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Orange Cranberry Quinoa Salad

June 23, 2018 Leave a Comment

What’s inside: Switch up your usual lunch or side dish options with this tangy and vibrant Orange Cranberry Quinoa Salad!

Cranberry Quinoa Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

There are two reasons I love this Orange Cranberry Quinoa Salad:

  1. healthy make-ahead meal planning
  2. as a quick and easy potluck recipe to bring to parties.

Quinoa salads like this one (which is one of my personal favs) are one of my go-to dishes to bring to parties because they are just so darn easy! Once your quinoa is cooked the salad can be thrown together in under five minutes and popped in the fridge for when you need it.

This quinoa salad is not only fast to make but also sweet and tangy at the same time! It’s full of healthy vegetables, refreshing fruit and good fats to keep you feeling full while providing lasting energy.

It’s sweet enough that kids will love it too! (But it’s naturally sweetened, so you don’t need to worry about the sugar overload in some salad recipes).

I also love the bright colors of this quinoa salad — you just feel good eating it! Something this pretty must be good for your body right? (And it actually is!)

Benefits of Cooking with Quinoa

Quinoa is one of our favorite grains and complex carbs to use in recipes. Here’s why:

  • Packed with protein, fiber, and nutrients
  • Easily takes on the flavors of any recipe
  • A satisfying comfort food that’s not too filling
  • Gluten free
  • One of the original “superfoods”

Because of it’s high nutritional value, quinoa is becoming increasingly popular over other starchy carbs, like rice. Give it a try and you’ll grow to love the rich, nutty flavor! Plus, you’ll get to enjoy all the wonderful health benefits.

quinoa & fruit salad in a white bowl with dressing on side

Fresh Fruit & Quinoa Salad Ingredients

You will need:

  • 3 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cups dry)
  • 5 radishes, grated
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 1/2 dried cranberries
  • 1 orange, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about one medium orange)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

 

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful:

  • Non-slip mixing bowls
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Whisk
  • Mason jar (for storing dressing)

Keep reading for step by step instructions and prep tips, or scroll to the bottom of the post for a free printable copy of this recipe.

Switch up your usual lunch or side dish options with this tangy and vibrant Orange Cranberry Quinoa Salad!

How to Make Orange Cranberry Quinoa Salad

To make the quinoa salad:

Prepare quinoa according to directions on package and allow to cool to room temperature.

Add cooked quinoa, radishes, carrots, cranberries and oranges to a large mixing bowl and stir together.

To make the orange vinaigrette:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients (orange juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and garlic).

Put it all together:

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix until combined. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Salad will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, so it is perfect to make ahead for parties or for healthy lunches on busy days.

TIP: Right before serving mix in the walnuts so that they stay crunchy!

Be sure to pin our healthy fruit & quinoa salad on Pinterest:

This tangy and vibrant Orange Cranberry Quinoa Salad is perfect for make-ahead healthy meal prep or as a quick & easy potluck party side dish.

Grab our free printable for this Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad recipe here:

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Orange Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cups dry)
  • 5 radishes, grated
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 1/2 dried cranberries
  • 1 orange, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • For The Dressing
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about one medium orange)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

Instructions

  1. Make the salad by combining the cooked quinoa, radishes, carrots, cranberries and oranges in a large bowl and mixing well.
  2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients (orange juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and garlic).
  3. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix until combined.
  4. Pop in the fridge until ready to serve.
  5. Right before serving mix in the walnuts so that they stay crunchy!
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More of our favorite healthy salad recipes:

Healthy Cowboy Taco Salad Recipe

 

Filed Under: Healthy Food, Recipes Tagged With: lunch, salad, side dishes

Easy Garlic Knots

April 24, 2018 1 Comment

What’s Inside: Layers of buttery, flaky goodness topped with a crispy golden crust – these easy garlic knots are seriously addictive!!

Layers of buttery, flaky goodness topped with a crispy golden crust - these easy garlic knots are seriously addictive!!

Easy Garlic Knots

Garlic bread…

I’m not even sure I need to write an introduction here, because, well, garlic bread!

It’s magical stuff – warm, buttery, with that rich bite of garlic to take everything to the next level.

Growing up, my extended family had an Italian restaurant and I would immediately fill up on garlic bread every time we visited. I preferred the gooey middle pieces, handing over my un-eaten crust to my mom. Even almost thirty years later I can still taste it!

These baked garlic knots are an easy spin on traditional garlic bread – and if you love crisp, golden, garlicky crust then this recipe will be your jam!

There are layers and layers of buttery, flakey goodness, topped with that perfect golden crust. You might never go back to “regular” garlic bread after this!

— Stacey

Related: Try a sweet twist on crescent rolls with our Cinnamon Braids recipe!

Golden brown baked garlic bread rolls on white plate

Easy Garlic Rolls Ingredients

  • 1 package crescent rolls or puff pastry
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

  • Cast iron skillet
  • Small saucepan

TIP: Keep reading for photo step-by-step instructions or scroll to the bottom of the posts for a free printable copy of this garlic knots recipe.

How to Make Garlic Knots with Crescent Rolls

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Strips of crescent dough on cutting board

Cut the crescent rolls into strips and tie the dough in knots.

TIP: Get the kids involved by letting them tie the knots! They’ll love it!

Making garlic knots with crescent dough

Place 2 Tablespoons each of the butter and oil in a cast-iron skillet (or other oven-safe frying pan). Heat until the butter is melted, then add garlic to pan. Cook garlic until fragrant, then remove pan from heat.

Place the bread knots in the skillet and spoon some of the garlic butter on top of each knot.

Cooking garlic rolls in a cast iron skillet

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the garlic knots begin to turn a light golden brown.

While garlic knots bake, melt the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter in a small saucepan with 1 Tablespoon oil and parsley.

When you remove the skillet from the oven, immediately pour the butter & parsley mixture over the hot garlic knots. (Caution: Pan will be extremely hot!)

Serve warm.

Warm garlic bread on white serving plate

Grab a free printable copy of our Easy Garlic Rolls recipe:

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Easy Garlic Knots

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6-8 garlic rolls

Serving Size: 1 garlic roll

Easy Garlic Knots

Layers of buttery, flaky goodness topped with a crispy golden crust - these easy garlic knots are seriously addictive!!

Ingredients

  • 1 package crescent rolls or puff pastry
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Cut crescent rolls into strips and tie the dough in knots.
  3. Place 2 Tablespoons each of butter and oil in a cast-iron skillet (or other oven-safe frying pan). Heat until the butter is melted, then add garlic to pan. Cook garlic until fragrant, then remove pan from heat.
  4. Place the bread knots in the skillet and spoon some of the garlic butter on top of each knot.
  5. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. You'll know they're done when the garlic knots begin to turn a light golden brown.
  6. While garlic knots bake, melt the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter in a small saucepan with 1 Tablespoon oil and parsley.
  7. When you remove the skillet from the oven, immediately pour the butter & parsley mixture over the hot garlic knots.
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Layers of buttery, flaky goodness topped with a crispy golden crust - these easy garlic knots are seriously addictive!! Ready in 20 minutes or less!

More of our favorite bread recipes for kids:

Hands-down the EASIEST fried churros recipe you'll ever make!

Easiest Churros Recipe

Sausage & Egg Breakfast Hot Pockets

Filed Under: Baking with Kids, Recipes Tagged With: bread, side dishes

Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Salad

April 6, 2018 Leave a Comment

What’s Inside: Paleo, low carb, gluten free, and just plain delicious! Try this Healthy Cauliflower Potato Salad at your next potluck or barbecue!

Healthy Cauliflower Potato Salad (Mock Potato Salad)

Potato salad is a summer cookout staple, but it’s not exactly the healthiest item on the menu.

However, this Cauliflower Potato Salad is another story!

Paleo, gluten free, low carb, keto, — it fits into just about any nutritional plan. That way anyone at the party can enjoy this mock potato salad!

We make cauliflower rice fairly often because my husband and I like to scale back on carbs in the evening and the girls love how it tastes. This cauliflower potato salad is also a crowd pleaser!

Healthy AND kid-approved?! It’s almost too good to be true! (But it’s not!)

I especially love that this recipe maintains the creaminess that’s expected in a potato salad. It helps make it more “believable” if you will. (Honestly, I don’t think you’ll have to do any convincing after the first taste…it’s that good!)

Did I mention that we used the Instant Pot to save a ton of time? Keep reading to find out how!

— Stacey

Cauliflower Salad Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups mayo or greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1/2 onion

Kitchen Tools Used to Make this Recipe:

  • Instant Pot
  • Non-slip mixing bowls

How to Make Instant Pot Cauliflower Salad

Prepare hard boiled eggs. (Try steaming your eggs for easy peeling or use the instant pot to cook them quickly!)

How to cook hard boiled eggs in the instant pot: Place 1 cup of water and in your instant pot and carefully add in the eggs. Select manual setting and reduce time to 8 minutes. Quick release. Place the eggs in the fridge until cool slightly for easiest shell removal.

Chop the cauliflower florets into 1″ pieces and place in the instant pot with 1 cup of water.

Place the lid on the IP and seal. Set to manual for 5 minutes. Quick release.

Drain the cauliflower using a colander and then place in a medium-sized bowl.

Chop up the hard boiled eggs and stir into the cauliflower.

Chop the celery and onion and add in to the cauliflower-egg mixture, then the remaining ingredients and mash together using a fork or an electric mixer until you achieve the texture that you prefer.

Free copy of this Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Salad is available at the bottom of the post.

healthy cauliflower potato salad - step by step photo collage

Pin this Delicious Mock Potato Salad Recipe on Pinterest:

Paleo, low carb, gluten free, and just plain delicious! Rich and creamy just like a "real" potato salad, but SO much better for you! Try this Healthy Cauliflower Potato Salad at your next potluck or barbecue!

Grab a Free Printable Copy of this Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Salad Recipe:

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Yum
Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Salad

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Salad

Paleo, low carb, gluten free, and just plain delicious! Rich and creamy just like a "real" potato salad, but SO much better for you! Try this Healthy Cauliflower Potato Salad at your next potluck or barbecue!

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups mayo or greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1/2 onion

Instructions

  1. Hard boil your eggs either in a saucepan or the instant pot. (To prepare in the instant pot, see note.)
  2. Chop the cauliflower florets into 1" pieces.
  3. Place the cauliflower in the IP along with 1 cup of water.
  4. Place the lid on the IP and seal. Set to manual for 5 minutes. Quick release.
  5. Drain the cauliflower using a colander and then place in a medium-sized bowl.
  6. Chop up the eggs and stir into the cauliflower.
  7. Chop the celery and onion and add in to the cauliflower-egg mixture, then the remaining ingredients and mash together using a fork or an electric mixer until you achieve the texture that you prefer.
  8. NOTE:
  9. Place 1 cup of water and in your instant pot and carefully add in the eggs.
  10. Select manual setting and reduce time to 8 minutes. Quick release.
  11. Place the eggs in the fridge until cool slightly for easiest shell removal.
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More of our Favorite Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot carne asada tacos

Instant Pot Carne Asada Tacos

Filed Under: Healthy Food, Recipes Tagged With: gluten free, instant pot, side dishes

20+ of the MOST Unique Mac & Cheese Recipes

January 18, 2017 1 Comment

Mac & cheese might just be the ultimate comfort food. And these unique mac & cheese recipes take it to the next level!

From waffles to pot pies, you won’t believe what you can do with these delicious cheesy noodles! Read on for our collection of the most interesting, wacky, and fantastically unique mac & cheese dishes from around the web!
Mac & cheese is THE ultimate comfort food - and these unique mac & cheese recipes take it to the next level! You won't believe these wild & wacky creations!

20+ MOST Unique Mac & Cheese Recipes

Clockwise from top left corner:

Roasted Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese | Belle of the Kitchen

Easy Mac and Cheese Waffles | Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese | Premeditated Leftovers

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese | Simply Stacie

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Meat Balls | Spend with Pennies

Macaroni and Cheese Pot Pie | That’s What Che Said

Cajun Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese | Brown Eyed Baker (not pictured)

Mini Italian Meatball Mac and Cheese Stuffed Peppers | Half-baked Harvest (not pictured)

Garlic Ranch Mac and Cheese Cups | Flour on my Face (not pictured)

Sour Cream and Chive Mac and Cheese | Burlap Kitchen (not pictured)

Mac & cheese is THE ultimate comfort food - and these unique mac & cheese recipes take it to the next level! You won't believe these wild & wacky creations!

Clockwise from top center image:

Mac n Cheese Pie with Bacon Lattice Top | Treats & Trinkets

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese | Living Sweet Moment

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Brown Sugar Balsamic Portobellos | How Sweet Eats

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites | Thrifty Jinxy

Gnoochi Mac and Cheese with Crispy Kale | How Sweet Eats

Philly Cheesesteak Mac n Cheese | Cookies and Cups (not pictured)

Stovetop Spinach Basil Pesto Mac and Cheese | The Comfort of Cooking (not pictured)

Mac and Cheese with Pork and Peas | Mom’s Messy Miracles (not pictured)

Macaroni and Cheese Pretzel Bites with Bacon | Foodness Gracious (not pictured)

Bacon Wrapped Mac and Cheese Stuffed Chicken |Sweet C’s Designs (not pictured)

 

You might also like these unique Mac & Cheese recipes:

A kid-friendly (and healthier) version of an Italian food classic! This Homemade Gluten Free Broccoli Alfredo will be a new family favorite dinner!

Gluten Free Broccoli Alfredo

healthy sweet potato mac & cheese on the Soccer Mom Blog

Healthy Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese on The Soccer Mom Blog

lentil mac & cheese on Sugar Spice & Glitter

Lentil Mac & Cheese on Sugar Spice & Glitter

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: appetizers, dinner, side dishes

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Hi there & welcome!

We're Stacey and Jennifer, and we're so glad you stopped by to visit! In the Kids Kitchen is our place to share inspiration to cook, play, and learn with your kids. From tips for teaching kitchen skills, to family-friendly recipes, kitchen crafts & sensory play, cookbook reviews, and more!

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