ADD-friendly Recipes: Quinoa Salad

Beginning today I'm going to start adding some new content to the blog in the form of ADD-friendly recipes. I love to cook, and I have a, um..."unique"...way of cooking due to my ADD that I think readers will relate to and appreciate. So I'm taking a cue from my friend Jeff The ADD Chef and sharing some of my recipes!

It's worth noting that I can't follow a recipe to save my life. I use them more as inspiration, which is how I'm offering these recipes to you.

I'm starting with this quinoa salad that I made for lunch over the weekend. Quinoa is considered a grain, and it's a fantastic alternative to rice if you're looking for a little variety. High in protein and other nutrients like iron, quiona is mild in flavor and fun to eat because it offers a small pop when you bite it! And because it's light, it's a great food for the warm weather.

Quinoa Salad: A Healthy, Prepared-in-Advance, Summer Lunch

Servings: 4-6, depending on how hungry you are!

Prep time: Um... I didn't time it! Less than 1 hour. (Unless you're entertaining a 4 month old baby while cooking. Then it might take just a little longer.)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked quinoa
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth (optional)
• 1 small onion
• 2-3 carrots
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves (or more if you're a garlic feind, like me)
• splash of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. (You cook it just like rice. And, just like rice, use chicken stock or broth instead of water for extra flavor and nutrition!)
2. While the quinoa is cooking, dice up the vegetables and saute in the olive oil with salt and pepper. Saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Cook for more time if you like soft veggies, less time if you like crunchy veggies.
3. Combine the quinoa and vegetables.
4. Refrigerate in individual servings for quick and easy summer lunches!

NOTE: Do not try to garnish this dish with bell pepper strips, like I did, because it looks ridiculous.

Reasons this recipe is ADD-friendly:

1. It's easy to cook grains, and it's easy to saute vegetables.
2. You have a lot of freedom with the veggies. Use whatever veggies you like, and there's no need to measure them!
3. If you want extra protein, throw in some diced chicken or tofu.
4. This is an easy lunch that you can grab out of the fridge in the morning and take to work. Or you can eat it as a snack, or a side dish.
5. It's healthy!!

What do you think? Would you like to see more ADD-friendly recipes?