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Category: Sauces & staples

  • Homemade Basil Pesto

    Homemade Basil Pesto

    Homemade Basil Pesto

    This homemade basil pesto is packed with wholesome and fresh ingredients and can be made in less than 5 minutes! Oh, did I mention it only contains FIVE ingredients?! Don’t believe me? See for yourself! 

    Homemade Basil Pesto ingredients

    Fresh basil. Shredded parmesan. Garlic cloves. Raw pine nuts. Extra Virgin Olive Oli (EVOO).  5 ingredients + 5 minutes = this delicious pesto… yes, please! 

    5 ingredients + 5 minutes = this delicious pesto… yes, please! 

    Simply add all ingredients to a food processor or blender, add sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste, and combine. When adding salt and pepper to taste, I suggest using a 1:2 salt to pepper ratio; use twice as much pepper as salt. 

    There are limitless options for what you can pair this pesto with! A few of my favorites are to mix it into cooked quinoa, mix into noodles (regular noodles, zoodles, sweet potato noodles, etc.), spread on sandwiches, put a dollop inside a stuffed sweet potato, toss it with mixed veggies, smear on top of salmon before baking, stuff it in chicken breasts, mix in with mashed potatoes, sprinkle on salad… the list goes on and on! 

    Homemade Basil Pesto

    I’d love to hear how you put this recipe to use! Comment below to let me know! 

    Homemade Basil Pesto
    Yields 1
    This homemade basil pesto is packed with wholesome and fresh ingredients and can be made in less than 5 minutes!
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    Prep Time
    5 min
    Prep Time
    5 min
    Ingredients
    1. • 4 oz. fresh basil
    2. • 4 garlic cloves
    3. • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
    4. • 3 TBS raw pine nuts
    5. • 1/4 cup + 1 TBS EVOO
    6. • Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste (1:2 ratio)
    Instructions
    1. • Pull basil leaves off the stems and add into a food processor or blender and add garlic cloves, shredded parmesan, pine nuts, and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
    2. • Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper using a 1:2 ratio with salt and pepper; use twice as much pepper as salt
    3. • Blend contents together in food processor or blender until well blended. Use a spatula to scrape the sides down to ensure all ingredients are completely combined.
    4. • Serve and enjoy!
    Notes
    1. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. EVOO may separate in fridge- this is completely normal! Simply stir contents before reusing to bring your pesto back to life!
    God Save the Quinoa https://www.godsavethequinoa.com/

    Fabulous recipes by Mandi at godsavethequinoa.com

  • Pumpkin Hummus

    Pumpkin Hummus

    Pumpkin Hummus (9 of 12)

    Happy Fall yall! I don’t know about you, but Fall is most certainly my FAVORITE time of year! The weather is finally starting to cool off and its seasonally appropriate to cook and eat pumpkin inspired goodies! (Hence the pumpkin hummus recipe you’re looking at now). 

    Pumpkin Hummus Recipe

    This recipe is probably one of the easiest things I’ve ever made. All it takes is 9 simple ingredients: raw cashews, pumpkin puree, minced garlic, salt, white cannellini beans, cumin, paprika, fresh lemon juice, and EVOO. 

    Pumpkin Hummus (4 of 12)

    Simply place ingredients into a food processor.

    Pumpkin Hummus (6 of 12)

    (Use a blender if you don’t have a food processor.) 

    Pumpkin Hummus (7 of 12)

    Combine until ingredients reach desired consistency. 

    Pumpkin Hummus (8 of 12)

    Pair with chips, bread, or veggies, serve, and enjoy! 

    Pumpkin Hummus (10 of 12) Pumpkin Hummus (11 of 12) Pumpkin Hummus (12 of 12)

    Did I mention there’s only 82 calories per serving? That’s right! (PS- one serving is 4 Tablespoons!) So, if you eat too much your waistline will forgive you. If you want more, you can make some more in a matter of seconds. You can thank me later! 

    Pumpkin Hummus
    Serves 12
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    Prep Time
    3 min
    Cook Time
    2 min
    Total Time
    5 min
    Prep Time
    3 min
    Cook Time
    2 min
    Total Time
    5 min
    Ingredients
    1. • 1 cup pumpkin puree
    2. • 2 TBS raw, unsalted cashews
    3. • 1 tsp cumin
    4. • 1/2 tsp paprika
    5. • 1/8 tsp salt
    6. • 2 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
    7. • 1 (15 oz.) can of white cannellini beans
    8. • 1 TBS Extra virgin olive oil
    9. • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    Instructions
    1. Add all ingredients in a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds until well combined and thick. Serve with warm pita chips, whole grain wheat thins, or veggies and enjoy!
    Notes
    1. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for 7 – 10 days.
    2. 82 calories per serving (1 serving = 4 TBS)
    Adapted from Cooking Light
    Adapted from Cooking Light
    God Save the Quinoa https://www.godsavethequinoa.com/
    Fabulous recipes by Mandi at godsavethequinoa.com

  • Garden Fresh Salsa

    Garden Fresh Salsa

    Homemade salsa

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m a Texas girl and therefore I love me some Tex-Mex. As you can probably guess from the picture above, this includes chips and salsa! YUM! My favorite Tex-Mex restaurants are the ones that make their own salsa in-house. There’s just something about wholesome, fresh, homemade salsa that always seems to hit the spot!

    My frequent cravings for fresh, wholesome salsa inspired me to make an in-house salsa of my own. Not only is homemade salsa delicious and refreshing, its MUCH healthier for you than the vast majority of the store bought options lining the shelves of the chip aisle. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your stereotypical store bought salsa has an INSANE amount of sodium. Think about this, if you’re like most people and enjoy your salsa with {salted} tortilla chips, don’t be surprised if you’re feeling a little {or a lot} bloated the next day. I know this feeling too well and let me tell you, it is not a fun feeling. Luckily, making homemade salsa can help alleviate this aftermath.

    Homemade salsa godsavethequinoa

    One of the great things about homemade anything is that you can see exactly what, and how much of a certain ingredient you put in. Don’t you just love being in control? I do. And I’ll take my salsa sans the 1100 mg of sodium! Having this type of control over what you eat is the best way to enjoy the foods you love without killing your diet! I’m sure you’re eager to read the recipe, but I wanted to mention that there are countless ways to enjoy your salsa other than with tortilla chips. Pair your salsa with fresh veggies, or drizzle it over salmon, chicken, or an omelette to get an extra kick! 

    Garden Fresh Salsa
    Yields 1 large cup.
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    Ingredients
    1. • 2 heirloom tomatoes
    2. • 1 jalapeño, diced (keep seeds)
    3. • 1/2 red onion, diced
    4. • 1 garlic clove
    5. • Handful of cilantro
    6. • 1 Tbsp honey
    7. • 1 tsp salt
    8. • 1 tsp ground cumin
    9. • 2 tsp cayenne
    10. • 2 tsp chili powder
    11. • 1 splenda or sugar packet
    Instructions
    1. • Slice the tomato, jalapeño (keep the jalapeño seeds), and red onion and place in food processor.
    2. • Combine garlic clove, cilantro, honey, spices, and sugar with ingredients in food processor.
    3. • Pulse until reaching desired consistency and enjoy!
    Notes
    1. To adjust how spicy or mild your salsa is, adjust the amount of jalapeño seeds you use. To make your salsa more spicy add more jalapeño seeds. Use less jalapeño seeds if you want your salsa to be mild.
    2. BE CAREFUL not to touch your eyes or other sensitive areas after cutting your jalapeño. Doing so will result in painful burning. To alleviate burning pain from jalapeños, soak the affected area in milk.
    God Save the Quinoa https://www.godsavethequinoa.com/
    What’s your favorite way to enjoy salsa? Comment below to let me know! 

    Fabulous recipes by Mandi at godsavethequinoa.com

     

  • Super Simple Guacamole

    Super Simple Guacamole

    Homemade Guacamole godsavethequinoa

    Being a Texas girl, I can’t help that I loooove me some Tex-Mex! I swear Mexican food is just not the same once you leave Texas! What could possibly be better than happy hour spent on a patio during “patio-perfect weather” sipping skinny margaritas and snacking on homemade guacamole? I’ll give you a minute to think.

    While you’re thinking, let me share my super simple guacamole recipe with you! This recipe is super simple (hence the name) and I suggest you keep it handy.

    …Why you ask? Well, when the guac is running low and your friends are hungry, don’t you want to be the hero who can run inside and whip up another serving of {deliciously good} guacamole in less than 5 minutes? Sure you do!

    Guacamole_godsavethequinoa_

    Psst- Be sure to check out my guacamole making tips & tricks for pointers on the easiest way to cut an avocado to make the avocado mashing part of guacamole-making seamless and more ways to keep your guacamole fresh! 

    Super Simple Guacamole
    Effortless guacamole that will leave your guests wanting more!
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    Ingredients
    1. • 2 large Haas Avocados
    2. • 1/2 red onion, diced
    3. • 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
    4. • Juice of one lime
    5. • Salt to taste
    6. •1/4 cup fresh cilantro
    Instructions
    1. • Slice avocado in half (lengthwise) and remove pit
    2. • Dice avocado in shell (see guacamole making tips & tricks) place in large bowl and mash until reaching desired consistency
    3. • Add red onions, cherry tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro
    4. • Mix well and add additional salt to taste
    5. • Top with cilantro and enjoy!
    Notes
    1. Takes approx. 5-10 minutes to prepare
    2. Yields 2 cups based on size of avocados
    3. Add additional lime juice to preserve freshness
    God Save the Quinoa https://www.godsavethequinoa.com/
     Fabulous recipes by Mandi at godsavethequinoa.com