I have tried many different ways of preparing this nutritious grain. Some have been great and some have been epic fails. I really like this sweet and crunchy variation. As always, adding or removing any ingredient in a salad won't ruin the recipe but I think that each component adds a great piece to this dish! Its easy and can be served hot or cold, although the census has preferred cold so far!
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup each of regular and golden raisins
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup sliced or chopped almonds, toasted
1 teaspoon tumeric (optional)
fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, cilantro, basil, etc.)
Dressing
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespook red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch of sea salt
Directions
1. Cook quinoa as directed on package.
2. Toast almonds and pine nuts in a dry pan until golden brown. Remember that nuts go from perfect to burnt very quickly and burnt nuts have to be thrown out.
3. In a small saucepan, bring cider vinegar and raisins to a boil. Take off heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. This softens and rehydrates your raisins.
4. Combine ingredients for dressing and mix well.
5. Put cooked quinoa, nuts, raisins with liquid, herbs, and dressing in a bowl and toss until combined.
You can serve it warm or cool in in the fridge and serve it cold!!
Monday, September 5, 2011
It's time for Chili....
Although it is labor day weekend...I think it is safe to say that chili is a favorite any time of year. Here is my award winning (in a school chili cook off ) recipe!
Ingredients
1 lb Beef
1 lb ground turkey
1 package sweet or hot sausage
2 beef bouillon cube, crushed or minced
1 8 oz can sliced olives, drained
1 15 oz can black beans, not drained
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 small cans Spanish tomato sauce
1 28 oz can red or pink kidney beans, not drained
2 bell peppers, diced (any color)
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno, sliced lengthwise with ½ seeds removed
Spices to your liking (chili powder, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, black pepper, fresh or dried cilantro, garlic, hot sauce)
Directions
1. In a Dutch oven pot on the stove, brown each of the meats individually.
2. Add beef bouillons to a mug of hot water and dissolve, add to pot.
3. Add all other ingredients except for the meat, corn, tomato juice and spices. Let veggies soften.
4. Put all three meats back in and stir.
5. Let cooked for about 15 minutes.
6. Add tomato juice, corn, and spices. Mix thoroughly.
7. Put chili in a Crockpot and let cook all day or over night at low or simmer on the stove for a few hours.
Serve with rice, chips, sour cream, cheese, or anything else that you want!
Serve with rice, chips, sour cream, cheese, or anything else that you want!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Marinara....simplistic but necessary for any cook! Plus some meatballs :)
Tonight I made one damn good pot of sauce. Although its impossible to duplicate my elder relatives, I really like my combo. Not much to it.....
Ingredients
2 big cans of crushed tomatoes (I used my mom's canned tomatoes)
3 carrots, chopped finely
1 medium onion, chopped finely
3 stalks of celery, chopped finally
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Directions
1. Using a knife or food processor, chop carrot, onion, and celery to bits.
2. In a large sauce pot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom and add chopped veggies, along with minced garlic.
3. Cook until onions are transparent.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour or so.
5. If you are going to add meat, simmer for about 15 minutes before doing so.
Enjoy alone or with meatballs made from recipe below!
Meatballs
2 lbs of meatloaf mix (pork beef and veal) or all beef
4 slices of bread dipped in milk and broken into small pieces
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together except meat.
2. Once ingredients are combined, add might and mix through handling as little as possible.
3. Form into balls of desired size.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to release some of the fat.
5. Add to pot of sauce and cook for another 20 minutes.
NOTE: The less you handle the meatballs, the less dense they will be. You will get nice light and fluffy meatballs as a result of proper handling. Omit cheese and use unsweetened soy milk for non dairy meatballs. Also, buttermilk can be used to dip bread in and provide meatballs with some acidity to break down fat.
Ingredients
2 big cans of crushed tomatoes (I used my mom's canned tomatoes)
3 carrots, chopped finely
1 medium onion, chopped finely
3 stalks of celery, chopped finally
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Directions
1. Using a knife or food processor, chop carrot, onion, and celery to bits.
2. In a large sauce pot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom and add chopped veggies, along with minced garlic.
3. Cook until onions are transparent.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour or so.
5. If you are going to add meat, simmer for about 15 minutes before doing so.
Enjoy alone or with meatballs made from recipe below!
Meatballs
2 lbs of meatloaf mix (pork beef and veal) or all beef
4 slices of bread dipped in milk and broken into small pieces
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together except meat.
2. Once ingredients are combined, add might and mix through handling as little as possible.
3. Form into balls of desired size.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to release some of the fat.
5. Add to pot of sauce and cook for another 20 minutes.
NOTE: The less you handle the meatballs, the less dense they will be. You will get nice light and fluffy meatballs as a result of proper handling. Omit cheese and use unsweetened soy milk for non dairy meatballs. Also, buttermilk can be used to dip bread in and provide meatballs with some acidity to break down fat.
Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Dairy-Free Eater :)
There are some things that I have not be able to perfect for my son to enjoy. However, Chocolate Chip Cookies is no longer on that list. I used "Enjoy Life" brand chocolate chips and they were great. He keeps sneaking them because he has never been able to have them before!! So cute....
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In another medium-sized bowl and using an electric hand mixer at a medium speed setting, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until well combined and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the eggs, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, drop cookies onto the prepared sheet, about 2 inches apart, and bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown.
NOTE: The drops seem big, but they made nice size cookies :) I used Earth Balance instead of shortening.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ t. salt
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1 cup all-vegetable non-dairy shortening, such as Spectrum
- 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 t. vanilla
- 2 cups dairy-free chocolate chip
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In another medium-sized bowl and using an electric hand mixer at a medium speed setting, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until well combined and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the eggs, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, drop cookies onto the prepared sheet, about 2 inches apart, and bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown.
NOTE: The drops seem big, but they made nice size cookies :) I used Earth Balance instead of shortening.
HELLO, ARE YOU THERE? It's me Kaitlin and my favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe
It's been oh so long!! However, I made a delicious cake from scratch and I have to share it with you!! Hopefully I can get back to this thing sooner and post ALOT of deliciousness that I have been making. But this should start things off for you!! Please make for your favorite chocolate lover ASAP!!! I raided many recipes and put this together. Came out Fabulous! And its milk free if you want it to be!! Enjoy!
Cake Ingredients
| - 1 3/4 c all purpose flour - 2 c sugar - 3/4 c cocoa powder - 2 tsp baking soda - 1 tsp baking powder - 1 tsp salt - 2 eggs - 1 c strong black coffee - 1 c buttermilk (See NOTE for substitute) | |
- 1/2 c vegetable oil
- 1 tsp real vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
- 1/2 c margarine, softened
- 2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate, cooled
- 3 c powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 2 tsp real vanilla extract
Directions
1. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.
2. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
3. Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Batter will be thin.
4. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan or two 9 inch cake pans.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for a 9x13, or 30-35 minutes for layer pans.
6. Combine frosting ingredients and mix with a hand or stand mixer. Spread frosting on cooled cakes.
NOTE: You can use a cup of soy or rice milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar to replace the buttermilk. You can also use any kind of margarine and milk in the frosting. I used soy for all three and it came out FABULOUS!!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Patient for Posts...
I want to thank everyone who follows me on my blog....I have been horrible with posting but have been busy making some delicious eats that I will share with you shortly!
Looks forward to the following recipes:
Chocolate Covered Salted Caramels
Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Jicama Salad
Cannoli Dip
Roasted Corn Crostini
Mexican Rice Bake
Looks forward to the following recipes:
Chocolate Covered Salted Caramels
Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Jicama Salad
Cannoli Dip
Roasted Corn Crostini
Mexican Rice Bake
Monday, February 28, 2011
Quick, Easy, and Delicious...Who knew Swai was even a fish?
While doing my weekly shopping (a day late), I came across a fish called Swai. I asked the man at the counter what he would compare it to and he said similar to tilapia. At $3.99 a pound, even if it tasted like crap, it was worth trying. I am SO happy I did. I just hope they carry it more often!! If you google it, they say its from the catfish family but I am NOT a catfish fan and loved this fish!
I seasoned the swai with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and then topped it with some slices of red onion. I baked it for about 8 minutes at 400 degrees. It came out moist and delicious!
I have been using quinoa very frequently and came across a red variety today. Although it was good, I think for a fish accompaniment, the white quinoa would have worked better. However, I cooked it as instructed on the package and used it as a bed for my fish.
I needed a veggie and didn't feel like anything steamed and dull so I picked up some fresh snap peas and an avocado. I made a simple vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper. I then sliced the peas lengthwise so that the dressing could get into their pods. I diced some avocado and added some thinly sliced red onion and tossed them all. I needed to add something and I remembered my mom usually puts both cheese and pancetta in her version of this salad so I added a pinch of really good parmigiana reggiano. It was the perfect touch! I topped my fish with this fresh salad and it made for a great light and tasty meal after a rainy day!
I seasoned the swai with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and then topped it with some slices of red onion. I baked it for about 8 minutes at 400 degrees. It came out moist and delicious!
I have been using quinoa very frequently and came across a red variety today. Although it was good, I think for a fish accompaniment, the white quinoa would have worked better. However, I cooked it as instructed on the package and used it as a bed for my fish.
I needed a veggie and didn't feel like anything steamed and dull so I picked up some fresh snap peas and an avocado. I made a simple vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper. I then sliced the peas lengthwise so that the dressing could get into their pods. I diced some avocado and added some thinly sliced red onion and tossed them all. I needed to add something and I remembered my mom usually puts both cheese and pancetta in her version of this salad so I added a pinch of really good parmigiana reggiano. It was the perfect touch! I topped my fish with this fresh salad and it made for a great light and tasty meal after a rainy day!
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