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Dairy + Plants = Superfood Power Couple: featuring a Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

This recipe is part of a two-part series developed in partnership with Midwest Dairy. Join me in learning about how dairy & plants are coming together to form the ultimate superfood power couple. This recipe focuses on dairy & vegetables. Keep an eye out for an upcoming recipe featuring dairy & fruit!
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Dairy and vegetables are coming together to make a superfood power couple in this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce. The veggies are getting a boost of flavor and nutrients when paired with dairy. It also makes the perfect weeknight meal!

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What Makes Dairy and Vegetables a Superfood Power Couple?

When dairy and veggies are combined it not only enhances the flavor of each but they also work together to enhance the nutrition; what one lacks, the other provides.

For example, vegetables provide fiber and phytonutrients and dairy provides what most vegetables lack; vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. It’s a win-win! For more recipes and how dairy can benefit the whole family throughout life’s stages check out this post about Fueling Family Meals with Dairy.

Vegetables are great when you can add them to any meal but many do not provide much protein or when they do, it isn’t a complete protein. A benefit of being paired with dairy is it creates a more balanced meal that contains all the essential amino acids and is a high-quality protein.

Dairy can also help increase the absorption of important vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat-soluble vitamins. This means they are absorbed by your body when accompanied by a fat source. In this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl recipe, the feta and yogurt contain fat which will help your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins found in the vegetables and dairy.

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What dairy pairs well with Mediterranean dishes?

For this recipe I used feta cheese and full fat Greek yogurt to make a tzatziki sauce. The feta is excellent with a wide range of Mediterranean dishes and is a key ingredient in many traditional recipes.

I chose the full fat Greek yogurt to make the tzatziki sauce for a few reasons. First, it makes it thicker. You will be adding cucumber to the yogurt which will add some water content, so it helps to start with a thicker yogurt. Secondly, it will have a smoother mouthfeel and lastly, that added fat will help satiety levels meaning it will keep you full and satisfied longer. The tzatziki sauce is great on the side or drizzled over top. If you are storing this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl for the next day, I recommend keeping the yogurt stored in a separate container and adding it just before eating.

Is dairy sustainable?

The dairy community is also committed to sustainable farming practices. They are harnessing science to discover innovative dairy farming practices to reduce the impact of producing a gallon of milk. In 2017 producing a gallon of milk required 30% less water, 21% less land, and a 19% smaller carbon footprint than it did in 2007. And they aren’t stopping there, they are committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

I have been amazed learning about some of the science used on dairy farms. For example, cows have their own form of dietitians that study the best diet for them to eat to reduce the amount of methane they produce. A fun fact I recently learned while reading some materials for this blog post is that some lucky cows are the recipients of unused citrus pulp from orange juice companies. The pulp is used as a nutritious ingredient in dairy cows’ diets. Check out more about how the dairy community is honoring the harvest by moving nutrients through the food system, instead of going to waste in a landfill.

Dairy + Plants = a superfood recipe

This recipe has seriously become one of my favorites to have during the week for lunches. It’s super easy to pack and is a great one to make in a bigger batch ahead of time. Another fun addition to this recipe is the roasted chickpeas. I actually made extra to snack on throughout the week as well. I hope you enjoy!

Mediterranean Bowl with Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce
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Mediterranean Bowl with Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce

Recipe by Ariel JohnstonCourse: Uncategorized
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

  • Roasted Chickpeas

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp pepper

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • Tzatziki Sauce

  • 2 cups full fat yogurt

  • 1/4 cup diced cucumber

  • 1 tsp minced garlic

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • pinch of salt

  • 1 tbsp minced parsley

  • Mediterranean Bowl

  • Quinoa, 2-3 cups

  • 1/8 cup red onion, diced

  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1/2 cup feta cheese

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts

  • 1/3 cup hummus

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425. Press as much liquid as possible out of the chickpeas by dabbing them off with a paper towel. Spread chickpeas out evenly on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Roast for 20-25 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
  • To make the Tzatziki sauce mix yogurt, diced cucumber, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and parsley together.
  • Assemble quinoa, red onion, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, pine nuts, hummus, and roasted chickpeas together in a bowl. Drizzle Tzatziki sauce (1/4-1/2 cup to taste) over the top and enjoy! Make 4-5 servings.

Notes

  • For extra flavor boil the quinoa in vegetable or chicken broth.
  • The chickpeas can also be sprayed with oil to make a little crispier.

A big thanks to Midwest Dairy for sponsoring this post. I was compensated for my time and all opinions are my own.

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