Sweet Potato with Quinoa, Spinach & Cranberries

Here's a great, super easy, fast Meatless Monday dish! I came across it on Pinterest, but it didn't actually  link to a recipe...so I just kind of guessed as to how much of what went into it. I saved some time by having quinoa already cooked (at one point I made a bunch, divided it up, and froze it) and by using the frozen chopped spinach. It turned out pretty tasty!

Here's what you need:
1 sweet potato
EVOO
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup chopped spinach 
2-4 TBSP dried cranberries
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
Salt & pepper to taste

This is how you do it:

• Heat up a small pan with a little EVOO in the bottom. Add the garlic & onion with some salt & pepper; cook until soft. Add in the dried cranberries, followed by the spinach and finally quinoa. Cook until everything's heated up.
• Meanwhile, cook your sweet potato in the microwave. Mine has a really great potato setting. And everything ended up being done at the same time. Perfect. 

I have to say, I'm enjoying this fall weather. And the rain. I switched out my sandals for boots. Pulled out my sweaters. Got out my big, fluffy blanket. There are various fall Scentsy smells warming throughout the house. It's kind of wonderful. Plus, I started watching "Parenthood." Why have I never seen this before?! Decent stuff. Tomorrow I will begin a work marathon of sorts...so I'll be accepting coffee deliveries through Sunday. But Seriously. 

I hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

Mushroom & Quinoa Salad with Tilapia

I cooked!! And it was good!! But seriously. This meal was inspired by the need to use the mushrooms, tomato, and goat cheese that were in the house. Also it's Fish Friday...so tilapia was an obvious choice. And I like quinoa and balsamic. So ta-da! Dinner.

The rest of the day has been fairly uneventful. Errands. Refinishing furniture. Recovering from yesterday's X2 Chest+Back+Balance, ab ripper, and Zumba combo. Like things are sore that I didn't remember could be sore...Yoga-X was much needed this morning. Still, it's been a pretty chill day...and evening. I feel like Friday nights should be more exciting... Anyways, here is your recipe: 

Mushroom & Quinoa Salad with Tilapia

Ingredients:

2 tilapia filets (maybe like 6 oz each), thawed

1/2 cup quinoa

1 lb. sliced mushrooms

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 large tomato, cut into small pieces 

2-3 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Salt & pepper

EVOO

Balsamic vinaigrette 

Directions:

• Set the oven to broil on low. Line a pan with foil and place the tilapia on it. Season with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle with some EVOO. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, have your quinoa cooking (according to the directions on the package...I like to use chicken or vegetable stock for my liquid...more flavor).
• This is also a good time to drizzle your saute pan with EVOO, and cook the mushrooms and garlic. 
• Once the fish, quinoa, and mushrooms are done, you can combine everything in a large bowl. Drizzle on your balsamic. Top with goat cheese. Eat up!

Sweet Italian Sausage Pasta Toss

This was kind of one of those deals where I was trying to use up things we already had. It worked out really well! It's kind of a mishmash, but quite tasty. I adapted my recipe from Hostess with the Mostess. It's a great, simple recipe to play with. Pick your sausage. Pick your Pasta. Pick your veggies. I ended up using turkey and chicken sausage because we had about 8 oz of each. I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta shells (8 oz box). I used zucchini and a mixture of sweet bell peppers. Delish. And also colorful. 

Sweet Italian Sausage Pasta Toss

Ingredients:
1 lb sweet Italian sausage links
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
2 zucchini, sliced and quartered 
2 sweet bell peppers (I used 1 whole red, and half each of yellow and orange), chopped
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP basil
Salt & pepper to taste
8-12 oz pasta, cooked according to package instructions

Directions:

• Over medium heat (and in a large skillet...mine is a 6 qt), brown the sausage on all sides. Slice into 1/4" thick rounds and set aside. Saute the chopped onion in the remaining grease and juices from the sausage. After 5 minutes, add the minced garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
• Deglaze the skillet with white wine or chicken broth (or combination). Add the sausage back into the skillet, along with the vegetables and seasonings. Cook until the veggies are tender. Stir in the pasta. That is all! 

I topped it off with a little freshly grated mozzarella! Parm would also be good. 

Enjoy!

Quinoa & Spinach Egg Bake

I was super excited when I found this on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. I'm always up for an easy, protein-packed breakfast. I really like that I can make this once and have breakfast for 6 days. It's also pretty yummy, unless you do not like spinach. This is what I ended up making on Friday night...or really early Saturday morning...when I could not sleep. The original recipe is from Whole Foods. I changed it a little, using mozzarella instead of Romano or Parmesan. The caloric value will change depended on what kind of cheese and milk you use, but mine turns out to be around 219 calories with 16 grams of protein per serving.


Quinoa & Spinach Egg Bake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa 
8 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk (I used fat-free organic)
1 TBSP chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I recommend shredding your own)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a non-stick cooking spray to grease an 8x8 pan. 

Whisk everything but the spinach and cheese together in a bowl; stir in spinach. Pour mixture into prepared 8x8 dish. Gently jiggle so the quinoa falls to the bottom. Cover with foil and bake until egg is set, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Quinoa Power Breakfast

I've had this quinoa for quite some time. I've wanted to eat it. But, the thing with quinoa is that it seems like it takes forever to cook, and I don't have time for that! Last night, I decided to take a study break and I cooked ALL of the quinoa I had (a little over 2 cups dry). I then divided it up in 1/2 cup servings to freeze and be handy. I left one out for breakfast this morning. I had it with half an avocado and a fried egg. Sprinkled with a dash of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Delicious! It was the perfect post-workout power breakfast!

Quinoa Patties

I made these for dinner the other night, and they were a huge hit!  The brother was even quite impressed by how delicious they were.  However, he decided that they could definitely NOT be called "quinoa burgers" like the recipe.  Hence, the change to "quinoa patties."  I will definitely make these again sometime.  It's really pretty easy, and amazingly delicious.  I served mine up with some natural low-fat sour cream and a fresh tomato slice.  Then I had one leftover with the sour cream and salsa, which is also good.  The person I got the recipe from prefers mayo mixed with ketchup.  I'd like to try some kind of Greek yogurt topping sometime!  

 

Quinoa Patties 

(From: Eating well, Living thin...er!)

Ingredients: 

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)

3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry

3 eggs

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 green onions, including white parts

1 /2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

EVOO for frying

To cook quinoa:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.  Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

 

(To help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, I cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning.  Makes them easier to flip and prettier, too.)  

Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I've been trying to do a little more "creative" cooking here lately.  The goal is to use what we have on hand and/or what's on sale at Sunflower for the week.  I don't really like this.  I'm very "type A" and I like to have very specific plans and directions.  I don't like not knowing how what I'm making is going to turn out.  But I'm trying.  And it's been successful.  These stuffed bell peppers came about because I had a tomato and onion that needed used.  I also have a stockpile of ground turkey.  And quinoa.  And shredded cheese.  The peppers were on sale.  Despite never have making anything of the sort before, they turned out really well.  I probably would have been fine with just using quinoa or quinoa and beans, but the brother made me promise to put meat in them!  So I used ground turkey, but ground beef would also be acceptable.  They don't look super pretty... kind of like puke inside a pepper... I promise it tasted MUCH better!  Here you go:

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

1  lb. ground turkey or whatever you like

1  c quinoa

3  c low-sodium broth or stock of your choosing

1  small onion, chopped

2  cloves garlic 

1  Roma tomato, chopped (mine was big, so you might want 2)

Spices to taste (I opted for cumin and coriander) 

Green bell peppers, halved (I only used 3, but there's easily enough stuffing for 6.  I froze 1/2.) 

Shredded cheese of choice (I like mozzarella, but we had fiesta blend)  

Directions:

Cut your peppers in half and clean them out.  Place them in a baking dish and pour 1 cup of the broth/stock AROUND them.  Heat the oven to like 350.  Start cooking the quinoa in 2 cups of the broth/stock.  Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer until the liquid is absorbed...then get it off the heat.  Brown your meat, and then add in the onion and garlic.  Cook until the onions are pretty soft.  You may need to add some EVOO (I think I did).  Once the quinoa and meat and all is done, mix it together; add the tomato.  Make sure you've put your spices in there somewhere!  Now, fill up your pepper halves.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Put them in the oven and let them bake!  I left mine in for 20 minutes, which meant that everything was warm, but the peppers were still a little crunchy.  I liked it.  For softer peppers, just leave them in there a little longer.  Enjoy!   

Warm Quinoa Cranberry Salad with Butternut Squash

I came across this yummy recipe on Pinterest one day.  Great find.  While, I'm sure it's technically more of a fall dish, we happened to have everything needed to make this tasty dish.  Kind of.  I realized after I started that I had dried cherries, not cranberries.  However, I don't think it really made a huge difference.  It was still scrumptious.  Other than using cherries, the only thing I really changed from the original recipe is not adding butter...which I just totally forgot about.  Also, I simplified the whole butternut squash cubing process buy using the frozen, already cubed kind, from Sunflower Markets.  The family thought it was pretty great too.  The only "problem" was my brother wished I had made some kind of meat too.  I explained to him that it was Monday, and, therefore, meatless.  In reality, I just wasn't up to also cooking meat.  Oh well.  Here you go:

Warm Quinoa Cranberry Salad with Butternut Squash

Ingredients: 

1  c quinoa

2  c vegetable or chicken broth (low-sodium)

1  bag frozen, cubed butternut squash 

1/2  medium red onion, thinly sliced or diced

1/2  c dried cranberries (or cherries)

1  sprig of rosemary & a sprinkle of sage

2  tbsp EVOO

1/2  tsp salt

1   tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Cook quinoa in pot with broth over high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Leave on stove for about 25 minutes or until broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally.  

Meanwhile, throw everything else into your Pampered chef steam-in-the-microwave thing.  Toss it around for a bit.  Cook it in the microwave until the butternut squash is cooked through and the onions are tender.  If you don't have a nifty steamer thing, you can bake it in the oven at 425.  

Once everything is done, mix the butternut squash mixture with the quinoa and add the apple cider vinegar.  Stir.  Serve.  Enjoy!

Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Dinner last night was blackened chicken with cilantro lime quinoa (another Pinterest find).  It was pretty stinking tasty, although I will make some changes when I make it again.  For one, the chicken breast we had to use was very, very thick (this makes it somewhat difficult to blacken, and not char, and get it thoroughly cooked).  So, I would definitely recommend using chicken breast that is fairly flat.  Also, the original recipe calls for a whole lot of lime.  It was good, but probably half the amount would be sufficient.  The recipe additionally calls for a lot of quinoa.  Now, I have a great way to use the leftovers, but probably half the quinoa would be enough for one meal.  I'd also recommend making more of the spice mixture to rub on the chicken, at least if you like it hot.  Here it is with some oven-roasted asparagus on the side:

Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa

(My modified recipe.  Click the "original recipe" link above, if you want that) 

For the chicken:

4 Chicken breasts (not too thick)

1-2 tsp Paprika

1/2-1 tsp Salt

1/2-1 tsp Ground black pepper

1/2-1 tsp Cayenne pepper 

1/2-1 tsp Onion powder

1/2-1 tsp Cumin

2-4 TBSP EVOO

Combine all the dry seasonings together in a small bowl.  Mix them together and season both sides of the chicken breasts.  Add EVOO to a large pan or skillet.  Heat for a minute over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes (each side) with the lid on.  Once the chicken breasts are thoroughly cooked, remove from pan and let rest for 7 minutes before slicing them (slicing is optional).    

For the quinoa:

2 c Low-sodium chicken stock

1 c Quinoa

1 Lime (juice and zest)

Dash of salt & pepper

2 TBSP of cilantro, chopped 

Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 10-15 minutes (or until all the stock is absorbed).  Stir occasionally to prevent quinoa from sticking to bottom of pan.  Remove from heat and add lime juice and zest, salt and pepper, and cilantro.  Mix to combine. 

This should make 4 servings!