Zesty Quinoa Salad

This yummy recipe was shared with me by my friend, Kim. Kim loves all things quinoa (so do I; I mean, really, who doesn't now a-days? We are living in a quinoa-loving world, people). I tweaked the original recipe up a little bit as I always seem to do; I can't help myself!!! My husband and I ate the whole salad for dinner served with pita wedges. But, I also think this would make a fabulous side dish or quick lunch. I know a couple of my girlfriends like to make a big batch of quinoa salad on Sunday nights and then eat a little bit for lunch as the week goes on. This is a very smart thing to do to ensure you eat a healthy lunch every day and not just a bowl of cereal (that would be ME) or a couple of donuts out of the pantry (ummm, ya you, my bestie-who-shall-remain-nameless, I'm talking about you)!! Enjoy!!!

 
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or water)
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 green onions, finely chopped
2 Tbl to 4 Tbl fresh cilantro, chopped (according to your tastes)
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 sliced almonds (optional)

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbl apple cider vinegar (or white or red; not Balsamic)
1 Tbl honey
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt & pepper, each
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flake, to your taste

Pita bread slices for serving

Bring quinoa and broth (or water) to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Pour olive oil, vinegar, cumin, honey, salt & pepper, and red pepper flakes together in a Tupperware container. Cover with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined.

Combine cooked quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, green onions, cilantro, and sliced almonds (if using) together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Gently fold in feta cheese. Taste the salad and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Chill salad in the refrigerator. Serve with toasted pita bread wedges. Enjoy!

 

Zucchini, Apple & Quinoa Cakes with Cucumber Yogurt Dressing

 

Summer is coming to a close and yet, I'm still a vegetarian. I call myself a "summer vegetarian" because it's just easier for me to omit meat in my diet in the warmer months. The chill of fall makes it harder for me to resist the occasional chicken sausage soup, beef stew or turkey chili.  My husband is always happy once summer comes to a close because he knows it means a little chicken is on the horizon.

But for now, I'm very content in my meatless-world. And these zucchini apple cakes leaving me craving for nothing!! They are extremely delicious, filling and healthy. I LOVE them! Hope you do too!

Zucchini Cakes:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1/3 cup pecans (or walnuts)
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium apple, grated with peel on
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped (substitute with 1 Tbl dried dill)
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1 Tbl ground flax (optional)
1 Tbl hemp seed (optional)
2 eggs
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 Tbl olive oil

Yogurt Dressing:
6 oz container of plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbl lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic salt

Mixed lettuce

Put uncooked quinoa in a mini food processor and process until finely ground. Add pecans and process until mixture is smooth.

Place grated zucchini and grated apple in a strainer. Let stand 15 minutes. Use a few paper towels to squeeze out excess liquid through the strainer. The zucchini and apple should be barely moist by the time you are ready to use it.

Combine zucchini, apple, green onions, dill, salt, pepper, garlic,  feta cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Stir well to combine. Add the quinoa and pecan mixture and ground flax & hemp seeds, if using; stir well to combine.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add 1 Tbl olive oil to pan. Add 1/4 cup of the zucchini batter to the hot pan; use the back of the measuring cup to flatten the mound into a 3"-4" cake. Cook 4 minutes then flip cake to the other side. Cook another 4 minutes. Remove the finished zucchini cakes and repeat procedure with the remaining olive oil and rest of the batter.                         
                              

For the dressing combine yogurt, cucumber, red bell pepper, lemon juice and garlic salt; stir well. Divide lettuce between plates. Top with zucchini cakes and dressing. Serve right away. Enjoy!!

Easy Taco Salad

I make this for dinner a lot- quite a lot, actually. My husband and I love eating a giant salad for dinner and this one is chocked full of healthy, tasty ingredients and is really easy to throw together.  I don't have a "recipe" - you literally just add what you like and what you happen to have in the 'fridge (aren't those the best kind of recipes anyway?).  I think the simple dressing is what makes this salad so yummy. Choose your favorite salsa to mix into the ranch; eat the left over salsa with chips as a side with the salad.

Take this list of ingredients as suggestions - if you don't like something, don't put it in! I guarantee it'll turn out yummy!!

Dressing:
Bottled Ranch dressing
Jarred salsa

Salad:
Romaine lettuce, chopped (the two of us eat three heads)
Cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters
Red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
Green onions, about three
Handful of cilantro, chopped
Black beans or garbanzo beans, about a can, rinsed and drained
Corn, I cut mine straight off the cob completely uncooked
Shredded cheddar cheese (pepper jack would be good, too)
Sprinkle of salt & pepper
Rotisserie chicken, shredded
Ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
Crushed tortilla chips

For the dressing:
Use equal parts ranch to salsa- I have never measured this. Basically, if you use 1/3 cup Ranch, add a 1/3 cup salsa and mix together. If your family wants more or less dressing, just adjust. 

Salad:
Combine the lettuce and all the other ingredients you are using, minus the avocado, chicken and tortilla chips. Pour dressing over the top and toss well.  Serve salad onto plates. Top each serving with chicken, avocado and crushed tortilla chips. Serve with extra salsa and chips as a side. Enjoy!

5 Minute Artisan Bread from CSF

This bread was outrageously good!! And it was crazy easy to make- no kneeding!! Yes, I said it- NO KNEEDING!!! And I will admit it, it took more than five minutes....but, it certainly took much, much, much less time and effort than your typical, homemade bread (and it tasted better, too - SWEAR!). Oh, and you bake it in a pot! How cool is that?

This recipe comes from my most favorite cooking blog, Cafe Sucre Farine. This woman is a culinary genius. I have never made anything off her blog that isn't just fantastic.  I have to admit, when I saw this bread I thought it was way too good to be true- I was doubtful my bread would turn out as well as hers.....

But, I think it did! I mean, I'm guessing it did!! My kitchen smelled like a French Boulangerie; the bread came out crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and perfect on the inside. Oh my, it was heavenly!!

Instead of posting the recipe, I am going to direct you to The Cafe Sucre Farine website.  Her step by step pictures are very detailed and her explanation on how to make this bread is extremely thorough. So, please click HERE to head on over to my favorite cooking blog and get yourself ready to bake some delicious bread!!!!

Hippie Peas

Hello long lost friends, I am back!! We just returned from the most amazing week at a Dude Ranch in Wyoming.....oh, it was heavenly!! What a gorgeous part of the country. And seriously, who knew I would LOVE riding horses!!?  There is more to come on this trip in future blog posts......I am hoping to blog some of the scrumptious meals we were served on the ranch.....

But for now, I am sharing with you an appetizer that has become a staple at all my girlfriends' gatherings.  I keep forgetting to take a "before" picture of it......but, maybe the tiny little morsel that is pictured above gives you a better understanding of how quickly and completely this appetizer is devoured by a gaggle of hip, hungry women who are reveling in a night out without the kids!!

This recipe was graciously given to me by my friend, Gina,  over at Hyphenista  (Gina is always giving me her fab recipes to blog- thank you, darling)!!!  The flavors are unique and different and 100% delicious. I wish I had a vat of it to stick my face into right now (I should know not to blog when I'm hungry).

Enjoy!!!

1 lb frozen peas
1/2 c mayo
1 Tbl curry powder
1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced
1 c crushed smoked almonds

Mix the frozen peas, mayo, curry powder and scallions the day before serving (or at least a few hours- you do not want to serve frozen peas to your guests). Pour crushed almonds on top immediately before serving. Serve with pretzel chips, pita chips or crackers (our gang likes the pretzel chips best).

Watermelon Mint Blended Juice

Refreshing!! That word best describes this delicious blended juice. Oh and I need to add in easy, too! Refreshing and easy! Oh and one more word- delicious! Okay, you get the point!

My husband and I loved this, our kids loved it......I think it'd be perfect served at a BBQ.....it could even be spiked for an adult beverage.

This made approx. four 8 oz glasses of juice.

I forgot to put the sugar in this picture.....but, just a little goes a long way! The watermelon itself is very sweet.

4 cups of seedless watermelon, cubed (about 3 lbs)
1/2 cup coconut water (you can use regular water instead)
24 mint leaves
1 Tbl coconut sugar (you can use regular white sugar instead)
1/2 a lemon, seeded with rind removed
2 cups of ice

Place all ingredients in a powerful blender (I use a Vitamix). Blend until juice is smooth without any lumps. The consistency should be like juice, not a smoothie. Enjoy!

My Excellent Banana Bread- Healthier (and Yummier) than EVER!

I'm super excited about this updated version of my amazingly delicious banana bread (not to toot my own horn but I make a mean banana bread)....my healthier version is so moist and flavorful, despite the fact that I omitted the butter and chocked it full of wheat germ and hemp seeds. My kids just love this bread and ask me to make it all the time. They have no idea that it is an improved upon recipe (and by improved upon I just mean that it is healthier....my original recipe is still the bomb and if you are looking for more of a classic banana bread, click here).  Enjoy the yummy healthiness!!!

1/3 c coconut oil (and a little bit for greasing the pan)
3 very ripe bananas
3/4 cup coconut sugar (find this at Whole Foods or in the organic section of the grocery)
2 eggs
1/4 cup yogurt
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (these are dairy, nut and soy free)

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease a meatloaf pan with a little coconut oil.

Melt the coconut oil in a large microwave safe bowl for about 50 seconds. Remove bowl from microwave and use a wooden spoon to stir it around until it is completely liquid. Add the two bananas and mash well. Add the coconut sugar to the banana/oil mixture and stir until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and combine; add yogurt and stir. Add the rest of the dry ingredients from the whole wheat pastry flour to the cinnamon. Stir to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake on 350F for 50-53 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean - check around 45 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool for about an hour before turning the bread out and slicing.