Thursday Night Dinners

To break up the week and get started early on the weekend, I get together with another food-loving friend every Thursday to make a delicious and healthy meal. We try a different kind of food each time. Below are pictures of what we made and recipes to go with them. I didn’t include nutrition information but all of these foods are tasty and nutritious with lean protein and heart healthy fats. The recipes are also super easy, with readily available ingredients. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Quinoa Tabouleh
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
3 tomatoes, chopped and diced (we forgot them in ours, but I wish we had them)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced (I’m sure we added more)
1 small red onion, diced
3-4 tbsp olive oil
Directions: Combine ingredients and toss gently. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, tossing 2-3 times to recombine ingredients. Serve chilled. Serves 4.

Roasted Garlic Hummus
Ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
6 tbsp tahini (sesame seed pasted) available in ethnic aisle at most stores, or check at World Market/Cost Plus or specialty stores
4 cloves garlic (we used a whole bulb, you can never have too much garlic)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3-4 tbsp olive oil
water or chicken broth as needed for desired consistency
Directions: Blend all ingredients together in food processor or blender. Slowly add water or chicken broth as needed to achieve desired consistency. Hummus should not be runny, but should blend smoothly without chunks. Consistency should be similar to refried beans. Serving size is 2 tbsp.

Tzatziki
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp distilled, apple cider, or white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups plain fat free greek yogurt
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 tsp fresh dill, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper (black pepper is fine also)
Directions: Mix all ingredients and refrigerate. Use as dip for veggies, pita bread, or as a spread on sandwiches. Serving size is 1/2 cup.