use vanilla yogurt in this recipe, but you can easily replace it with your own favorite flavor. For extra strawberry flavor use strawberry yogurt and for a fancy treat, why not replace it with some white chocolate flavored yogurt.

Add some other berries like blueberries and raspberries in for added flavor. I also like a few slices of peach in my strawberry smoothie.

For a simple frozen treat freeze the strawberries (and or other fruit you are using) before making your smoothie with it.

For added protein use low-fat greek yogurt in this strawberry smoothie recipe

You can also substitute your favorite fruit juice for the milk. Adjust the thickness of your smoothie by using more or less liquid. Less liquid (i.e. milk) will make a thicker smoothie.

Recommended : Amazing Smoothie Recipes

For more delicious and healthy smoothie recipes get a copy of Amazing Smoothies. This ebook includes over 200 delicious and healthy smoothie recipes. It’s a great way to make sure you and your family get the recommended servings of fruits and veggies each day.

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Quinoa is an ancient grain that can be used in all kinds of different foods. One of my own new favorite is quinoa pasta. Since this grain is a complete protein, pasta made from it is much healthier than the traditional kind. While you can find some ready-made noodles at your local health food store, I thought it would be fun to try out an actual quinoa pasta recipe. It was surprisingly simple to make and turned out very yummy. I served it with a simple tomato sauce and a bit of Parmesan cheese on top.

Quinoa Pasta Recipe

• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 1/3 cup tapioca flour
• 4 tablespoons potato flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• Flour for kneading

Start by combining the 3 different flours by pouring them into a bowl. Add the salt and give everything a good stir to mix them together. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the egg, oil and water to it. Use your hands to gently scoop some of the flour over the liquid ingredients and start to mix everything together. Keep mixing until the dough is formed into a ball. Cover the bowl with a plate or some plastic wrap and let it rest for an hour on the counter.

Check the dough. If it feels very sticky, knead a little more flour into it. I used a mixture of the three combined flours for this. Once the dough is soft and pliable but no longer tacky, roll it out on some flour as thing as possible and cut it into thin strips.

If you have a pasta maker, you can of course use that as well with this simple quinoa pasta recipe.

Cook the noodles in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain and serve with your favorite pasta sauce.

Ready for more quinoa tips and recipes (including more quinoa pasta recipes), I recommend you get a copy of this ebook to learn more. It’s called “The Complete Guide to Cooking With Quinoa“.

It’s packed full of delicious recipes for anything from soups and stews to salads, stir fries and even dessert.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/quinoa

I already mentioned that I’ve been experimenting with quinoa for the past few weeks. And while my husband and I enjoy the grain just plain (cooked very much like rice) as a side dish, our daughter hasn’t been a big fan. She enjoys the muffins and turkey meatloaf I’ve been with this, but didn’t really care for it as a side dish.

Tonight she was asking for Mac and Cheese and inspiration struck

Cheesy Quinoa Recipe (Kid Approved)

• 1 cup dry, prewashed quinoa grain
• 2 cups of water
• 1 small cube of chicken bullion
• a dash of garlic salt
• 1 cup of shredded cheese (we used cheddar, but any meltable cheese will do)
• 1 tbsp of margarine or butter
• a splash of milk if needed

Add the quinoa and water to a medium saucepan. Add the chicken bullion and garlic salt. Bring it to a boil and give it a good stir. Cover the pot with a lid or plate and reduce the heat to low. Allow the quinoa to simmer covered for 15 minutes or until it is soft and the liquid has been absorbed.

Turn of the stove and add the butter and cheese. Stir it until the cheese is melting into the quinoa. Last night I was a little short on shredded cheese, so I added a good dash of grated parmesan cheese to make up the difference. If needed add a splash of milk until the quinoa is about the consistency of polenta. I had to add a couple of table spoons. Season with salt and pepper to taste if you’d like. We enjoyed it just the way it was.

Ready for more quinoa tips and recipes, I recommend you get a copy of this ebook to learn more. It’s called “The Complete Guide to Cooking With Quinoa“.

It’s packed full of delicious recipes for anything from soups and stews to salads, stir fries and even dessert.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/quinoa

Here’s a recipe for some simple and rather plain quinoa muffins. I am including some suggestions to add variety to the recipe at the end. They are quite hardy and delicious not to forget healthy. Bake up a batch and enjoy quinoa muffins for breakfast or as a simple snack.

Quinoa Muffins

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook the quinoa in a cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. You will end up with 2 cups of cooked quinoa. Set it aside to cool.

In the meantime combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the quinoa and stir until you have it worked into the flour mixture.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a cup or small bowl, then pour them into the flour / quinoa mixture. Stir it just until everything is combined.

Spray a regular sized 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Scoop the batter into the tins. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes.

Quinoa Muffin Variations

Here are a couple of “add-on” ideas for these rather plain quinoa muffins. Incorporate those ingredients with the quinoa into the flour mixture, then proceed as mentioned above.

• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1/2 cup of chopped dried dates
• 1/4 cup of dried apricots and 1/4 cup of chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup of chopped apple pieces and a good dash of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of apple finely chopped apple or raisins and 1/4 cup chopped walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup mashed banana and 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or dried blueberries

Of course you can also experiment with your own favorite muffin ingredients.

Ready for more quinoa tips and recipes, I recommend you get a copy of this ebook to learn more. It’s called “The Complete Guide to Cooking With Quinoa“.

It’s packed full of delicious recipes for anything from soups and stews to salads, stir fries and even dessert.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/quinoa

This is a simple but delicious salad made from quinoa, black beans and tomatoes.

• 1 cup quinoa
• dash of salt

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 can of black beans
• 2 to 3 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• Fresh Herbs (optional – I like using cilantro)

Rinse the quinoa, then cook in a medium pot with 2 cups of water and a dash of salt. (If you need more detailed instructions, read How To Prepare Quinoa ). Cook the quinoa covered for about 10 minutes or so or until all the water is absorbed and the grain is tender. Allow it to cool.

Make the dressing by combining the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and spices.

Cut the tomatoes into chunks and add them to the dressing in a medium sized bowl. Chop the onion finely and add it as well. If you happen to have a bell pepper or some celery that needs to be used up, feel free to chop it and throw it in as well.

Open the can of black beans and pour the beans into a strainer. Rinse them with plenty of water. Give the excess liquid a minute to drain off completely, then pour the black beans into your salad bowl.

Add the quinoa and fresh herbs and gently toss it until everything is mixed well. Serve at room temperature, or chill in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Ready for more quinoa tips and recipes, I recommend you get a copy of this ebook to learn more. It’s called “The Complete Guide to Cooking With Quinoa“.

It’s packed full of delicious recipes for anything from soups and stews to salads, stir fries and even dessert.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/quinoa

Quinoa tastes great in soups and this simple corn chowder recipe is one of our favorites. The quinoa makes it a more filling and satisfying meal. Plus the nutty flavor of this grain nicely balances the sweetness of the corn. I make it with frozen corn, but you could also use fresh or even canned corn. If you use canned corn, be sure to rinse it well since most canned vegetables have a lot of extra salt in them. Since the canned corn is also fully cooked, you need to add it to the soup a little late.

Here’s the recipe:

Quinoa Corn Chowder

• 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 large potato, diced
• 2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups plain soymilk
• 3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, torn into small pieces
• salt and pepper

Get out a medium sized pot and cook the onion in the oil until it is translucent. Add the corn and diced potato and saute everything for a minute or two. Add the vegetable broth and soy milk and bring everything to a boil. Add the quinoa and cumin. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer to soup for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa and potatoes are tender.

Add the cillantro, salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Ready for more quinoa tips and recipes, I recommend you get a copy of this ebook to learn more. It’s called “The Complete Guide to Cooking With Quinoa“.

Give this simple turkey meatloaf with quinoa a try. It is absolutely delicious and much better for you than a traditional meatloaf. The quinoa gives it some great texture and greatly improves the turkey. Tastes just like regular meatloaf to me.

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1/3 cup quinoa, dry
• 1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 large onion, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the dry quinoa in 2/3 of a cup of water according to your package directions (or read this about how to prepare quinoa). If you already have some cooked up, use 1 cup of prepared quinoa in this recipe.

Chop up your onion. Put the ground turkey, the chopped onion, the tomato sauce, egg, olive oil and cooked quinoa into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper and mix everything really well. Form the mixture into a loaf, put it on a baking pan and bake it for 50 minutes to an hour at 400F.

Ready for more quinoa tips and recipes, I recommend you get a copy of this ebook to learn more. It’s called “The Complete Guide to Cooking With Quinoa“.

It’s packed full of delicious recipes for anything from soups and stews to salads, stir fries and even dessert.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/quinoa

I promised I’d tell you more about quinoa. Today, let’s talk about how to prepare quinoa. It is actually quite simple. You cook quinoa very much like you cook lose rice. To prepare just plain quinoa, mix 1 part of the grain with 2 parts of water.

For example, mix one cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, and give it a good stir. Then turn the heat to low and put a lid on your pot. Cook the quinoa for 10 to 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

Remove the cooked grain from the stove and fluff it with a fork before you serve it. You can serve it as a side dish just like you would plain rice like this.

You can also use the cooked quinoa to add it to soups and stews or use it instead of rice in casseroles.

Ready for more quinoa tips and recipes, I recommend you get a copy of this ebook to learn more. It’s called “The Complete Guide to Cooking With Quinoa“.

It’s packed full of delicious recipes for anything from soups and stews to salads, stir fries and even dessert.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/quinoa

I recently came across an interesting little grain called quinoa and have been experimenting with it. I first heard about it on “The Biggest Loser” tv show where contestants and personal trainers were raving about it because it is whole grain, low in calories and it makes a complete protein.

The more I heard about it, the more intrigued I became with this ancient little grain. Apparently it was used by the Inca and they called it the “Mother Grain” since it played such an important role in their nutrition.

I figured it was time to give it a try. I about had a heart attach when I found a rather smallish bag of the grain at my local grocery store selling for almost $12. That was a bit much for my frugal budget. Thankfully I was able to get a box of it for under $3 at another store. It wasn’t a whole lot, but enough for us to give this little grain a try.

At first I boiled and served it pretty much the way I do rice… just plain without any seasonings, add ins or toppings. I liked the nutty flavor of it, but the rest of my family didn’t care for it too much. I loved how easy it was to prepare though and I could tell that it had the potential for some very versatile, delicious and nutritious meals.

The first thing I did was to take the leftover cooked quinoa and sprinkled it over salads and in soups. That turned out to be a pretty big hit. Our personal favorite is tomato soup with lots of quinoa and a little Parmesan cheese stirred in. It turns a simple can of soup into a filling meal with quite a bit of healthy whole grain and protein in it.

After that I went looking for a cheaper source of quinoa and found it both online and at a local Hispanic grocery store. You can easily order quinoa online via Amazon.com. We are now ordering it in 10lb bags.

Once I found a more frugal source for this ancient grain, it was time to try out some quinoa recipes. I’m going to share quite a few of them on this blog over the coming weeks, but also wanted to mention a wonderful ebook full of quinoa cooking tips and recipes with you.

It’s called “The Complete Guide to Cooking With Quinoa“.

It’s packed full of delicious recipes for anything from soups and stews to salads, stir fries and even dessert.

My favorite by far though are some of the bonuses, especially the 7 day weightloss plan with quinoa and the guide to sprouting them.

For $27, this ebook package is a steal and a must have for anyone starting to cook with quinoa.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/quinoa

When you are dieting or just trying to live and eat healthy, you sometimes need a little satisfying snack to get you through to your next “regular” meal. One of my favorite low-cal options is a cup of this quick and easy tomato soup. I like it best made with low sodium V8 Juice, but when money is tight, this homemade tomato juice works just as well. Just spice it up with a few extra herbs.

Get out a large microwavable mug and pour 6 to 8 ounces of tomato or tomato vegetable juice in it. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth (making sure there’s no extra salt in the broth – homemade is best). Microwave your “soup” for 1 to 2 minutes. I start with a minute, then stir and continue heating in 30 second intervals until the soup is nice and hot.

For an even lighter soup, use 1/2 tomato juice and 1/2 no salt added vegetable broth.

For extra flavor, add a dash of Italian seasoning and pepper. Slowly eat your soup with a teaspoon straight from the mug or sip it. Have a big glass of water with it and you’ll be full until your next meal.

To make your own vegetable broth, dig through the fridge and find about 1/2 pound of vegetable scraps or fresh veggies. Cut them into chunks and put them in a stock pot. Saute your veggies for a few minutes, then add plenty of water and cook them until the vegetables are tender. Pour everything through a strainer. Save the broth and serve the veggies for dinner if you’d like. Add some fresh or dried herbs to the broth to season it.