My husband, Adam, is a man’s man.
He owns his own agriculture construction business.
He is fascinated by anything with a motor and multiple wheels.
He hunts, enjoys fishing, traps and reads outdoor life magazines.
While he doesn’t mind dressing up, 90 percent of the time you will find him in a ball cap and jeans- that are likely covered in dirt from the day’s activities.
And, he would never be one to turn down a steak.
However, while a majority of the time it is unintended, he lives in a house that participates in meatless Monday. (Or Tuesday… Or whatever-day)
Listen.
I have no aspirations to be a vegetarian because, like Adam, I too wouldn’t turn down a steak. But, because of all the veggies in our home year round thanks to the garden and preservation, I try to get creative with what we have.
Through this creativity, we have played with different proteins like legumes such as lentils and grains like quinoa versus meat. Done right with bold flavors and exciting textures, my man’s man doesn’t even think about missing the meat.
He sure didn’t when I whipped up this quick and easy quinoa meal using frozen, shredded zucchini from last season.
To help give the dish a little more punch, I turned to the pot on my patio full of microgreens.
Microgreens are young greens that are a little bit of a specialty and are used in many fine dining restaurants for elements of presentation.
However, I turned a little too late to the pot on the patio. My microgreens grew super fast and were getting big!
Microgreens are ready for harvest after they develop their first set of true leaves which really only takes a week or two.
Thankfully, I wasn’t too far behind the eight ball. The greens were still much smaller than their mature counterparts.
And, more nutritious too.
Because of their small size, vitamins like vitamin C, K, E and beta-carotene are 40 times more concentrated in the tiny greens making them great for cancer prevention, eyes and skin. Mircogreens are also packed with 30% protein.
How about that for Meatless Monday?
… or Whatever-day.
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 medium zucchini, grated
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons red win vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- A few handfuls microgreens, washed and dried
- 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
- Pepper to taste
- Rinse quinoa until water is clear and drain.
- In a medium sized sauce pan, combine quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until done.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes with the lid on. Pour into a large bowl.
- Add zucchini, olives, and feta to the quinoa.
- Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Pour into the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Add microgreens, pine nuts and pepper to taste to bowl and toss.
Made it tonight without zucchini, but with fresh peas. Looks good! I am wondering, microgreens are sprouts of what?