Mexican Quinoa

I used to be a quinoa skeptic.

I thought quinoa was a bland excuse for a rice substitute. Sure it was packed with nutrients, but I just couldn't get over the taste.

That was until I had Suzie's quinoa. It was full of complex flavor, worthy of substituting for rice. I had to know her secret.

She used the same method to prepare quinoa as she did risotto. Toasting the grains, adding sautéed onions, replacing water with chicken stock all add layers to the flavor.

That was the beginning of my quinoa journey.

I started trying more and more quinoa recipes, and actually enjoyed them. The real turning point, however, was the discovery of Mexican quinoa.

It's basically a meatless, healthy burrito bowl. And I love it! It's also super easy and quick to prepare, and it keeps well for leftovers.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups chicken broth

3 tbsp taco seasoning

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Shredded cheese

Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

1-2 avocados cubed

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute the the onions for 2-3 minutes until soft then add the garlic and saute a few more minutes until fragrant. Add the quinoa and toast in the oil until all the oil is absorbed and you can smell the nuttiness of the quinoa, about 3 min.

Pour in the chicken stock, rotel tomatoes, beans and taco seasoning and store to combine. Bring the contents to a boil. Reduces heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 min, or until the liquid is fully absorbed.

Serve in a bowl and top with shredded cheese, avocados, sour cream/Greek yogurt and salsa.

Easy Marinara Sauce

Work has been a little crazy the last couple of weeks so I've not had as much time to cook elaborate meals. As a result we've eaten out a little more than normal, and the meals I have cooked have been either ones I can cook from memory, or those than can be made in less than an hour.

This meal was a quick substitute for my usual spicy spaghetti and turkey meatballs that, while delicious, takes close to two hours from start to finish. Instead of 2 hours, we were ready to eat in 45 minutes, which is great for a busy weeknight. So keep this in mind the next time you want a quick meal that tastes fresh and homemade. And leave the take out for another night.

Printer Friendly Version

Easy Marinara Sauce


Ingredients
1 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano tomatoes)
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion halved
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Instructions
Roughly chop the canned tomatoes.

 Place in a large saucepan with the onion and butter.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

 After 45 minutes remove the onion and discard.

 Add the brown sugar and stir until mixed in.

 Serve over whole wheat spaghetti and grilled Italian sausage.

Source: Adapted from Steamy Kitchen

Spinach and Potato Frittata

Ever since I tried my hand at making homemade quiche a while back, I have found myself thinking about making one on a fairly regular basis. Tonight was definitely one of those nights. The problem, however, was that my pie crust was still in the freezer and waiting for it to thaw was not an option as it would result in a very late dinner.

So I decided to try my hand at making a frittata instead. A frittata is basically a quiche without the pastry crust. It also shares some same methods as making an omelet as well in the technique of letting the egg set by lifting up the edges to let the runny egg go to the bottom of the pan. This would be great for those on a paleo diet (or at least I think it would be).

Printer Friendly Version

Spinach and Potato Frittata


Ingredients
2 bunches spinach, washed, trimmed, and chopped
1/4 cup water
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 medium potato, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup half and half
2 egg yolks
4 large eggs
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chopped spinach in a saucepan with 1/4 cup water and cover with a lid. Heat over medium high heat until the leaves are barely wilted, just a few minutes.

 Remove from heat and set aside. While the spinach is cooking, whisk together the egg yolks, eggs, half and half, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and half a cup of the Gruyere cheese.

 Melt the butter in an oven proof skillet and add the onions. Saute until translucent and fragrant.

 Add the potatoes to the onions and saute until beginning to brown and soften.

 When the potatoes are ready, top with the cooked spinach,

 and pour the egg mixture.

 As the egg heats and begins to set, use a spatula to lift up the edges and allow the egg to move to the bottom of the skillet. Repeat until the egg is no longer runny

 Top with the remaining cheese and place in the oven.

 Bake for 13-15 minutes until the egg has puffed up and the cheese has browned.

Cut into quarters and serve.

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Quiche

Quiches have long been dishes that I thoroughly enjoy but have never attempted to really make myself. For the most part I experienced quiches through frozen packages that are thawed and baked or paired with a cup of tomato basil soup from La Madeline. Urban Acres, the produce co-op of which I am a member, recently began offering farm fresh eggs as add ons to their bi-weekly produce shares. I recently decided to give them a whirl and decided that a quiche was the perfect way to showcase them.

In that same share I received two bunches of swiss chard and a container of shitake mushrooms. Quiche Florentine made with spinach has long been a favorite quiche of mine so I decided the chard should be similarly delicious. Finally, I decided to throw in the mushrooms and some freshly grated nutmeg for good measure. The result was quite possibly the best quiche I had ever had. So if you enjoy quiche, do yourself a favor and give this one a try.

Printer Friendly Version

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Quiche


Ingredients
Pilsbury pre-made pie crust, frozen or refrigerated
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 shallots, minced
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 bunches Swiss chard, chopped
1 8 ounce container Shitake mushrooms, stems removed and chopped

Instructions
Preheat the oven and bake the pie crust according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, heat the first tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the shallots until soft.

 Add the Swiss chard and saute until soft and the volume reduced in half.

 Remove from the pan to a bowl and place aside.

 In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and add the mushrooms.

 Cook until soft and the liquid is cooked off, remove from the pan and add to the chard.

When the pie crust is done, brush with the beaten egg yolk while the crust is still warm.

 In a large bowl, combine the 3 eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine.

 Add in the chard, mushrooms, and 3/4 cup of the cheese and whisk to combine.

 Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.

 Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake the quiche at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

French Style Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I've recently discovered that stuffing chicken breasts is a great way to to add flavor and moisture to boneless skinless chicken breasts. Before this recipe, I'd only stuffed chicken with cheese and herbs. This recipe is unique in that the tenderloins of the chicken breasts are ground and mixed in with the rest of the filling which adds moisture and helps bind the filling to the chicken. The result is really quite delicious.

Also, the pan sauce created from the braising liquid and deglazing the pan really elevates the dish to a new level. I've never really taken the time to make pan sauces to go with my protein main courses before, but after this experience I think I need to make it a more regular occurrence.

One quick warning. While this recipe isn't technically difficult, it is quite time consuming. I foolishly decided to attempt this dish on a weeknight and after 2.5 hours, we finally sat down for dinner at 9:30pm. Needless to say we were quite hungry. So do yourself a favor and save this for a weekend night when you have plenty of time on your hands.

Printer Friendly Version

French Style Stuffed Chicken Breasts


Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 8 ounce package sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 small leek, white part halved lengthwise and chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup chardonnay
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions
Remove the tenderloins from the chicken breasts and set aside. Using a sharp knife, butterfly the breasts lengthwise, cutting almost all the way through.

Place the butterflied chicken breasts between sheets of wax paper and pound the chicken to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

Trim about 1 1/2 inches from the long side of the chicken and add to the tenderloins. Place the tenderloins and trimmed chicken to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to grind. Remove the ground chicken and place in a medium bowl.

To make the stuffing, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet and cook until all the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are brown, about 10 minutes.

Add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the leeks and saute until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the ingredients are chopped.

Add the mixture to the bowl with the ground chicken and add the parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to fully combine.

Pour the wine into the skillet used to cook the veggies and return the pan to the heat to deglaze the pan and remove the browned bits. Transfer the liquid to a small bowl and set aside.

Take one of the chicken breasts and lay it flat, placing a quarter of the filling along the seam.

Roll the breast up and secure with twine or toothpicks. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Season each breast with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet used earlier over medium high heat and brown the chicken breasts on all sides for about 2 minutes per side.

After browning, pour in the chicken broth and reserved wine mixture to the pan with chicken and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and cover, simmering until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees, about 18 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and let rest covered with foil.

While the chicken is resting, whisk in the mustard in with the cooking liquid.

Increase the heat to a high simmer and scrape the browned bits from the chicken off the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced to about a 1/2 cup.

When the sauce is done, cut the breasts into slight diagonal pieces and pour the sauce over the chicken.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats