Help me spice up my menu, please? :)

Go to Allrecipes.com. Type in any of those ingredients in whatever combo you want, and a bunch of recipes show up based on ratings , relevance etc ...feedback from comments are also very useful and most recipes come with the nutritional info too.

Quinoa is a grain unto itself, so while yes, you can mix them, I probably wouldn't. Quinoa can be served hot or cold. I like it both ways. I've made it with skim milk and eaten it like porridge, with some dried fruit and a few nuts. I've also made it just the same way I would make rice pilaf...sautee in a pan with a bit of onion, then add liquid of choice and toss in a few finely chopped veggies and cover til its done. i've also used it in recipes like couscous...it makes a great cold "pasta" salad with veggies and some FF italian dressing.

i've used brown rice in pilaf and in sushi or sushi bowls, or just subbed it in for rice. You can use it for Mexican or Spanish rice just as easily. Ditto for the WW pasta. It lends itself well to spaghetti and baked pasta dishes. the WW versions are going to require more liquid than its white cousins, and have a flavor all their own. They do great with stronger seasonings, like curry, cumin, chile, Italian seasonings.

Quinoa or whole-wheat pasta is great for making a cold salad. Add cherry tomatoes, some feta cheese, diced peppers & onions and some olive oil and balsamic. Soo good. I make a big batch, but it in the fridge and throw shrimp or chicken in either one to take to work for lunch.

So I've decided to clean up my diet and invest in some healthy new foods. The only problem with new foods is that I have no idea how to cook them to make them taste good. Can anyone help me with recipes for the following foods:

Quinoa, Black beans, Brown rice, Whole wheat pasta..

All of these will be paired with either shrimp, chicken or salmon on various days. I'd like the recipes to be simple revamps of flavor so I can have a lovely meal!

I also wonder if any of those foods would taste good mixed. I feel like Quinoa and brown rice paired have some serious potential.

Oh, and if you know how many calories it would come to, that would also be lovely to hear!

Thanks for all the help in advance, I'm looking forward to hearing your recipes!

I would mix the quinoa and black beans into a salad with chopped veggies. Top with a vinaigrette (best way to eat quinoa IMO)

Pasta also makes a good salad, or top with your favorite sauce.

Brown rice is good with everything. Alone as a side dish, In or with stir fry. Beans and rice. In a soup. Sushi.

also sometimes I take a low cal soup like progresso and add quinoa/beans/pasta + a veggie + a protein to "beef" it up a bit lol that's an easy lunch that can be more filling

I made this for dinner tonight and it was delish. I omitted the first step around the onions and oil for the quinoa (saved time and calories). There are other good, healthy recipes on that blog as well.

http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/08/quinoa-with-corn-tomatoes-avocado-lime.html

One of my fave things to do is make a homemade black bean salsa. It takes very little time and can be eaten on top of chicken or brown rice or with all three!

1 can diced/crushed tomatoes (the brand I use has no adde salt)
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1-2 chopped peppers (whatever colour you want)
1/4-1/2 chopped red onion
Fresh chopped cilantro
Lime juice from 3-5 limes
Chili flakes or jalapeños or some kind of hot sauce to taste if you want it spicy
1-2 tsp chili powder
Salt to taste

Please note that this can make quite a bit, enough to last you a week or so. I only make time to cook properly once or twice a week so I always make extra for lunches/dinners etc.

Another recipe I like is making a quinoa pilaf. Sauté some chopped onions and/or garlic with whatever veggies you like and then mix it in with cooked quinoa. It makes an easy side dish that you can add with anything and season to taste with whatever you'd like. My personal recommendation is to soak the quinoa in water for 20ish mins to eliminate any bitter aftertaste that it can get. And cooking it in home made/salt free stock makes it even better!