What's for breakfast?

In summer, I really slack off and let the girls eat cold cereal most mornings for breakfast.  Now that they're back in school, I try to change it up and usually make eggs once a week, pancakes once a week, and have homemade granola as another option besides cereal.  I also buy healthier cereal than what I let them get away with during the summer.

That being said, this #3 has a mind of her own.  She's obsessed with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.  She wants a small bowl of it every morning . . . but then usually proceeds to eat a second breakfast of whatever her sisters are having.  I found a healthier version with less sugar at Sprouts (it looks similar - squares covered in cinnamon sugar - so she's okay with the substitution).

I recently tried to change up my own breakfast routine of coffee and a greek yogurt by making a hot quinoa dish and by trying to drink a green juice before having my coffee in the mornings.  I do feel a lot better with something healthier in my stomach but it takes a little extra effort.

I made the quinoa dish when I was taking a break from sugar for awhile but I'll let you in on a little secret - it's way, way better with a tablespoon of brown sugar or a swirl of maple syrup!

Hot Breakfast Quinoa (2 servings)
from Cooking Light 6/13

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
3/4 cup light coconut milk
2 T water
1 T brown sugar (optional)
1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raspberries (or other berries)

Combine quinoa, coconut milk, water, and brown sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.

Toast the coconut in the oven or on the stovetop until slightly brown.  Top the quinoa with the coconut and raspberries (or any other fruit / nuts etc. of your choosing).  Eat warm.

Easter 2014

As the Lenten season and Easter comes to a close, I wanted to share this video with you.  If you read my blog much, you know it's about food and family but today I wanted to share a little bit about my faith.  I was challenged this Easter to think about what I'm living for and what I spend my time focusing on . . . this illustration by Francis Chan puts it in perspective well . . . it's less than 4 minutes so I hope you enjoy it!

We had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday with family and friends.  Here are some photos of the girls dyeing eggs on Good Friday and on Easter morning.

It was fun to host Easter dinner this year.  I've never made a ham and continued that long-standing tradition by having my husband barbecue tri-tip for the meat.  I made appetizers, desserts, and our guests brought the other side dishes.

One of the appetizers I made was an old favorite - David Lebovitz's Tapenade - and the other one was new and I'm sure going to be put in regular rotation.  It was easy, looked pretty, and can accommodate a lot of different types of eaters (vegetarian, gluten free, etc).  I made the quinoa salad the day before and refrigerated it and then just hollowed out my cucumber slices, filled them, and topped with a little feta cheese. 

Quinoa stuffed Cucumbers (makes 24 bite sized appetizers)

2 english cucumbers

1 cup quinoa

1 cup cilantro

1/3 cup flat leaf parsley

2 T mint

6 T olive oil

1/2 zucchini, diced very small

1/2 red bell pepper, diced very small

feta cheese, for topping

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the cup of quinoa in water or vegetable broth as per the package instructions.  During the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, dump the zucchini and red bell pepper in and put the lid back on.

While it's cooking, coarsely chop the cilantro, parsley and mint and put in a small chopper (or food processor).  Add the olive oil and blend / chop for a few minutes.  Put the olive oil & herb mixture in a bowl.  When the quinoa is done, add it to the bowl and stir well to combine.  Add a little salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate the quinoa until it's cool (or you can do this part a day ahead).

Slice the English cucumbers into slices that are at least 1/2 inch thick.  Take a melon baller or metal spoon and scoop out the middle part with the seeds, leaving a layer on the bottom so the quinoa doesn't fall out the bottom.  You're basically making an indentation big enough for about a tablespoon of 

quinoa like this:

Scoop quinoa into the cucumber slices and top with crumbled feta (if desired).

Serve chilled or room temperature.

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

Now that the weather has warmed up, I've traded soup dinners for salad dinners.  We usually have salad as a main course once or twice a week in the spring and summer.  This recipe isn't dramatically different from some other quinoa salad recipes here on the blog (click on the quinoa label on the list on the right to check them out) but it's becoming a favorite.  I love BBQ chicken pizza, BBQ chicken green salads and with a quinoa base, it's just as delicious and packs a big protein punch.  I bought already cooked shredded chicken in barbecue sauce from Trader Joe's.  You could also use leftover grilled chicken or cook some chicken in BBQ sauce in your slow cooker.  

It was great the first time around and I polished off the leftovers in a couple of days eating this for lunch.  If you think you're going to have extra, serve the avocado on the side - it gets a little grey and slimy if you leave it in the salad and put it in the refrigerator.

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad (serves 4)

Original recipe here

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup corn

1 cup black beans

2 cups cooked barbecue chicken

1-2 avocados, chopped

2-4 T shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

4 scallions, chopped

2-4 T chopped cilantro

Combine everything except the avocados and cilantro together in a bowl and toss gently.  Serve the avocado on the side (see note above) and garnish with the cilantro.   I'd start with about half of the barbecue sauce and add more if the salad seems dry.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  You can serve it warm or make it ahead and  refrigerate it first.

Quinoa Salad

In the summertime I made a quinoa salad with mango and black bean and this sort of reminded me of that.    About 6 months ago, someone at church made this for potluck and I walked around to the tables to find out who made it so I could get the recipe.  Turns out, it's from the back of the box of Trader Joe's organic red quinoa.  

One of my New Year's resolutions is to feed my family better and to make meals we can all eat (instead of an adult meal and a kid's meal).  I served this quinoa salad with baked turkey taquitos (idea from here if you want a recipe).  The girls liked parts of the quinoa salad not mixed together (a little avocado, some black beans, some corn) but I still only made one dinner for all 4 of us!

The dressing is the bottled cilantro dressing from Trader Joe's but if you don't live near a TJ's, you can try the homemade version after the salad recipe.

Black Bean, Roasted Corn and Avocado Quinoa Salad (6 side dish servings)

1 cup quinoa

2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups roasted corn kernels (I used thawed frozen corn)

1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 c. red onion, finely diced

3/4 cup cilantro salad dressing

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

zest of one lime

salt and pepper

Place quinoa and broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.  

Combine quinoa, black beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, onion, half of the cilantro and the salad dressing in a bowl.  Stir in lime zest and salt and pepper to taste.  Add more dressing if you want to.  Garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Cilantro Dressing (or marinade)

Combine the following ingredients in a blender, mini chopper, or food processor:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper

Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Maybe it's because I teach on the quarter system and haven't yet gone "back to school" or maybe it's the 90 degree weather, but I'm having a hard time getting it in my head that it's fall next week.  *Quick promotion - look for a fun blog event HERE on the Autumnal Equinox next Friday*  When I took a walk around the Village this past weekend, there were signs for pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin bagels.  Halloween decorations and costumes are everywhere.  So, in defiance, I offer this summery dish.  It's especially for you gluten-free friends out there.  It's vegetarian too and I made it for a main dish for a lunch I had with friends a couple of weeks ago.  

But, since I can't deny that it's back to school season, here is a little video.  Consider this an instruction on how to pack your backpack.  A few weeks ago, we were playing "school" before her actual preschool started so big sister showed me what a student should bring to class. I'm not sure her actual supplies for pre-K last week met her expectations as I made her leave the pet cow home (there also were no wild animals in pre-K . . . at least, not last week). 

Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad (4 servings)
(from Beantown Baker)

1/2 c. dry quinoa
1/2 c. ripe but firm mango, peeled, pitted & diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
3 scallions, chopped
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin (or more to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  In a medium bowl, combine the warm cooked quinoa, mango, red bell pepper, black beans, scallions and cilantro.  In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, cumin and salt.  Pour dressing over the salad and stir to combine.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

Refrigerate salad for at least 4 hours before serving for best flavor.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Quinoa two ways

My goal of no sugar / white flour until our vacation is going pretty well . . . I cheated at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend and ate a macaroon (come on, it's the Hollywood Bowl) and had to research sucanat a bit to find out that I had inadvertently cheated (new post about sucanat coming soon) but so far, so good and 3 days to go!

I've made a few batches of quinoa in the past few weeks and if you're not already eating quinoa like us (my mom's side of the family particularly), it's delicious.  Well, it can be made delicious.  Quinoa itself is nutty, grainy, and very versatile depending on how you prepare it.  It's also way quicker to prepare than brown rice. I have been calling it a grain, but learned that it's "actually a chenopod, related to species like beets and spinach." 

You can read other quinoa recipes here and here.  I was a bit saddened to read this article in the New York times about how Bolivians, who have been eating quinoa for centuries, are becoming unable to afford it because of exportation.  Not trying to make you guilty (and I just bought another box), but I think it's important to be aware of how our consumption in the US affects people globally.

The new recipe below is for a pilaf that's easy and flavorful.  I had lots of leftovers so I just mixed up the leftover with some cucumber and feta cheese to serve with chicken kebobs - doesn't this meal just look like summer??  The day after that, I still had leftovers (now with cucumber and feta in it) so I chopped up the leftover grilled chicken and ate that for lunch.  The dish that keeps on giving!

Quinoa Pilaf with Lemon and Thyme (6 servings)

1 onion, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1.5 cups quinoa
3 cups low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 T. minced fresh parsley (or basil or cilantro or scallions).

Combine the onion, oil, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a large saucepan.  Saute until onion is soft, about 5-8 minutes.  Stir in the quinoa and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until quinoa is lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the broth, zest, salt and pepper and thyme and bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is transparent and tender (about 10-15 minutes).  Remove the pot from the heat, lay a clean folded kitchen towel across the top of the pot and replace the lid.  Let sit for 10 minutes then fluff the quinoa with a fork.  Stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley or herbs.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

What to make with the leftovers:

Greek Quinoa Salad

Stir chopped cucumber, pepper, and feta cheese into cold, leftover quinoa pilaf.  Add a little olive oil if it seems dry and serve.  You can also add chopped cooked chicken, pine nuts, olives, more fresh herbs . . .

Quinoa

When I attempted to replace white rice, white pasta, potatoes, and other starches in my diet with whole grains, I began experimenting with quinoa (keen-wah). I learned fast that just making it with water (like rice) is not very interesting and found other ways to spice it up. Only recently, did I learn that quinoa is not technically a grain (even though the Incas called it the "Mother Grain") but actually a seed. Quinoa has a higher protein content than any grain (about 16 percent) and the World Health Organization deems it to be as complete of a protein as milk. It is a good source of iron, calcium, folate and many B vitamins.

I have two recent favorite quinoa dishes that are going into regular rotation on my entertaining menus. The first is a side dish that we made for family dinner this summer. I remember that even though we doubled the recipe, it was gone fast. It has layers of flavors so don't skip any of the ingredients!

This weekend, at a holiday party with friends, I served it with grilled filet mignon and an amazing brussel sprout and wild mushroom dish that my friend Kristen made. By the way, even if you don't think you like brussel sprouts, you've got to try this recipe.

Two notes about the recipe: You could probably skip the bell pepper part at the beginning and use already roasted red peppers in a jar. It would make a great vegetarian main dish and Cooking Light suggests adding a can of chickpeas if you're going to serve it as a main dish. I followed the recipe to a tee and loved every bite!



Quinoa with Moroccan Pesto (6 side dish servings) Cooking Light 7/09

1 red bell pepper
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
12 oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Preheat broiler. Cut the red bell pepper in half lengthwise and discard the seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand for 10 minutes. Peel and chop.

Combine quinoa, broth, 1/2 cup water, and juice in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Place cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor (I used a mini chopper & you could probably also use a blender) process until smooth. Combine bell pepper, quinoa mixture, cilantro mixture, and olives in a large bowl. Sprinkle with pistachios.



On to the second recipe . . . I was looking for something else and stumbled across this. I've had great success the two times that I've made it. Once, I served it as a main dish and used pasilla chiles and once I served it as a side dish and used anaheim chiles. The original calls for poblanos which I rarely see. You'll need two pepper halves per person if you're doing this as a main dish.

Quinoa-stuffed Chiles (4 main dish servings, 8 side dish servings) Cooking Light 7/96

4 (5-inch) poblano chiles (or pasilla or anaheim)
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 T diced green chiles (from a can or you could use a few teaspoons of fresh diced jalapeno instead)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup minced green onions
1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 cups tomato juice (I used spicy V8)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut chiles in half lengthwise; remove stems and seeds. Set aside. Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 13 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add bell peppers, onion, green chiles or jalapeño pepper, and garlic; sauté 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in quinoa, green onions, cilantro, soy sauce, and lime juice. Spoon 1/3 cup quinoa mixture into each chile half.

Pour tomato juice into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; place stuffed chiles in dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over chiles; bake, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts and chiles are thoroughly heated. Spoon tomato juice over chiles.

Many Dirty Dishes

I don't go to work on Mondays and for the third week in a row, we made some muffins in the morning. Then, I marinated chicken for dinner, made a batch of the most wonderful ice cream and tried a new quinoa recipe as a side dish for dinner. Yeah, I'm kind of crazy. It was too much cooking (translate: too much cleaning up) for one day, even for me, but it all tasted great.

Maple Bran Muffins
This recipe is from a new cookbook I bought at Julienne restaurant in San Marino by the woman who created Julienne, Susan Campoy. It's a great book and you'll probably be hearing more about it from me, but go buy it!

I didn't read carefully that it made 10 "jumbo" muffins and I ended up with 18 regular sized muffins. By bedtime, there were only 5 left. This is one of the first bran muffin recipes I've made that's not from a mix/box and I really loved them. The recipe is exactly as it was written - I didn't make any changes. In the future, I might try lighter sour cream and some ground clove.

1 c. cake flour (oh, I guess I did make a change. I just used regular flour)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. sugar
4 extra-large eggs
3 cups wheat bran
3/4 c. unsalted butter, melted.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 10 jumbo muffin cups (or 18 regular) with paper liners. Combine the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the maple syrup, sour cream, sugar, and eggs to blend. Stir in the flour mixture. Mix in the wheat bran, then the melted butter. Bake until a tester comes out with some crumbs and the tops are brown and crackle slightly, about 35 minutes (20-25 for regular size muffins).

Mango Sour Cream Ice Cream (4 servings)

I discovered this recipe on a blog that I sometimes read and before I served it to my husband, I told him it would change his life. If you haven't come up with a good reason to be my friend, here it is. I'll make this for you and you'll love it. For the last time, I promise Cuisinart doesn't pay me anything for talking incessantly about their ice cream maker.

Mango Sour Cream Ice Cream
from A Thinking Stomach

2 very ripe large mangoes
Several limes
Some sugar (between 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup, depending on the fruit's sweetness)
1 1/2 cups sour cream

To make the ice cream:
Peel the mangoes and cut the fruit off the pits. Place the fruit into a food processor with 1/4 cup sugar and the juice of one lime. Blend, pulsing the processor until the mixture is completely smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the sour cream until completely combined. Taste. Most likely at this point you will need a touch more sugar; remember, that ice cream should be a little on the sweet side, since once it is frozen, it won't taste as sweet. Add sugar as necessary. Does it taste bright enough? If not, add more lime juice. Stir again to make sure to combine all ingredients, and place the mixture in a covered container to chill (in both senses of the word) for a few hours before pouring into your ice cream maker. From here on out, follow the directions your ice cream machine provides.

Risotto-style Quinoa with Asparagus (4 servings)

I adapted a recipe from Cook4Seasons and it was my favorite quinoa so far. Quinoa (say keen-wah) is a whole grain, good if you're eating gluten-free, low-glycemic, or candida diet. It's a good change for us from the cous cous and brown rice we've been eating recently. The fresh parsley, lemon rind, and asparagus tasted like spring to me.

1 TB butter
2 TB olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped leek (can also use onion)
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 TB grated lemon zest
1 TB fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 c. shaved good quality Parmesan cheese

Heat butter and olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add quinoa and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1 ½ cups broth; cook 10 minutes. Add asparagus and simmer until quinoa and asparagus are tender, stirring often and adding more broth a little at a time as needed, about 7 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Season to taste w/ salt & pepper. Garnish with lemon zest, parsley and the shaved parmesan.