I am so excited to be giving away a copy of Clean Eating for Busy Families by Michelle Dudash, R.D. When this book arrived in the mail, I literally read it from cover to cover in one sitting.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good cookbook but there is something very special about this one: not a single recipe has to be adjusted to fit my healthy, whole-foods-loving lifestyle. Boom.
Today I am sharing one of Michelle’s delicious side dish recipes: Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix. Protein-packed and brightly colored, my husband gobbled it up and so did our 15 month old!
Why I Love This Cookbook:
- Seasonal Produce Substitutions: Michelle offers ideas for swapping out produce during various times of the year. For example, when tomato season ends, she suggests using pomegranate seeds instead.
- Sustainable Tips: Just about every seafood recipe offers quick and handy guidelines for shopping sustainably. (Note to Self: Lake Michigan trout is over-fished and in serious decline.)
- Nutritional Information Provided: As you probably know, I provide nutritional information for all of my recipes. The fact is, tracking calories in vs. calories out is how I managed to lose 60 pounds in 12 months. Perhaps you just want to increase fiber or eat more protein – Michelle makes it easy by offering this information for all recipes.
The bottom line: if you know anyone looking to put healthy, flavorful meals on the table in 30 minutes or less, this book is a PERFECT holiday gift!
Giveaway {Closed! Congrats to Sunithi, number 38!}: One (1) Winner will receive a free copy of Clean Eating for Busy Families by Michelle Dudash, R.D.
To Enter: Leave a comment below telling me your favorite weeknight short cut for putting healthy meals on the table.
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Tweet about the giveaway and paste the tweet in the comment below.
Giveaway ends at Midnight EST on Tuesday, December 18th. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 19th and Michelle’s publisher will mail the book.
Disclaimer: Winner will be contacted via the email address used to leave a comment on this blog post. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Open to US residents over the age of 18 only. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook in any way. No purchase necessary to enter. I was not compensated to write this post but I did receive a free copy of the cookbook. All opinions are my own.
- Serves: 7
- Serving size: ½ cup
- Calories: 133
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated fat: trace
- Unsaturated fat: 0
- Trans fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 carrot, diced small
- ½ small onion, diced small
- 1 celery stalk, diced small
- 1¾ cup organic or reduced sodium vegetable broth (I used chicken)
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (I used lemon juice)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- In a medium saucepan, cover quinoa in water and allow it to soak for 5 minutes. Stir quinoa and pour into a strainer, rinse with cool water.
- Dry the saucepan, then heat it over medium heat and add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add carrot, onion, and celery and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add quinoa and saute until the mixture emits a nutty aroma, about 1 minute. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil on high.
- Reduce heat to low, add Italian seasoning, cover, and cook for 20 minutes until quinoa is tender and liquid is completely absorbed.
- Allow to sit covered for 5 minutes and then stir in the vinegar, salt, and pepper.
{ 78 comments… read them below or add one }
I would love this cookbook! I can’t wait to try the quinoa pilaf!
I make veggie omelets as a quick, easy, and healthy dinner! Eggs whisked with water, and lightly sauteed veggies. And a little freshly-shredded cheese when desired. So yummy, so healthy, so clean!
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I would love to check this book out! My favorite week night shortcut is making a one pot meal – meat, pasta and veggies. Less dishes and still nutritious!
I hope you win this book, Jen! You’ll love it.
Great seeing you!!
I tend to cook on the weekends & make frozen “tv dinners” for lunches and dinners during the week…
Would love to have this book! Thanks
Oh I want this book! Breakfast for dinner is always a good shortcut. Eggs, veggie, fruit & whole grain toast – can’t beat that!
WOULD LOVE THIS COOK BOOK! so awesome!
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Yes please! Tat recipe looks delish! Now I wish I was on twitter to enter more!
Forgot Barbour my shortcut…I keep lots of frozen veggies on hand so I can throw them in the steamer so we have veggies with every dinner.
I like to have my hubs cook something on Sundays that will last until Tuesday.
This book would be my new BFF if I won. Guaranteed!
Thanks for the wonderful shout out, Liz! You do a mean mis en place. Love it.
And thanks for the kind words everybody!
My favorite weeknight shortcut?Always always having a full fridge and pantry so I’m not making extra trips to the grocery store. And having good, sharp knives. Bam.
Michelle
Both the recipe and cookbook are right up my alley! Clean eating is so important. I like to prep my greens so they’re easier to include during the week. Plus they last so much longer. For example, I wash & spin my kale, cut it into smaller pieces, air dry it and then store it in an airtight container. It will last for a week or more! I’ve also been buying a lot of fresh stir-fry veggie mixes recently. Yeah, it’s a bit more expensive but it’s also less wasteful since I use everything. And it’s fast!
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Great recipe! I love quinoa recipes like this. My favorite shortcut is to prep vegetables and meats on Sunday. I cook my chicken for the week and shred, cube it so it is ready. I also look at my recipes and try to prep veggies ahead of time.
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We actually cook a double batch of quinoa at some point during the week, and then use it for various meals throughout the week – I just cooked it up tonight so I will have to give this recipe a try later this week! I eat gluten-free, so I use quinoa as a substitute for pasta (for ‘spaghetti’ night), I spoon sloppy joe meat over it, and I even warm it and pour a bit of almond milk and a drizzle of honey on top
I can’t wait to check out this cookbook – thank you for hosting this giveaway!
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I try to cook basic components ahead of time. Monday mornings are set aside to poach chicken breasts, cook a large batch of brown rice, roast a big pan of veggies, chop fresh veggies, and wash and dry lettuces. That way, I have things on hand that I can throw together quickly instead of turning to less healthy “convenience” foods.
Eggs with veggies, and some cut up fruit. Everyone loves, colorful, and easy.
Would love to have this book! Actually one of my go-to’s for healthy meals is quinoa. I’ll cook a couple days’ worth to have on hand for when I’m short on time.
I prepare healthy casseroles the night before and bake them the next day!
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One of my favorite things to add to a quick menu is Baked Brown Rice by Alton Brown. All you do is gather an 8×8 inch baking dish, add hot water to brown rice, a T of butter and some salt. Cover with foil, and bake for about an hour!
No stirring, no scorching, no wondering “how its doing,” no big investment in a rice cooker. No, just stick it in the oven, worry free. During that time, put up your feet, play with your kids, duck in the shower, or prepare something to go with it.
Another great and quick recipe is Ina Garten’s Chicken with Basil and Goat Cheese. Simply gently pull the skin away from a chicken breast, tuck a piece of goat cheese and a basil leaf under the skin, coat the skin with extra virgin olive oil and roast. Mmmmmm!!! The chicken skin crisps up, the cheese melts and gets all soft, and the basil creates the herbal flavor. Easy enough for every day, and nice enough for company!
Heard about this book. Love this recipe. looks so wholesome and fresh and I love quinoa. My quick weeknight meal is healthy fish tacos. I bake fish with seasoning and kids fix their own tacos using whole grain tortilla and add some fixings. Along with that, we have fresh fruit & milk. Easy !!!
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Clean Eating for Busy Families Cookbook Giveaway! {Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix Recipe} – http://goo.gl/Gm6Jq via @TheLemonBowl
This book is written by a true clean-eating “guru”…with me as a disciple…Would love to win it and its content of nutritious, delicious EXPEDITIOUS..fare….
I make vats of healthy soups on the weekend as entrées for the evening meal during the week..and pâté/terrine to slice and serve alongside a salad post-soup!..Bam!..Depending on the size, a loaf-type terrine can last for two or three evenings…I also “second” the previous comment with regards to sharp knives…They are a MUST…..Also…an immersion blender for healthy purées/sauces is crucial…quick and easy to clean as you can mix in the bowl you are serving in…The quinoa pilaf looks quick and delish…making it asap.
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My favorite week night shortcut is buying trader Joe’s Mirepoix mix. It saves me time to not have to chop up all those ingredients that can be used as a base for a lot soups and stews.
I like to have all my ingredients ready to go. Like I would peel potatoes ahead of time and let the set in cold water in the refrigerator, have my onions, peppers etc. cut and stored in baggies or containers. Then ZAP! throw them together and cook.
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My favorite shortcut is buying vegetable that are already pre-cut or prepared like fresh butternut squash or frozen vegetables and that way I can toss them into a pan to roast or add them to a side dish for a healthy addition to the meal :0)
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My way of putting healthier meals on the table on a busy weeknight is to use my slow cooker, which I discovered a bit later in life and now love using. Prep the night before where you can and throw everything in in the morning……great!
Thank you for reminding me I need to put dinner into ours!
If I am too busy to think about what to cook for dinner I usually make brown rice on the stove top and roasted vegetables in the oven and then throw them together.
I heat up frozen turkey burgers or make egg white omelets filled with chopped veggies! Super easy and delicious
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I think this cookbook would be a fabulous addition to my kitchen
Oops–forgot to answer the question! My favorite weeknight shortcut is defrosting a wild salmon fillet the night before and then cooking it in the oven when I get home with some frozen veggies! Quick, easy and healthy
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Having a plan! I think knowing what you are going to make each night is half the battle!
I use my Slow-Cooker as a short-cut whenever possible. I have two young boys who require a lot of my attention. I have found that if I can get a meal in the Slow-Cooker during nap time, it frees up my afternoons for special time with the kids and a stress-free dinner can be ready on time. Win-Win.
I would love this cookbook. I am always looking for healthy, fun recipes to serve my family. I can’t wait to try the Quinoa!
Having a variety of seasonal dishes that can work with seasonal veggies makes it easy to cook good food fast with out a recipe.
Look at your website and think about what I should be cooking while I wait for the pizza delivery guy.
We have a system. Weather permitting, my wife steams veggies and makes a salad, and I grill. Fast, easy, healthy, balanced.
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Would love to when a copy of this book
I always keep plenty of frozen veggies on hand to steam up and fresh fruit my daughter could eat them anytime 
I make large batches of things like chicken, vegetables, rice, etc. and then use them in different ways throughout the week for meals. This recipe is on my meal list for the week!
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