Tandoori Chicken Bites

Ingredients:
 3 large chicken breasts
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 Tbsp garam masala
1 1/2 Tbsp paprika, divided

Directions:
Cut the chicken breasts into small chunks, yielding about 40 pieces. Place the chicken pieces in a large zip top bag.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bag with 1/2 Tbsp paprika.  Close the bag tightly and smoosh it around to mix the ingredients.  Place the bag in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours to marinate.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  wipe the marinade from the chicken pieces and place them in a bowl.  sprinkle the last tablespoon of paprika and a pinch more of salt over the chicken pieces.  Toss to coat.  *The extra paprika here just helps the red color, you an skip it if desired.  A little extra salt definitely helps, though.

Place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet, spaced out so they don't touch.  Bake for 15 minutes in the fully preheated oven.  Take the sheet out, turn each piece of chicken over, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Serve warm with Naan bread, yogurt sauce, and cucumbers.

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Sausage

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup pesto
10 ounces ziti or penne pasta (about 3 cups), freshly cooked
4 cups or handfuls of baby spinach leaves
6 ounces grated or cube mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is cooked through. 
Add tomatoes with juices.
Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Add pesto.
Season sauce with salt and pepper.
**You can prepare up to this point a day ahead and refrigerate**

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly oil 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.
Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl.
Stir in warm hot tomato mixture.
Place in prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over top.
Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

-Inspired by Epicurious, from www.yourhomebasedmom.com

Avocado Rice Salad {from Emily's kitchen to yours}

Cook 2 boxes of Uncle Bens Long grain and wild rice with seasoning packets according to package directions.  Squeeze one lemon onto rice and cool. Make sure to keep covered while cooling, so rice doesn’t dry out.

Add:

3 cooked chicken breast, diced or approx. 3 cups

4 green onions, chopped

1 red pepper, diced

3 oz. Chinese or sugar snap pea pods, cut in half (I use 6 oz.)

1 c. pecans-coarsely chopped and toasted

2 medium avocados diced and added to salad or sliced on top

 

Dressing:  In blender combine:

½ c. vegetable oil

½ t. stone ground pepper

1 T. Dijon mustard

1/3 c. seasoned rice vinegar

½ t. salt

2 cloves garlic

Blend and add to rice

 

This salad is better overnight. (minus avocados)

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

YIELD: Serves 4-5
INGREDIENTS:

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/3 cup water

1/2 tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds

3 scallions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken in Crock Pot and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

Remove chicken to a cutting board, leaving sauce. Cut/shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; set aside. Prepare rice according to package instructions.

In a small bowl, dissolve 4 teaspoons cornstarch in 1/3 cup water; add to crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Cover and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Add cooked rice to 4 plates, top with chicken and spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Thai Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet!  Don't let the name fool you. This is a meal in a bowl. Use your favorite thai curry paste, to taste.  Serves 4 (as a meal).

INGREDIENTS

Two 398 ml (14 ounce) cans of full-fat coconut milk, unshaken (*if you're looking to reduce some of the fat in this soup, you can substitute 1 can of lite coconut milk, but make sure at least one of the two cans is full fat)


1 generous Tbsp. Thai curry paste (red, yellow or green, I have only used red)


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces


3 cups chicken broth 


1 carrot, cut into matchsticks about 2 inches long


2 Tbsp. fish sauce


Zest and juice of 1 lime


1 tsp. minced fresh ginger


2 cups bean sprouts


2 cups bok choy, trimmed of white root ends (could also use spinach or other greens)


1/2 lb. (225g) wide rice noodles (don't substitute egg noodles or pasta unless pre-cooked sparately)


Fresh cilantro, about 1/3-1/2 cup, roughly chopped


2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish


Shredded carrot, for garnish

METHOD

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Remove the top layer of coconut cream from one can of coconut milk and add to the pot. Once it's melted, stir in the curry paste and heat until mixture starts to bubble. Add the chicken and cook, stirring until the chicken is cooked, 4-5 minutes.

Add the remaining coconut milk (the remainder of the first can and the whole second can). Add the chicken broth, carrot, fish sauce, ginger and lime juice and zest. Stir and bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Add the rice noodles, ensuring that they are completely covered by the soup. Add the bean sprouts, bok choy. Stir gently to combine. Turn off the heat under the pot, cover and let stand 5 minutes. The rice noodles will re-hydrate in the hot soup (but this won't work with egg/pasta noodles, which is why they aren't recommended. If you need to use egg noodles, you'll have to cook them separately and add them to the soup at the end.)

Stir in some cilantro. Taste and season with a touch more salt, if needed. Serve in large bowls and garnish with the green onions and a bit more cilantro leaves.

Prep time: 5 min 
Cook time: 25 min 
Total time: 30 min 
Yield: 4 servings

Twice Baked Butternut Squash

Simple and delicious... if you like butternut squash and blue cheese that is.

Twice Baked Butternut Squash (with quinoa
and gorgonzola)
Author: Erin Alderson Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 75 mins Total time: 1 hour 35 mins

Ingredients
1 large butternut squash 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium shallots
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, plus extra for topping 
pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 ̊. Slice butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place each half cut side down in a 9x13 pan and pour 1/2" of water in the bottom. Place in oven and bake until tender, about 45­60 minutes. Once done, remove and set aside.
   
2. Rinse quinoa and set aside. In a medium pan heat olive oil over medium low heat. Dice shallots, add to oil, and saute until shallots are fragrant. Stir in quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer at let cook until water is absorbed, 12­15 minutes.
   
3. While quinoa cooks, scoop out butternut squash, leaving a 1/4"­1/2" on the sides and bottom. Drain water from pan and return butternut squash to the pan, cut side up.
   
4. Mash butternut squash and stir in gorgonzola cheese. Once quinoa is done, add it to the butternut squash. Taste and add salt if need be.
   
5. Scoop filling evenly into butternut squash halves. Sprinkle with gorgonzola cheese and return to oven. Let bake for 10­15 minutes or until cheese has melted and the tops begin to brown. Remove from oven, cut eat half in half, and serve.
   
6. Evenly spread filling back into butternut squash
   

Notes
​The butternut squash can be roasted the day before cutting out a good majority of the time it takes to make this!​ 

Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs and Greek Rice Pilaf

Emily brought me this yummy main dish after I had Talmage and I promised I would post it for her.  It was sooooo good!  Enjoy!

Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs

1 8oz container fat-free plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes
½ tsp lemon zest
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp crushed dried rosemary
1 pound chicken breasts- cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red onion- cut into wedges
1 large green bell pepper- cut into wedges

In a large shallow baking dish, mix the yogurt, feta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the chicken in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator. Thread the chicken, onion and peppers onto skewers and grill. Serve with greek rice pilaf.

Greek Rice Pilaf

• 1/4 lb butter
• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 5 cups hot chicken broth
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat butter in a heavy skillet. When it's hot, add the rice and, stirring constantly, saute on medium heat until transparent but not brown.
2. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and salt.
3. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let pilaf stand uncovered for 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers

These are REALLY REALLY good! Like SUPER good. Like the three of us ate all 10 patties/burgers in 2 days good.

From The Naked Kitchen


1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 C cubed sweet potatoes, peeled (about 3 regular sized potatoes)
3/4 C sweet corn, frozen or fresh (thawed if frozen, fresh grilled corn would be excellent in this dish)
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C cooked quinoa
1 TB olive oil
heaping 1/3 C garbanzo bean flour (you can use whatever flour, I used all purpose)
2 TB roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh black pepper to taste
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)

Oven at 375º

Cook the sweet potatoes, but try not to over-cook them! You don't want them too mushy. Smash them, but leave it a little lumpy.

Add half the black beans to a bowl and smash them. Add the rest of the ingredients (incl. rest of the beans). Stir until combined.

Form mixture into 10 balls, smash them into 1/2" thick patties.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and place patties on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, flip half-way through time.

(I made ours in a skillet just pan-frying them so it was much quicker. If you pan-fry, cook for about 5 minutes on each side.)

Classic Meatloaf (with a twist)

I'm NOT a meatloaf person. I think the last time I ate meatloaf was in junior high. So ... I made meatloaf tonight and it was surprisingly good. This doesn't use ground beef or pork, although I read that you could definitely use whatever ground meat you prefer.

From The Naked Kitchen

1.5 C sweet onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, mashed
1 lb. ground chicken (or ground turkey)
3/4 C old fashioned oats
1 large egg
3/4 C ketchup (divided)
2 tsp worcestershire
1 tsp sea salt (I used 3/4 tsp table salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TB ground flaxseed

Oven at 350º

Saute onions and garlic until onions are golden.

Combine onions/garlic, ground chicken, oats, egg, 1/2 C ketchup, worcestershire, flaxseed, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

Spray an 8x4 loaf pan. Press mixture into pan. Spread remaining ketchup on top (1/4 C).

Bake for 1 hour and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

* Dice/slice the onions however you want. If you like chunky make them bigger or longer slices. If you don't like chunky, slice them thin/small.
* I didn't have flaxseed, but want to try it next time.

Carolina Pulled Pork

(If you like Chick-fil-A sauce then you will like this recipe)

Use a pork shoulder roast or pork butt roast

prepare the cooker;

slice onion and put in bottom of cooker

pour in half can of Rootbeer or more depending on the size of your cooker, add apple cider vinegar so that there is about 1 inch of liquid (you can also use broth if you like for the liquid)

then rub meat with a mixture of

Cumin, garlic salt, salt and pepper (add chili powder if you like spice)

there is not measured amounts here, just balance it out depending on the amount you like of different tastes, I always use more cumin that any other spice but usually close to equal parts, mix enough to cover roast on all sides

put rubbed roast in crock pot or covered roaster pan in oven (250 degrees)

slow cooker about 6 to 8 hours, or 4 hours in an oven for 250 degrees

shred the roast with forks (pull apart) (make sure meat is falling apart before you shred otherwise it will be tough and chewy

sauce

I use about

1 1/2 cups of mustard (or a whole large container of mustard from Wal-mart)

1/4 cup or less of dark brown sugar

1/2 to 1 cup of apple cider vinegar

bring to boil and taste, add honey to cool it down or vinegar to spice it up, if you put sugar in it it tastes funny so keep with a small of brown sugar, honey makes it better

then add to meat and add 1/2 stick of butter, stir and keep warm for about an hour then serve, the longer it stays ready for serving, you can keep adding the vinegar and honey (equal parts) to keep it moist along with small amounts of butter

the two secret ingredients in this are the butter and Rootbeer- most recipes you find don't have either and it does make a difference

Biscuits with Turkey Gravy-sooo Yummy!

Ingredients

• 1 tube (16.3 ounces) large refrigerated flaky biscuits
• 1 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

• Bake biscuits according to package directions. Meanwhile, crumble sausage into a large saucepan; cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and keep warm.
• In the same saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Stir in sausage; heat through. Place two biscuits on each serving plate; top with gravy. Yield: 4 servings.

Sausage and Bean Ragout

Finally, I'm posting a recipe that isn't a dessert or bread! Feels nice to cook real food again. :) A coworker gave me some fresh basil which inspired an internet search for a dinner recipe. This was delicious, and super easy. I altered it a bit to use what I had... I put the changes in parentheses. (From Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (I skipped this)
• 1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
• 1 pound hot Italian pork sausage, casing removed (used Jimmy Dean ground Italian sausage)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic, oregano and basil (I just had plain... still really good)
• 1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained (I used 2 cans)
• 1/2 cup uncooked elbow pasta (I used penne because that's what I had)
• 1 (6 ounce) package fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
• 1/3 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in saucepot over medium-high heat. Add beef, sausage and onion and cook until meats are browned, stirring to separate meat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
2. Add broth, basil, tomatoes and beans. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook until pasta is done.
3. Add spinach and cook just until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Serve with additional cheese.

tamale pie update

Since tamale pie is a staple in my repertoire, I've tried different things with it.  Here's my latest iteration; slightly different than the original and definitely has some high points! Particularly the cheese content and the crusty topping.

Scale the chili powder way back (or none at all)
Only use 1 TB of oil for the onions
No garlic (although it couldn't hurt, am I right?)
2 cans of black beans (or pinto if that's your flavor)
2 (10 oz) cans of RoTel tomatoes (drained, some juice reserved)
2-3 C Mexican cheese blend

Bake the cornbread first and crumble it up. Add 1-1.5 cups of cheese to the cornbread (2+ cups of crumbled).

Cook onions in oil. Add/cook meat. Add beans & RoTel with some reserved juice. Stir in 1-1.5 C up cheese. Sprinkle crumbled cornbread on top. Cook @ 450 for 10-15 min.

If you've never used RoTel, it's a little spicy which is why you don't really need the chili powder. Although a bit of it will add a different kind of spice/flavor. I think RoTel is also available in mild for the wusses. ;)

Fantastic -and fast- Fish Taco's

So this was a last minute situation that turned out magnificently!!! I'm a big fan of cheating when I cook so dressing up Bisquick and Ranch is a time saver that I love.

Fish and Batter:
3 Pollock (or any firm fish) Fillet: thawed and cubed
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
Mix together in shallow dish:
1/2 c. Bisquick
1 1/2 tsp. Lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt

Toppings:
Diced Radishes
Shredded Red Cabbage
Shredded Lettuce
Diced Tomato
Lime Wedges
Small Flour or Corn Tortillas

Avocado Dressing:
1 Avocado Diced
2 Tbs Fresh Cilantro chopped
1/3 c. Ranch Dressing

Instructions: Make the dressing first to let the flavors blend. While fish thaws, prepare toppings. Cut up fish and cover in seasoned Bisquick. Fry in heated oil for 3-5 minutes until browned. Serve it up hot and don't forget to squeeze lime on top...Delicious!

bowtie lasagna

For those of you who are savvier in the kitchen than I, I'm sure you could dink around for a few minutes and come up with this tasty number. For those of you who are more like me, you need a recipe for inspiration and dink-around capabilities. 

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen.

1 lb. ground turkey
~5 C bowtie pasta
3 C (24 oz bottle) your favorite spaghetti sauce
~1 TB olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning (or basil, oregano, etc.)
3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 C sour cream
fresh parmesan (opt.)

Cook pasta to al dente.

Meanwhile, brown meat in a large skillet.

Drain & rinse pasta. Add to skillet with meet. Drizzle olive oil on top of noodles & lightly toss, but don't stir with meat yet. Add spaghetti sauce and all seasonings. Stir to combine with noodles & meat.

Stir in cheese & sour cream. Allow everything to melt together and warm, about 5 minutes.

**Notes**
Red pepper flakes are totally a matter of preference. I think it gives it a nice little something every now & again, but little ones might not appreciate it. I added more mozzarella and less sour cream than the original recipe, as well. I shredded fresh parmesan on top which was delightful. This reheats really well, too.

Asian Lettuce Rolls

Ingredients:

*2 packages (3 oz. each) chicken-flavored ramen noodles

*2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken

*1 each: red and yellow bell peppers

*1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops

*2 tablespoons reduced -sodium soy sauce

* 2 teaspoons Asian Seasoning Mix (by pc, but they suggest using oriental flavored ramen to substitute)
*2 teaspoons vegetable oil

*1 garlic clove, pressed (or me...1/8 tsp. garlic powder)
*1 1/2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root, pressed (or me again...1/4 tsp ground ginger)
*1 medium cucumber, scored, seeded and thinly sliced
*2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips
*1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
*24 Boston lettuce leaves (couldn't find in store, substituted with green leaf lettuce)
*1 jar (11.5 oz.) sweet and sour sauce

Directions:

1. Cook the ramen noodles as directed ( break each block of noodles into quarters). Drain noodles and rinse under cold water.

2. Slice tops and bottoms off bell peppers; remove stems and chop tops and bottoms of bell peppers. Set center portions of bell peppers aside. Place noodles, chicken, chopped bell peppers and green onions in bowl.

3. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, seasoning mix, and oil. Add garlic and ginger. Pour over noodle mixture in large bowl; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate.

4. Slice reserved bell peppers into thin strips. Thinly slice cucumber. Cut carrots into julienne strips. To serve, spoon noodle salad into medium bowl; sprinkle with peanuts, if desires. Place bell peppers, cucumber, carrots and sweet and sour sauce into small bowls. To serve, top each lettuce leaf with noodle salad and vegetables. Drizzle with sweet and sour sauce and roll-up.

Yields 8 servings.

Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese

This is for you mac and cheese peeps, both with children and without. We could all use a few more vegetables in our diet, right? And what better way than smothered in cheese and pasta? With that, I give you a recipe that I have modified from Jessica Seinfeld's Creamy Macaroni and Cheese recipe. (You should know... I rarely measure anything these days unless I'm baking. So the amount below should be close to what I used, but really I just sort of threw general quantities in the pan, and certainly didn't measure the seasonings.)

Ingredients:

2ish cups macaroni (or if you’re me... whole wheat or barilla PLUS penne or something like that)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup nonfat skim milk
1+ cups butternut squash, sweet potato, or cauliflower puree (I used 1/2 cup-ish each of sweet potato and cauliflower)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces) (USE MILD OR MEDIUM CHEDDAR, NOT SHARP)
4 ounces (almost 1/4 cup) reduced-fat or nonfat cream cheese
sauteed mushrooms with garlic salt and pepper (one 8 oz container sliced)... (you could certainly leave these out if your young ones, etc. won't enjoy them, personally I LOVED this addition, either way, a little garlic salt is a good idea... it added something special to the mac 'n cheese flavor)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika (I forgot to add this and it was still good.)
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander.

While the macaroni is cooking, heat a pan and add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable puree, cheddar, cream cheese and seasonings and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm WITH BROCCOLI!!!

Chicken and Black Bean Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich With Black Beans and Avocado
Modified recipe from MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN (of the New York Times)

1/4 cup cooked black beans (you can use canned but homemade will taste better)
1 whole wheat sandwich thin
1/4 ripe medium avocado, sliced thin
Salt to taste
Lime or lemon juice to taste
A generous handful of dark lettuce, arugula, or spinach
1 teaspoon vinegar (sherry, white wine or red wine)
1 ounce shredded cooked chicken breas
1 small tomato, sliced

1. Mash the black beans, and make sure they’re well seasoned. Spread over the top and bottom halves of the sandwich thin. Layer the avocado over the beans on the bottom half, and sprinkle with salt and lime juice to taste. Top the avocado slices with the chicken. Toss the salad greens with the vinegar and additional lime/lemon juice until thoroughly coated, and pile on top of the chicken. Top with a layer of sliced tomatoes (a few leaves of lettuce on top of the tomato will keep the top of sandwich from getting soggy. Press down and wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. If possible, allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or for several hours in the refrigerator, before eating.

Advance preparation: This will keep for a day in the refrigerator.

Quinoa and Black Beans

For those of you who don't know... (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Quinoa (pronounced /ˈkiːnoʊ.ə/ or /kwɨˈnoʊ.ə/, Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa), a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass.

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.^[4] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.^[4]


There you go folks... plus, it's delicious. You generally have to look for it near the "specialty" grains in a regular grocery store, but is much easier to come by in a health food store such as Whole Foods or Sunflower Market. It's my new thing. Since this recipe mixes well known foods (beans and corn) with the new food (quinoa), it's a good place to start in giving it a try. Really, it's like any other grain, in that it takes the flavor of whatever you've cooked it in. If you don't like cumin or cilantro... you won't like this recipe.

Ingredients

1 tsp. canola oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed)
I can low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels (optional)
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (or more)

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and sauté about five minutes.

Rinse quinoa with cold water for a few minutes. (Use a fine sieve).

Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir frozen corn into saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user BUN3KIN.

Mahogany Broiled Chicken with Smoky Lime Sweet Potatoes

Alright kids... get ready. This is a real winner. For. Real. Check out Food Network for the recipe.

Here's my two cents:

1) the sweet potatoes and chicken are delicious together, but would also be delicious apart (mashed sweet potatoes = YUM!), and for those of you who are unaware, sweet potato is pretty much top of the food chain when it comes to veggies... very, very good for you

2) the cilantro/garlic chimichurri sauce is VERY garlicy (and I love garlic), I would cut the garlic in half and use the food processor to finely chop the cilantro and garlic so it's more of a paste... but really, it's all good without this part of the recipe as well (one way to save a few steps)

Enjoy!