Making Quinoa Salads

 

Cubed dates are a favorite of mine. Why? It’s because they are an easy way to incorporate delicious almond milk into my every diet. If you’ve never heard of the term “date shake”, trust me, you have been missing out. Date shake is a delicacy made from almond milk, vanilla ice cream, banana and sugar.

You will need: pitted dates, pitted almond milk, vanilla ice cream, and two tablespoons of natural unsweetened yogurt. Put the pitted dates in a food processor and blend together. Then pour in the almond milk, vanilla ice cream, and natural yogurt. Put this in a freezer for ten minutes so that it can set.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the pitted dates, almond milk, and sugar. Stir the mixture until well blended. Once mixed, pour it into a sealable plastic bag and place in the freezer. Let the mixture freeze for approximately two to three hours. After the time, take it out of the freezer and thaw it according to the package directions.

Once the dates are frozen, remove them from the bag and allow them to cool down. They should be about two inches from a cutting board. Use a food processor or blender to puree the mixture. Once blended, spoon the cooled mixture into eight separate containers, each containing one serving of date shake.

Each serving of date shake is loaded with healthy ingredients. There are no refined sugars, no trans fats, and no calories. One serving contains: fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, niacin, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. That’s right, the food that your mother used to make when she was a young girl has now become a super food for the diet conscious individual. One cup milk contains: vitamins A, B, C, and E plus phytosterols and polyphenols. That’s right, the same foods that you find in a dark chocolate and yogurt bar are found in 1 cup milk shake.

These delicious date shakes can be made using any favorite drink mix. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you may want to try making them using coconut milk instead of regular milk. Another great idea is to add dried fruit to the mix, such as dates, blueberries or dates syrup. Try other types of fruits such as banana, cantaloupe, berries, cherries or more exotic fruits such as kiwi or mango. The list of fruits you can add to the date shake is virtually endless, so experiment and see what combinations you and your family love!

Using egg whites is the traditional way of making these healthy treats. However, using whole egg whites beats the egg whites in terms of versatility and taste. What you will need for this recipe is about one tablespoon of vanilla extract, one cup of half-and-half milk, and two to three tablespoons of dried fruit (apples, dates, cherries, peaches or plums work well). Simply mix all of the ingredients together and pour into a food processor. Once mixed, add a little more milk if needed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Next, add a tablespoon or so of vanilla extract and blend again, until it becomes a consistency that coats the back of a spoon.

Finally, you can make quinoa salads. You will need about two cups cooked quinoa (sometimes it is also sold in the grocery store as quinoa that has been pressed dry), a cup of chopped apple or peach flesh, one tablespoon of lemon juice, one tablespoon of dried lemon rind, and two tablespoons of water. Put all of the ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil. After taking the quinoa from the heat, drain it and set aside. Once ready, mix together the apple and peach flesh by mixing the rind and juice together first, then adding the water last, and finally adding the quinoa.