Quinoa Salad and Raw Chocolate Mousse

I had a really fun couple of weeks in the kitchen experimenting with some new recipes and I wanted to share some of them with you.

Quinoa Lentil Salad

Daedra our glass straw friend shared this delicious recipe with me. I have been looking for more whole grain recipes as I'm trying to eat more whole grain and less processed and milled grains. This is a very satisfying, delicious dish. You can also vary the whole grains you use. The recipe calls for quinoa, but I have used buckwheat and next week I am going to try it with spelt berries. Each different type of grain has it's own set of vitamins and minerals and it's good to vary them.

1 cup of quinoa, well rinsed
1/2 cup of green lentils
3T olive oil
1 tomato, diced
1/3 cup of parsley, chopped
1 stalk of scallions, finely chopped
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
garlic salt, salt and pepper or italian seasonings to taste.

Bring 3 cups of water to boil and add the well-rinsed quinoa and boil for 10-12 minutes. Drain it, and season with garlic salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.


In the same pot, bring new water to boil and add the rinsed lentils. Boil for 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked and still a little tough, but not overcooked and mushy.

After you drain and combine the lentils and quinoa, put aside to cool off. You can even make these a day ahead and store in the refrigerator.

Combine all the chopped vegetables with the cooled quinoa/lentil mixture and then drizzle and mix in lemon juice and olive oil.

This salad is wonderful by itself or placed over your favorite greens to add even more yummy nutrition!

Raw Chocolate Mousse

This is an absolutely delicious treat that will satisfy your chocolate craving, while nourishing your body. The chocolate flavor is very rich like a dark chocolate. The taste was a little overwhelming for my kids at first, but I paired it with raspberries and blueberries and they really enjoyed it. This recipe was given to me from another one of my food coop friends L., who purchases all of our delicious raw treats from Living Tree Community Foods. Thanks L.!

1 avocado

1 cup almond milk (I've also used raw milk)

2/3 cup dates, pitted and soaked

1/3 cup raw cacao powder

1/4 cup raw almond butter

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients and blend until creamy.

I hope you and your family will enjoy these healthy and delicious recipes as much as I did!

Karla