Serves: 4–6 for 3 meals

Total time: 5 minutes prep/15 minutes on stove/5 minutes to sit

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups white or red quinoa (yields approximately 11–12 cups)
• Olive oil and salt (optional)
• 8 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin that can cause a bitter taste when it’s cooked. Luckily, all you need to do is rinse it off right before you cook it. Pour your quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and run cold water over it until the water run-off is clear (about a minute should do it), swish it around, and rub it a little to remove any residual saponin. If you don’t have a strainer, put the quinoa and water in a pot, swirl it around and rub it a bit, pour the water off slowly, and then repeat the process at least once.
2. Let the quinoa fully drain and give it a good shake.
3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high, then add the rinsed quinoa and toast it, stirring, for a minute or two. Toasting quinoa isn’t necessary, but it does enhance both flavor and texture.
4. Add the water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover your pot, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit another 5 minutes with the lid on—no peeking! When the time is up, you can remove the lid and check to see that all the water is gone and curly spirals (the germ) have separated from the seeds. If there’s still liquid in the pot, simply return the pot to the stove and cook on low heat until all the water is absorbed. When done, gently fluff the quinoa with a fork. 

Serves: 4–6

Total time: 5 minutes to build

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups yogurt
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 cups chopped fruit, such as berries, bananas, mangos, etc.
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 4–6 teaspoons nut butter (optional)
• Chopped nuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Dried coconut

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For a pretty presentation, fill small, clear-glass jars with a 1/4 cup of yogurt each. Top with 1/4 cup of quinoa, and then 1/4 cup of chopped fruit. If you use larger jars, keep repeating the layers until the jar is almost full, making sure the topmost layer is fruit.
2. Top the fruit with a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of nut butter, and a sprinkling of chopped nuts, seeds, and coconut. Enjoy!

Serves: 4

Total time: 10 minutes to build

INGREDIENTS

For the vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grainy or Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Big pinches of salt and pepper
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

• 1 (15-ounce can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/2 cup feta-cheese crumbles
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 cups shredded kale or spinach
• 1/2 cup scallions
• 1/2 cup mixed herbs (basil, chives, parsley, cilantro)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by making the vinaigrette. First put the vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a mason jar and stir to combine. Second, add the olive oil, put a lid on the jar, and give it a shake.
2. Get your layering on! When preparing a salad to be eaten later, you always want to start with the vinaigrette on the bottom (away from the greens to keep them fresh), followed by your heavier ingredients first, with lighter ingredients near the top of the jar. For our salads, start by pouring 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette into each jar.
3. Begin building the bulk of your salad in this order: 1/4 cup of chickpeas, 1/4 cup of shredded carrots, 2 tablespoons of feta cheese, 1/2 cup of quinoa, 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of greens, 2 tablespoons of scallions, and 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs.
4. Put lids on the jars and keep in the refrigerator until lunch.
5. To eat, remove the lid and either toss everything together in the jar if you have room, or shake the jar with the lid on and then pour the salad into a bowl.

Serves: 4–6

Total time: 10 minutes prep/15 minutes cooking

INGREDIENTS

• 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup minced carrots
• 1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
• 4 cups cooked quinoa
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Chicken, shrimp, lean beef, pork, tofu, edamame, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, pineapple, etc. (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet or wok, warm 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high until it shimmers and moves like water. Add the beaten eggs and swirl them around the pan round to create a thick pancake.
2. Once the eggs have set, remove the pan from the heat and flip the eggs out onto a cutting board to cool. When ready, cut into thin strips and set aside.
3. Add the second tablespoon of oil to the same skillet or wok and heat on high. If you’re including meat or tofu, add it now—if you’re adding meat, cook it all the way through; if you’re adding tofu, cook it until it’s browned, and then remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and then add the scallions, carrots, red pepper, and any other veggies desired. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring often.
5. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another minute, stirring often.
6. Add the meat or tofu back to the pan along with the quinoa, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and fry for 4 minutes, stirring often until the quinoa begins to brown.
7. Mix in the frozen peas and egg strips, and cook for another 4 minutes.
8. Place the pan on the table and let children serve themselves family-style. If the pan is still too hot, you can transfer the stir fry to a large serving bowl. Garnish with peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, and sliced fresh veggies like cucumbers and sweet peppers.