Quinoa Enchilada Bake

This year, I've been trying to eat healthier and find healthy things that my family will eat. This is a recipe that I came across that I thought everyone would fall in love with  . . . I fell in love with it . . . as did my friend Lisa and her family, so it was a success. The next time I make it for my family, I'll leave out the jalapeño--or at least put less in. 

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-1 jalapeño, seeds removed, diced

1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced

1 yellow or orange pepper, seeds removed, diced

1 cup frozen corn kernels

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups enchilada sauce (red or red/green mix)

2 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded

For serving and garnishing:

Corn chips or tostadas

chopped cilantro

green onions

sliced avocados

1) Cook Quinoa

Cook quinoa according to package directions - which are usually to bring water to boil with quinoa. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until  water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with fork. Set aside.

2) Saute Veggies

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeño. Saute until onions are clear. Add garlic and peppers and saute until fragrant - make sure not to let garlic blacken. Add corn and cook for about 3 minutes. Add lime juice, cumin, chili powder and cilantro. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.

3) Mix Ingredients

In a large bowl, add the quinoa, rinsed black beans and sauteed veggies. Stir to combine. Pour in enchilada sauce and stir. Add 1/2 cup of cheese and stir to combine.

4) Bake

Pour ingredients into a 9 x 13 casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 for for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven. Let casserole stand for about 10 minutes.

5) Serve

Serve casserole warm with fresh garnishings. I enjoyed it both with tostadas / chips and with avocado and cilantro on top. 

Original recipe found at Two Peas and their Pod.

Thai Shrimp Soup

For some reason, in the month of February every year, I have this yearning for fresh Thai inspired food. It started last year when I joined Bountiful Baskets food Co-op and they had a Thai-inspired basket. I looked for all kinds of recipes I could use to make Thai-inspired food and I came up with a basil-lemongrass ice cream, a delicious stir-fry and the perfect soup (something like pictured above). I photographed all of the recipes with the intention of writing out what I had done with the help of the pictures and blogging it . . . and then my card crashed and I wasn't able to recover any of those photos. I also lost the pictures from a wedding we went to, my daughters fourth birthday party, and most of the photos from a recipe book that I was working on for my grandmother - she had spent a couple months with me and was cooking all of the food. So, I guess my lost Thai recipes were the least important, but still I was pretty bummed. Again, this February, for some reason I've had a craving for this type of food, so I made another attempt at some yummy Thai soup with fresh ingredients on top. As always, I love the contrasting flavors, colors, temperature, and textures of this food mixed together.

Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 lb shrimp, deveined
2 Cups sliced Mushrooms
6 cups chicken broth
8-12 drops Thai fish sauce
2 stocks lemongrass
1 Tbsp Red curry paste
Rice Noodles
1 15 oz can coconut milk

Top with:
Finely sliced Napa Cabbage
Green Onions, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Red Chili Peppers (I use dried Chile de Arbol)

Slice toppings and set aside in separate dishes.

Saute onion and garlic in coconut oil on medium heat. When onions are translucent, add shrimp and mushrooms and cook until shrimp is cooked through. Add 6 cups of chicken broth and bring to a simmer. add fish sauce, lemongrass, curry paste and let flavors blend for a bit. Turn off heat and add coconut milk.

Prepare rice noodles separately according to package directions.

Serve soup into bowls. Add rice noodles, Top with toppings and enjoy.

Peach Basil Pizza

I made this delicious pizza last fall when the peaches were perfectly ripe and I was still harvesting basil from my garden. The recipe fell in my lap and I thought it was the perfect opporutnity to use some of the fresh ingredients that I had around. It turned out absolutely delicious and when I received a bag full of basil in my bountiful basket this week, I longed for some juicy ripe peaches. It must be spring time, cause I'm already looking forward to the yumminess that comes from fresh summertime fruits. I'll share today and you can pin or bookmark for future reference. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 loaf french bread, sliced in half length-wise
2 tsp olive oil
1 dash sea salt
4 ounces, sliced Brie or Mozzarella cheese
3 whole ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh basil

Instructions:
Place bread on a baking sheet and brush olive oil over each half. Sprinkle with a dash fo sea salt. Top each half with cheese and peaches.

Place panin the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and let broil for 30 seconds or until the cheese gets a tiny bit brown and bubbly.

While pizzas are baking, place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes or so).

Drizzle balsamic reduction evenly over pizza and top with basil. Cut pizza into slices and serve.

Pozole Style - Mexican Chicken Soup

For years, I'd heard lots of people talk of "pozole" but had no idea what it even was, except for that people loved it. I imagined something like mole (¡nada que ver! - not even close!) Then I started teaching amongst a high Mexican population and anytime traditions or favorite food came up in our discussions, pozole, always came up with lots of enthusiasm. Finally, at a Christmas Dinner with friends, I was introduced to it and learned that it's soup with very few cooked ingredients (meat - generally pork and hominy corn) and lots of broth and then topped with fresh ingredients and a spicy kick. I'm a huge fan contrasting textures and tempuratures with food so this has been on my favorite's list since. A lot of the time this soup is prepared with pork, which is very tasty, but I try to make a healthier and simpler version. I don't have a specific recipe to follow, but it's practically impossible to mess this stuff up. If you go authentic, you make your own broth, but my version can be whipped up in no time.

First prepare 2 chicken breasts (I like the crock pot for simplicity) and shred. Then saute diced onion and celery in a stock pot with a little oil until onions are clear. Add chicken, broth, hominy, chick peas, and oregano and let simmer. Remember I don't have a recipe so just use the rule of thumb that you toss quite a bit of salad on top and you'll want plenty of broth so add more broth or less cans of hominy and chick peas if necessary.

Soup Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1/2 diced onion
2 stalks sliced celery
2-3 quarts chicken broth
2-3 15 oz cans hominy
1-2 15 oz. can chick peas (sometimes I add these...you don't usually find these in traditional pozole)
1-2 Tbsp oregano

While the soup simmers for a bit, prepare the following with which to top the soup.

Toppings
Finely sliced cabbage
Diced onion
Diced avocado
Diced or sliced radishes (not pictured)
Chopped cilantro
Jalapeño chiles in adobo sauce
Tostadas/chips
Lime wedges (not pictured)

Serve with plenty of broth in a deep bowl. Add toppings generously with a dalop (or more) of jalapeños in adobo on top and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Break tostadas on top for an extra crunch. Repeat and enjoy until satisfied!

Kale Chips

Kale is one of the most nutritious foods available to us and I usually toss a leaf or two into my green smoothies (which is probably the best way to get all of the good nutrients out of it since it is blended and raw), but I thought this would be a fun and different way to prepare it and my girls agreed. They are always asking for these now.

You'll need:
1 bunch of Kale
1 tsp coconut oil
sea salt

Wash leaves and dry. Toss with oil, lemon juice and salt. Place in single layers on cookie sheet(s).

Bake at 300F for 20-30 minutes or until crispy and no moisture is left in the leaves. Watch closely toward the end of the baking time so as not to burn them. 



Butternut Squash with Garlic and Agave

Labor Day. The end of summer and the official beginning of all things fall. Even though it still feels like summer, school begins, harvests are waxing and there's all kinds of wonderful produce to use this time of year. This is another I came across on Pinterest and made the same day. It's simple, delicious, and perfect for a late weekend lunch.  The original recipe came from doorsixteen.

You'll need:

• 1 butternut squash
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar (or maple syrup)
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Cut squash in half and remove seeds. 

Peel and dice into 1 inch cubes.

Drizzle with oil, agave, salt, and pepper. Peel garlic cloves and add to cubed squash. Toss to coat.

Bake @400°F for 50-55 minutes (turning half way through cooking) or until squash is tender. I served it with Kale Chips and it was delicious.

*Recipe for Kale Chips coming soon.



Delicious Fried Shrimp Dinner

When I want to make something special around here, I make shrimp. Everyone loves it and we don't eat it so often that it feels like an everyday meal. I love shrimp salad, shrimp tacos, and seafood stew, but my husband's all time favorite is fried shrimp. I think I made it for him the first or second Valentine's Day we were married and since tomorrow is our anniversary, I thought I'd share this simple recipe.

1 pound medium to large shrimp (your preference)
1 cup flour
paprika
salt
vegetable oil

If you buy already peeled and deveined shrimp, that's great, but I still always like to wash mine and make sure there is nothing left behind. After washing, pat dry with a paper towel. Mix 1 cup of flour with a dash or two of paprika and salt (around a teaspoon). Stir well. Dredge the shrimp in the flour mixtrue and place on a plate while heating the oil to medium high heat.

Fry on each side until golden and remove from oil and place on a plate lined wtih a paper towel. Serve with mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad.