Quinoa Meatloaf

If you aren't comfortable replacing all of your ground beef with quinoa, I would highly recommend this recipe for meatloaf...it's about 2/3 beef and 1/3 quinoa and most people can't even tell it's not all meat. This recipe makes a medium sized loaf. 

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa (I have used leftover quinoa from Quinoa Taco night) or 1/2 cup dry quinoa if it's uncooked

3/4 of a pound of ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 onion, chopped (I used red, and only half)

2 cloves garlic, chopped (I used more like 5 cloves)

2 TBSP ketchup

2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 egg (forgot this... ha!)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Topping: 2 TBSP packed brown sugar, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp water

Directions:

If your quinoa is not already cooked, then measure out 1/2 cup dry quinoa and 1 cup water into a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a pan, heat the Olive Oil over medium-high heat and add the onions. Stir and cook for a few minutes, or until they are softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Mix up the topping in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the uncooked meat, the cooled quinoa, the cooked onions and garlic, and all other remaining ingredients. It is best if you can mix this all together with your hands.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with tinfoil. Fill with the mixture and pour the topping over the entire meatloaf. (Or do as I did and use a cookie sheet and form a loaf mound... this gets you more of the yummy meatloaf edges.)

Bake for 50 minutes, making sure the meat is no longer pink and totally cooked. I like to pour a little of the grease out when I remove it from the oven. Let it cool a little before serving because it will be very hot.

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)

Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup

Make this immediately!!!

4tbsp (1/2 stick) Butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Large onion diced (to taste)
1 1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cup chicken broth
16 oz. can solid pack pumpkin (or squash)
1 12oz. can of evaporated milk (I used 2% but I think anything would work... and wondered about coconut milk instead as well... will try next time.)

Melt butter in large saucepan, saute garlic & onions till golden brown. Add curry powder, salt, coriander, cayenne and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in broth & simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Add pumpkin stirring till smooth. Add evaporated milk. Heat @ medium for 5 minutes. Don't allow to boil (simmer ok). In batches, put in blender until smooth. Eat, love, and be HAPPY!!!

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.

"Guiltless" Alfredo Sauce

Alright ladies, I'm not sure I consider anything with a cup of parmesan cheese guiltless, but compared to other alfredo recipes out there, this one really is not so bad. And it's delicious. And you can whip it up in like 10 minutes, literally. Here's the deal:

Posted By sara (of Our Best Bites)

Ingredients:
2 C low-fat milk (I used fat free)
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Note: At the recommendation of Sara (the blogger herself), I used this sauce to make an Asain pizza tonight. Yum! I used the leftovers from the Asian BBQ chicken, mixed some of the marinade from the chicken (that I had reserved before marinating, since I had planned for this round two meal) with the alfredo sauce (only used about 1/3 of the alfredo and eyeballed the marinade). One the pizza went the Asian alfredo, mozzeralla cheese, Asian BBQ chicken, cilantro, and thin sliced red onion. It was a hit! Ben's family makes pizza every Sunday and they have a pretty killer thin crust dough recipe. If you want it, let me know and I'll pass it along. Happy eating!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Warning: There is nothing about this recipe that is healthy, but it's super good.  I actually have never made it, I've just been on the eating end. (One of my students brought this to our end-of-semester potluck).

2 C shredded chicken (rotisserie or breast)
1 loaf/16 oz Velveeta spicy buffalo cheese
1 can Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 C buffalo wing sauce

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray, put all the ingredients in. Cover & cook on low for 2 hours or until the cheese is melted. Serve with chips.



Honestly, I've never purchased Velveeta and didn't know such a thing as Velveeta spicy buffalo cheese existed. I'm sure it's totally natural. ;)  Just don't think about it when you eat it. It's really tasty dip!

Oreo Truffles

Am I the last person in the world to eat/know how to make these?  Dangerously delicious and dangerously easy.

1 package Oreos
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
Almond bark

Crush the Oreos. (food processor is much easier and you'll want a fine, consistent crumb)
Stir cream cheese into crushed cookies. (Use your hands to combine it, trust me).
Roll cookie mixture into 1" balls, place on cookie sheet.
Freeze for 10 minutes or put in fridge.
While the balls are hardening, melt the Almond bark, half the package at a time. (Do this according to package directions).
Dip cookie balls into melted almond bark (I use a spoon) & put back on the cookie sheet.
If you feel so inclined, drizzle melted chocolate (chocolate bark, chocolate chips nuked with a little cream) or sprinkle with crushed Oreos.

There are SO many variations to this! PB Oreos with chocolate outer, mint Oreos + peppermint extract added to the almond bark, etc.

I like to keep them in the fridge and eat them out of the fridge (if stored overnight keep them in the fridge bc of the cream cheese).

Try not to eat less than 17.

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.

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Sorry ladies... no picture. But I swear, with the toasted coconut it looks great! And, the whole recipe is crazy easy. :)

1 cookie pie crust

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup cold water

1 package (small) banana cream pudding

1 cup flaked coconut

1 container cool whip

2-3 medium bananas dipped in lemon juice

toasted flaked coconut (toast on 500 degrees... but keep a close eye on it, stirring frequently to prevent burning)

As for pie crusts, you could purchase one, or you can google cookie pie crusts and make one yourself... much more delicious, and thicker. Yum! I used Nilla wafers, but a chocolate cookie crust would have been delicious too.

Combine sweetened condensed milk and water in mixer Add pudding mix and coconut; mix well. Fold in 1 1/2 cups cool whip.

Arrange single layer of bananas on bottom of pie crust. Pour half the filling into crust. Add another layer of bananas and top with the remaining filling. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set (freezer works well too). Top with toasted coconut.

(Note: recipe makes enough for 1 enormous pie, or two regular sized 9 in. pies. Also, some suggest using vanilla pudding and adding pineapple tidbits instead of banana. I haven’t tried this, but I bet it would be delicious... a tropical delight!)

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. ;)

Jean's "I'd have a baby just to get some of this chicken noodle soup" Chicken Noodle Soup

This one is (obviously) from my good friend Jean. She notoriously makes it for mamas with new babies, but now that I have the recipe I've made it routinely this winter. DE.LISH! The beauty is that you can adjust to your taste (my notes below).

SOUP
Serves 6

8 C water
3 chicken breasts

Boil in chicken water until cooked through (approx. 15 min.). Then remove from water and set aside.

4 carrots, peeled & chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 chicken bullion cubes

Add the above to water and boil until tender.

Add noodles (recipe below) & cook/boil until done (approx. 10 min.).

Shred chicken and return to pot.

HOMEMADE EGG NOODLES (worth the effort!)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 TB milk
flour

Combine egg, salt & milk in a bowl. Add flour (1/2 cup at a time) until the dough is no longer sticky. Generously flour counter and roll out dough. Cut into strips (pizza cutter is great for this!).
**Noodles double in size when they cook.


My variations:
1. I use heaping teaspoons of the seasonings.
2. If you don't have poultry seasoning, it's just a combo of: sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, black pepper & nutmeg.
3. I use chicken tenders because they cook faster & are easier to shred. But they're easier to overcook, too.
4. I eyeball the carrots & celery because I like lots of veggies in my soup. It's not an exact science.
5. It probably takes me about 1 1/4 cups flour for the noodles. And SERIOUSLY they are worth it! I just make them while the veggies are boiling. Also, I've experimented with different sizes of noodles. I like them a little fatter (1/2 inch) and maybe 2+ inches long.

scones

This is a great scone recipe that is super adaptable! I've made them with semi-sweet and white chocolate chips and I thought the white chocolate were better (weird since I don't normally like white chocolate!). I'm thinking white chocolate & cranberry next time. Or cranberry-orange. Or lemon-blueberry. Or ... Or ... MmmmMMMm. Oh, I've also used whole wheat flour with great results. Like I said, adaptable and EASY!

2 C flour
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 TB unsalted butter (frozen or really cold)
1/2 C raisins (or other filling)
1/2 C sour cream
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a bowl. Cut in butter (or grate, or use food processor). Add raisins (or other fillings).

In a separate small bowl whisk together egg and sour cream. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until dough clumps form. Use your hands to press dough against the sides of the bowl to combine all the dough. It will seem like there isn't enough liquid, but keep working it and it comes together.

Pat dough into 7-8" circle and ~3/4" thick (on a lightly floured surface). Cut into 8 wedges. Sprinkle wedges with sugar and place 1" apart on a UN-greased baking pan.

Bake until golden or 15-17 minutes.

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!

watermelon smoothie

Deceptively delicious!  Adapted from Vegetable Carnival.

As for the ingredient list ... hold on to your hats!

~1 C frozen, cubed watermelon
~ 1/2 C almond milk

Cut a watermelon into small cubes and freeze, oh, maybe 2 cups worth (if you freeze on a cookie sheet they won't stick together.) When frozen blend, oh, maybe 1 cup of watermelon.  Add almond milk to desired texture.  I probably end up with 1/2 cup.

It's truly delightful!

The almond milk will be by the soy milk @ the store. I used the vanilla almond milk, but you could probably use the original flavor with just as tasty results. This is my new favorite smoothie!

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.

Roasted Vegetables

I know this is kinda basic, but it's a good reminder of an easy and delicious side dish/main dish. :)

I generally roast sweet potato, yellow squash, asparagus, bell pepper, mushrooms, or cauliflower (usually some combo of the above), but you really could use any veggies you like. Keep in mind that some cook faster than others (mushrooms, bell pepper, etc.), and I find it helpful to give the sweet potato a head start with a couple minutes in the microwave before I chop it up.

Cut the veggies into larger than bite sized bits, keeping in mind that the smaller you cut them the faster they'll cook. Toss with olive or canola oil, chopped garlic, thyme, salt, garlic salt, season salt, lemon pepper, pepper, cumin, rosemary, or some combination of these (or others).

Spread out on cookie sheet and roast at 400-450 degrees until tender, tossing the vegetables around on the cookie sheet occasionally so they don't burn. Generally 20-ish minutes.

That's it. Something about roasting brings out the best in the flavors of the vegetables. Plus, you can mix it up so it's different every time. :)

Tri-tip sandwiches

Another man-pleasin' meal. Although this is about the only shredded beef (or any beef) sandwich I truly think is delicious! Sooo simple. 

tri-tip roast (triangle roast, sirloin roast)*
Lawry's auj jus seasoning packet
water

For every ~2 lbs of roast add 1 packet of auj jus and 2 cups water to crock pot.
Cook on high for ~6 hours or low ~8-10 hours.
Take beef out, shred. Meat should fall apart easily with a fork.
Ladle off extra fat from liquid (or use gravy separator). Use liquid for dipping.

Eat with kaiser rolls, avocado slices, tomato, lettuce, provolone cheese (or any combination).

*I have no idea what kind of roast I've purchased in the past. Sometimes I find sirloin, sometimes I don't. You want to make sure the meat is well-marbled (fatty) to keep it moist & tasty. If there's a thick layer of fat on one side, just remove that before shredding. I spoon some juice onto the meat/bread as well as dip.

Warm Chocolate Cake

Fabulous!!!

This cake is fast and easy. The cake has a warm gooey inside that tastes like hot fudge. I like it with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
6 oz (1/2 pkg) semisweet chocolate chips
1 oz unsweetened chocolate (1 square)
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375. Spray bundt pan. Melt butter and all chocolates together in microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat until all are melted. In another bowl, beat sugar and eggs 2 minutes until lightened in color. Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Sprinkle flour and baking powder over. Stir until just combined. Pour into pan and bake for 15 minutes. (It will totally look NOT done). Take out and let sit for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

breakfast burritos

i just have to add this one; we've made this twice in two weeks. it's not your plain-jane breakfast burrito but it's still incredibly, ridiculously easy. of course it's from the cook's country fools because they manage to refine simple and delicious cooking. hallelujah! my notes of what we've played around with are at the end. 

8 large eggs
1/4 C half & half (or milk)
1/2 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp veg oil **
6 oz chorizo sausage, chopped medium **
1 red onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeded & finely minced
1 TB unsalted butter **
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
3 scallions, sliced thin **
flour tortillas (8"-9")

whisk the eggs, half & half, salt & pepper together; set aside. heat oil in a large skillet and brown the sausage. add onion, bell pepper & jalapeno, cooking until softened. transfer sausage mixture to a bowl & keep warm. wipe out the skillet, melt the butter, add the eggs. fold/scramble the eggs. when almost cooked, add cheese and incorporate into eggs. fold sausage mixture back into skillet with the eggs. heat tortillas in microwave (~20 seconds). and get our burrito on!

** we used ground hot italian sausage (it came in a 12 oz pkg and we froze the other half). we just cooked it like you might ground beef or turkey. we did not use the oil in the skillet to brown the sausage (seems unnecessary to me, but we have non-stick pans). i chopped the veggies while brandon cooked the sausage & whisked the eggs. we did not add butter to the skillet before the eggs, but i'm sure that would be tasty (we didn't miss it). lastly, we did not incorporate the scallions (mostly because i forgot) and again, didn't miss anything. normally we'd use salsa and sour cream with breakfast burritos, but these are incredibly tasty on their own. in fact, i tried a bite with salsa and it took away from the burrito deliciousness.

whip these babies up using whatever type of sausage your family likes. the jalapenos (if they're seeded) are not spicy; they just add more flavor. seriously, ladies, these are delicious and you all know how i feel about sausage.

BBQ chicken sandwich + buttermilk slaw

easy. messy. tasty. man-pleasin'. and woman pleasin', too. brandon told me he loved me several times while eating this sandwich. he may have even yelped. (from cook's country)

4 chicken breasts (1.5 lbs)
salt & pepper
3 TB unsalted butter
3/4 C BBQ sauce
1/2 C plus 1 TB cider vinegar
1 TB hot sauce
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/2 C buttermilk
1 (16 oz) bag coleslaw mix
hamburger buns

melt butter in large skillet over med-high. salt & pepper chicken breasts and add to skillet. cook until lightly browned. stir in BBQ sauce, 1/2 C vinegar, and hot sauce. bring to boil. reduce heat to med-low and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through (flip halfway through). transfer chicken to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm simmer sauce until thickened.

whisk mayo, buttermilk, 1 TB vinegar in bowl. add coleslaw and mix to combine. season with s & p.

shred chicken and add back to skillet, toss with the sauce. serve on buns topped with coleslaw.