Place quinoa and water in a pot and bring to a rolling boil. Allow to simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Note:  Tabouli is traditionally made with bulghur wheat.  This version is prepared with nutty tasting quinoa, a wheat and gluten free version. 

Saute the onion in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, and add the kale, tossing it to coat with the mixture. add the vegetable stock. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Season salt and pepper, and chopped fresh chives.

For extra crunch, garnish with sliced almonds

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped into ½ inch cubes

¼ cup chopped white onion

¼ cup chopped red bell pepper

¼ cup orange bell pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leafed) parsley

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh dill

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

Fresh black pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl,  combine the tomatoes, avocado, onion, red and orange bell peppers, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, and dill.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, Pour over the herbed mix and stir well to coat the vegetables. 

Yield: 4 cups

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot and stir to coat the carrots evenly. Set over a medium flame and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or until tender. This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients

½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 fennel bulb, cut into ½-inch wedges
1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 plum tomatoes, cut into large chunks
1 cup canned chickpeas
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions

Combine the spices (coriander through cayenne pepper) and set aside. In a large skillet, heat olive oil at medium-high. Sauté carrots and bell pepper for about 5 minutes, or until slightly soft. Add fennel, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, chickpeas, and spices. Cook for 5 more minutes.

Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook for 15 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.

In a small saucepan, bring 1 ¼ cups of water to a boil. Add couscous, stir, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Place couscous in a serving dish and top with vegetables and broth. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

·              No time to go to the store? You can substitute brown rice for the couscous or kidney beans for the chickpeas.

·              For extra crunch, top with 2 tablespoons of toasted pumpkin seeds

In a pan, bring water and rice to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cover.  Allow to cook until tender, approx. 30-40 minutes.  In a separate pan, over medium heat stir spinach until it begins to wilt.  Once wilted, stir into rice with remaining ingredients.

*cooking rice in vegetable or chicken broth gives it added flavor.
**Swiss chard works great too.  It won’t wilt like spinach so add a little water to the pan and lightly steam it.

Add quinoa to boiling water and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.  Allow to cool, then toss with the remaining ingredients.  Best chilled.

*You can substitute other greens for the spinach such as arugula, watercress or kale.**Flat leaf parsley, sometimes called Italian parsley, is best for cooking.