Cheesy Southwest Quinoa Skillet

We've started using quinoa more and more in our dinners, and this recipe is GREAT for someone who wants to give it a try. It uses a lot of healthy veggies, and the beans and quinoa give you a lot of protein. The best part though is that it's so easy and fast to put together! I love one skillet dinners, don't you?

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1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced into sticks
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn, drained
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups quinoa, prepared**
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
salt & pepper to taste
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Prepare the quinoa according to package instructions.

Heat oil in a large skillet, then add zucchini, bell pepper, and garlic.

Saute for 5 mins.

Add quinoa, beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and spices. 

Let simmer for 10 mins to combine flavors.

Cover with cheese and serve after the cheese has melted in nicely.

Serves 5-6 large servings.

** If you aren't ready to take the quinoa plunge, you can use 2 cups of prepared rice, or 1 cup of instant rice with 3/4 cup of water added to the skillet. If you're going the instant rice route, you'll want to cover it and let the rice absorb all the liquid before you remove it from the heat.

Tuscan White Bean & Roasted Garlic Soup

This recipe comes from the Skinny Taste blog. She uses dried beans and cooks them in the crockpot. It's sooooo gourmet. I've made it a few times now and we love it. I've changed it so that you can do it on the stove top and use canned beans. It's so simple, but it really packs a flavor punch.

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2 cans white beans (Great Northern)
1 bulb of garlic
3 cups broth
4 sage leaves
kosher salt and pepper to taste
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel your garlic and put most of the garlic (leave out 3 cloves) onto a square of tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on a little salt.

Pinch the sides of the foil together so your packet is closed and won't drip. Put it in your oven and roast for 25 mins.

Rinse your beans and put them in a pot with the broth, sage,  and 3 cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 15 mins.

When the beans and the garlic are done, combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add a little water or broth.

Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or a salad. 

Pork Carnitas

This was a mish-mash of recipes, but wow, it turned out tasty. It's a "throw it all in the crockpot" kind of recipe, which is great for crazy days when you need a quick and easy prep dinner. Another plus is that you can serve it in corn tortillas with a little pico for authenticity, burrito style with beans and rice, or on a deluxe taco salad - it's very flexible for picky eaters. I believe that real carnitas are fried right before serving, which probably adds another layer of deliciousness (and fat), but I didn't do that, and it was still wonderful.

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3 pounds pork roast
salt and pepper
1 onion, sliced in rings
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups chicken broth
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Rub a liberal amount of salt and pepper onto the roast, then put the meat in the crockpot.

Add remaining ingredients.

Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4.

Before serving, shred the meat and return it to the crockpot.

Serve with all the fixings: salsa, tortillas, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, lettuce, tortilla chips, beans & rice, etc.

Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade

I found this on Amee's Savory Dish blog.  I made this on my first attempt at grilling, and was afraid that it would take me some time to master, but these chicken breasts came off tender and delicious.  I left them in the marinade about 6 hours, but the longer the better.  

Ingredients:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup soy sauce (can use coconut aminos or Bragg aminos as a sub)

freshly squeezed juice of two limes (about 1/3-1/2 cup)

3 cloves of garlic, pressed

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

1/2-1 tsp Tabasco sauce

2-3 tbsp natural brown sugar (or coconut sugar)

1 tsp Mrs. Dash table blend seasoning

Whisk all ingredients together and add your meat.  Cover and soak overnight.  I use this for boneless and bone-in chicken breasts, flank steak and london broil.  

Oven Omelette

We're getting creative with recipes in the kitchen now that I'm no longer able to eat gluten. This is something I came up with today:

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2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 c potatoes, peeled & diced small
1/4 c green pepper, diced
1/4 c onion, diced small
Precooked sausage (JimmyDean) diced (bacon would work too)
4 eggs
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)
1/2 c milk (or almond milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Seasonings to taste (we used smoked paprika, chili powder, & cumin)
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Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat up the oil in a large pan and add the potatoes. Cook for about 4 minutes, turning frequently until they're crisp.

Add the veggies and cook for another 2 minutes.

While they're cooking, whisk together the eggs, milk, and seasonings.

Dice up the sausages and add to the veggies as you move them off the heat.

In a greased pie pan, place the veggies/potatoes/sausage on the bottom, then pour the egg mixture over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, etc.

Serves 2-4, depending on if you're serving it as a side dish or main dish.

Crock Pot Cashew Chicken

This turned out great. It makes a lot and is super easy to throw together. We used brown Jasmine rice, and it had a nice nutty flavor. Oh, and we used pork chops, diced up, and that was really yummy. Next time I make it, I'll probably add some stir fried vegetables during the 3rd step.

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2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 Tbsp ketchup
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup cashews

Jasmine Rice

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Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. 

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side.

 Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. 

Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice.

Makes 6 servings.

Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

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1 1/2 C Cocoa Powder
3 C Powdered Sugar 
5 C Powdered Milk 
1 C Powdered Creamer
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Mix it all together and store in an airtight container.

When using it, mix 1/3 cup mix with 3/4 cup hot water.

For variety, you can add 2 tsp ground cinnamon to the full mixure for a Mexican Hot Chocolate. Or for Christmas, you can reduce the sugar by 1/2 cup, then powder 12 candy canes in the blender and add it to the mix for Candy Cane Cocoa.

Snickerdoodles

These are a family favorite. They're easy to make and turn out soft, chewy, and delicious.

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1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
2 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp soda
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

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Combine all the first 8 ingredients in order, mixing well between each addition.

Form into balls the size of walnuts.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Roll the cookie dough in the mixture.

Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies). They'll puff up during the baking, but then will settle down and end up sugary and crinkly. 

Makes about 3 dozen.