Cranberry nut quinoa salad

I had to get this down before I forgot. I just came up with it and thought it was pretty tasty. 

I needed to bring a salad to a friend's Christmas Eve Dinner. I didn't want to bring a generic green salad. I had quinoa on hand and searched Pinterest for inspiration. I found some ideas but nothing really spoke to me. Anyways... This is what I came up with :

1 C- quinoa

2 C- water

1 tsp chicken bouillon

• Add all ingredients in a pan, turn on high. When it starts to boil, cover and turn down to simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cool. 

1/2 C toasted nuts, walnuts and/or pecans ( I used both)

1/2 C craisons

1/2 C feta crumbles

fresh baby spinach- I grabbed handfuls, chopped and added some at a time, until it looked right to me

• Add these ingredients to the chilled quinoa. 

For the dressing, I improvised. 

My Recipe:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

1 small clove of garlic, pressed

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

lemon juice, about 1 tsp

hot water to thin the dressing out

• When you whisk the honey and olive oil together, it gets really thick, so that's when I add a little water. I taste and adjust as needed. 
• Pour over the salad and mix and chill. 

Salsa

I love finding recipes where the ingredients surprise me... in a GOOD way! This one had chicken bouillon. I didn't even know it was in there until she told me.  One of my co-workers would bring in salsa and everyone would flock around and dig in. I'm not a big salsa person, it has to be good. Hers was. After having it a few times, I asked her for the recipe. In typical fashion, she just gave me a list of ingredients, no measurements and I got to figure it out on my own. It really is pretty simple.

Not pictured: cilantro

You start with taking the Arbol chiles, the amount depends on how spicy you want your salsa... I used 1 1/2. 

• You boil the dried peppers in water until they are plump and soft (10 minutes)
• In a food processor, add peppers(remove seeds if you want it less spicy),  5 cloves of garlic (she uses a whole head, but I find that is too much), 1-2 tsp of chicken bouillon, 1 of the tomatoes and some juice
• pulse until well blended
• add tomatoes and cilantro and pulse just a little if you want chunkier salsa, or more if you want it smoother
• Let sit in fridge for about an hour for all the flavors to blend and enjoy. 

Ice cream sandwich dessert

I promise you that this taste so much better than it sounds. Every time I bring this somewhere, people are surprised to find out that it's ice cream sandwiches.

2 pkgs of ice cream sandwiches (I usually get Walmart brand)
1 large tub of cool whip, thawed
Hershey's chocolate syrup
Smucker's Caramel Sundae Syrup
roasted (and salted) peanuts, chopped

Layers:

• drizzle Hershey's syrup and Caramel syrup in the bottom of a 13X9 pan
• ice cream sandwiches, cut to make an even layer
• coolwhip, make sure you get it into the cracks!
• drizzle with chocolate and caramel syrups
• sprinkle with chopped peanuts
• ice cream sandwiches
• coolwhip, spread nicely

Place in freezer and freeze for at least 3 hours or more

Before serving, drizzle with syrups and peanuts.

Sausage and Peppers

This is a meal we had a lot growing up. In New York, you could get this in any pizza place. It's simple. It's delicious and it is great as leftovers with eggs the next morning. And the morning after that...

List of ingredients:
1 pkg of sweet Italian sausage
1-2 onions
4-6 red and green (yellow, orange) bell peppers
italian seasoning
garlic powder
olive oil

I almost forgot the hoagie rolls! Make sure you get a pkg! Crusty ones are best for the juices!

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• cut the peppers and onions in long strips and put into a large bowl (it looks like a massive amount of veggies, but they cook down a lot)
• sprinkle with italian seasoning, garlic powder and olive oil
• if you have a lid for the bowl, put it on and shake it up! If not, just mix really well
• line up the sausages on one side of the pan and then dump the contents on top, try to keep the sausages uncovered. 
• place in oven and let cook for about 20-30 minutes, then stir peppers and turn sausages so that they brown. I usually stir every 15-20 minutes after that to make sure the sausages are cooked and brown

Once the sausages are done (1-1.5 hrs), serve on hoagie rolls. 

Pepper and mushroom quinoa

I was planning on making chicken marsala for dinner tonight last night, however I forgot to buy some cream. So I went in a different direction. This is what I came up with.

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg mushrooms, sliced

Peppers, I used baby mixed peppers (I cut them in rings)

S&P to taste

A couple sprinkles of italian seasoning

Feta crumbles (not too much)

1 head of roasted garlic (see below)

1 cup quinoa cooked as directed

• add butter and olive oil to large non-stick skillet, turn heat to med-high
• place chicken breasts in pan
• chop onions, peppers and mushrooms
• when chicken is browned (10 mins), turn & add onions and peppers
• DON'T stir it up, let the veggies get caramelized
• when chicken is browned on the other side, remove and set aside
• add mushrooms, you can give the veggies a stir at this point
• add some S&P to taste and the italian seasoning

At this point, the quinoa should be about done. When it's done, add the whole head of roasted garlic, just squish it all in there! Don't forget to mix it up!

• Dice up the chicken and add back into pan. 
• Scoop out some quinoa on a plate and top with veggies and chicken, sprinkle with feta

You could probably mix it all together too. I love it when healthy tastes good! 

Oh dear! I almost forgot to tell you about roasting garlic!

• Take 1 head of fresh garlic (or 5 or however many you want) 
• Chop off the tips, about 1/3 of the top
• sprinkle with olive oil
• wrap in foil, top side up and stick them in the oven on the rack
• roast in oven @ 400 degrees for about 40 minutes

You can use them right away or stick in the fridge, make roasted garlic butter.... THe possibilities are endless!

southern biscuit muffins

I can't make biscuits (don't really want to), but I can make these biscuit muffins. They are easy and they taste good... especially with homemade jam.

Serves 12, preheat oven to 400 degrees & grease 12 muffin cups.

2 1/2 C flour
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
3/4 C cold butter
1 C milk

• in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder
• cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbles

That's when having one of these things come in handy. 

• stir in milk just until flour mixture is moistened
• spoon into muffin cups
• bake 20 minutes until golden
• remove from pan and cool

Almond crunch granola

10 C rolled oats

4 C sliced almonds

2 C shredded coconut

2 C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 C pure maple syrup

1 1/4 C safflower oil

4-5 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix all the dry ingredients together

Mix the wet ingredients together. 

• mix the wet ingredients with the dry and stir well to combine
• spread thinly on cookie sheets
• bake 10 minutes, stir, bake 8 more minutes, stir, bake 8 more minutes
• cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a storage container

I used 2 cookies sheets and had to refill them after I emptied the cooked granola. 

the best hummus ever!

It's delicious! It's good for you! And you can eat it with crackers, pita bread, veggies, or whatever! I took this to a BBQ and everyone loved it and wanted the recipe! Once you have tried it, the store bought stuff just won't taste as good.  - Caution: you will need a food processor or something to blend it all together.

2-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 C tahini (sesame seed butter)
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 cans chick peas
salt to taste

• combine all ingredients in food processor, turn it on and add water to desired consistently. (start with 1/4 -1/2 C of water)

If you want to make your own pita chips... 

• preheat oven to 325 degrees
• brush pita bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt
• cut into wedges
• bake 7 minutes on each side
• cool

bbq beef pie

This is seriously so easy. It's so easy that you really can't mess it up... Well I guess you could if you really tried. You could make them in muffin pans too. If you wanted individual sizes. Or mini muffin tins to make for appetizers.

1 pkg biscuits
1 lb ground beef or sirloin
olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 pkg or can of sliced mushrooms (I didn't have any on hand)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 C bbq sauce, I use Sweet Baby Rays Hickory and Brown Sugar (it's our fave!)
1-2 C shredded cheddar cheese (say that 10x fast)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• place biscuits in bottom of pan and press or roll to cover the bottom of the pan

See my cute little helper!

• In a pan over medium high heat, add olive oil and onion (and fresh mushrooms if you want) and sauté for 5-10 minutes. 
• Add garlic, S&P and ground beef (and canned mushrooms) , cook until no longer pink
• Add bbq sauce and mix well
• Pour mixture over biscuits
• Sprinkle cheese over top

• Bake at 350 for however long it tells you on the biscuit package. I used Grands, so the pkg tells me 14-17 minutes. 

asparagus with tarragon vinaigrette

I love asparagus. This recipe is pretty tasty and simple to do. Sorry I don't have a picture. You probably know that asparagus comes in different sizes, some are thin and some are fat. You will have to adjust the cooking time so that they are firm and not too soft or mushy.

1 lb of asparagus (snap off the coarse ends)
1/2 C olive oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 C white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp minced fresh tarragon

• steam the asparagus spears for 3-4 minutes (depends on size)
• rinse in cold water and drain
• place oil in small bowl, add mustard and beat until thickens
• add vinegar, salt, pepper, shallots and tarragon
• arrange warm asparagus on plate and pour dressing on top

Can also be served cold. 

Sausage and mozzarella stuffed mushrooms

I saw these mushrooms at Sam's club. They were huge! I thought they would be perfect for stuffing. Adam really liked them and Blake ate the stuffing even though he doesn't like mushrooms. He was walking by and saw them on the counter and said "I want that"! 

I didn't go crazy with ingredients, just kept it simple. 

• diced onion

• garlic clove

• 1lb sage sausage

• 1 C shredded mozzarella cheese

• sprinkle of breadcrumbs

• parmesan cheese

• mushrooms of course! (16-20)

Preheat oven to 400*. Spray a pan large enough to hold all the mushrooms with oil. Remove stems from mushrooms. I did not use them in the filling. 

Over medium high heat, sauté onions with some olive oil. Add garlic and sausage and brown. When sausage is done, remove from heat. Add breadcrumbs and mozzarella. Mine was frozen and that turned out perfect. 

Fill the mushroom caps and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. 

ham and cheddar cornbread muffins

I LOVE LOVE these muffins! They are good even when you leave out the ham and cheddar. I love the sweet and salty flavor of these muffins. I adapted the recipe from The Neely's.

1 C- yellow cornmeal
1 C- flour
1 tbsp- baking powder
1/2 C- sugar
1 tsp- salt
1 C- whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 C- honey
1/2 lb- cubed ham
1 1/2 C- shredded sharp cheddar

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, & salt in a large bowl. 
• Add ham and cheese
• In another bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, butter and honey
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just mixed
• Lightly spray muffin tin and divide batter evenly
• Bake 20 minutes or until golden

Enjoy. It makes 12 muffins. They are good for breakfast or lunch or whenever!

Sweet corn and cherry tomato salad

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out because I wasn't even sure what the ingredients would be. I knew that I wanted sweet corn and cherry tomatoes. That was it. It turned out to be so good!

The amount of each depends on how much you want to make.

fresh corn, husks removed and grilled to caramelize and cut off the cob,  3-4
1 pkg cherry tomatoes
onion (I used mexican onions and grilled one)
1 can of black olives, halved
1 cucumber, diced
Feta crumbles
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Mix together and refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.

sausage and mushroom pasta

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes that I have come up with. It's simple and delicious!

1 box of pasta
1 lb of italian sausage (remove from casings)
1 onion (I like sliced to match the pasta)
1 pkg of mushrooms, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bag of baby spinach
olive oil
salt and pepper
pasta water
parmesan cheese

• Start the water boiling for the pasta, add salt and cook pasta according to box directions
• heat another pan to med high heat, drizzle with olive oil
• saute the onions for about 5-10 minutes
• add mushrooms and cook about 5 more minutes
• add spinach and garlic and cook until spinach starts to wilt
• add sausage, cook until sausage is no longer pink, turn to low and cover
• add the pasta when it is done cooking, add some pasta water to make a nice sauce
• serve and sprinkle with parmesan

I had a friend substitute with ground pork, and it is not the same. The sausage gives it all the flavor. 

grated broccoli with parmesan

The texture of this dish is different, but the flavor is awesome. 

6 C grated broccoli stems

2/3 C parmesan

3 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

• peel and grate broccoli stems (or use food processor)
• heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat
• add broccoli and salt, toss to coat
• cover, reduce heat  and cook, stirring occasionally until tender (10-15 minutes)
• stir in red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more
• stir in parmesan and serve

Serves 6. 

papaya

I ran across this deliciousness by accident. I was at my favorite grocery store, Food City when I saw papaya. I decided to give it a try. To pick a ripe papaya, you find one that is soft, but not squishy. And the green skin starts to turn yellow.
I prepared it the same as a cantaloupe. I cut the papaya in half, scooped out the seeds, and then peeled the skin off.
For an incredible treat:

• 2 tbsp honey
• juice of 1 mexican lime

Mix together well and poor over the papaya. It was so good. I would have taken a picture, but it disappeared too fast! 

cinnamon pear jam

I originally made this jam years ago. Someone had given me a bag of pears from their tree. I went off the sure-jell recipe and decided that I should add some cinnamon. Even though the recipes say not to adjust them. I figured a little cinnamon wouldn't hurt anything. This jam does not go with every thing. Peanut butter sandwiches to name one. Do not try it. Anyways, it is one of our favorite jams. I finally got around to making it again. I did some research online and all the recipes I found call for way too much cinnamon in my opinion, and they add vanilla. I prefer to just keep it simple.

the ingredients:

• 4 cups (exactly) finely chopped pears
• lemon juice (I just squirted it over the pears as I diced them & then added 1 tbsp after the pears were all chopped)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 box of sure-jell pectin
• 1/2 tsp butter (decreases foam)
• 5 cups sugar (measured exactly)

Makes 6 cups.

I couldn't find my trusty box of sure-jell, so I had to get the pectin in a jar. Way too expensive for essentially 2 boxes worth!

Prepare your jars and lids as directed. I run them through the sanitize cycle in the dishwasher. I also have the seals in a hot water bath.

• Combine fruit, lemon juice, pectin and butter in a 6-8 quart pot
• bring to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly

• quickly stir in sugar
• return to a full rolling boil
• boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly

• remove from heat (I usually just turn off the stove)
• ladle into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of the top. I use a funnel so I don't make a huge mess. Wipe around the top with a clean, moist paper towel and put the lids on. Screw them on tight. 
• I use the inversion method, so then I turn the jars inside down, let them sit for 5 minutes and then turn them back over. After 10 minutes or so, you start hearing the "pops" of the jars sealing them selves. You can process them too if you want to, I think it's 10 minutes. 

the finished product: