Each week, I will contribute an article to my food column: College Cooking, where I will share recipes and opinions on food trends and culture. To see more of what I like to cook and bake, check out my personal food Instagram at @healthy_eclair.
When I first tried quinoa, I was absolutely NOT a stan. The crunchy little pods were not my vibe and the lack of flavor just made me long for couscous. But as I have ~matured, quinoa has grown on me––mostly because I have experimented with different add-ins that give this rather plain grain a particular “je ne sais quoi.”
Some of the following spring-themed recipes are inspired by a recipe from The Yellow Table by Anna Watson Carl and Signe Birck. This cookbook is one of my favorites and the quinoa roasted veggie salad is an ideal meal prep recipe for us busy gals. But don’t worry, you won’t need to find a way to roast veggies in your dorm room. All of these ingredients can be found in the dorm, with a few bonus items if you have access to them!
- Cray cray with craisins
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To bring a little sweetness into your life, I recommend this simple recipe. All you need is a serving of quinoa, one bag of craisins, a red apple, your cheese of choice, and olive oil. Chop up the apple into small cubes and combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. For a dairy-free cheese alternative, I love Violife’s feta. Drizzle olive oil on top and give the salad a stir again. If you have sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or pecans or walnuts, these are all good possibilities to add to your salad if you want!
- Greek tabouleh vibes
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I love tabouleh, a Mediterranean salad usually made with bulgur, but using quinoa instead makes for a nice salad. You will need quinoa, a greek salad, olives, chickpeas, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Chop up the cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions in the salad and save the lettuce and carrots for another meal. Toss in the quinoa, olives, and chickpeas. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze a lemon slice and drizzle olive oil on top.
- Bean protein yes, please
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Chickpeas are perhaps my favorite protein option when eating vegetarian, but I also love beans. For this salad you will need, you guessed it, quinoa, your bean of choice, tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, salt, and pepper. Chop up the veggies and combine them with the quinoa and beans. Add salt and pepper to taste, and squeeze lime juice on top if you want! You can also add some avocado slices on top.
Hot take: quinoa is delish. Or at least, the ingredients you mix in with quinoa are delicious.