Mediterranean Quinoa Sala

My family and I went to our local farmers market yesterday and each time we visit I must refrain from purchasing everything in sight.  Initially you are just struck at how beautifully fresh all of the veggies and fruit are  then you look at the prices and wonder why you ever go to the supermarket.  I ended up with an abundance of parsley, tomatoes and cucumbers among lots of other yummy things.  Since tomatoes and cucumbers do not last very long I figured a salad would be a great idea.  Hence, tonights' dinner.  Easy, healthy and totally versatile.  

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups COOKED quinoa (Usually once cup dried will make about this much)
1 can drained and rinsed chick peas
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced (if the insides are very juicy you can remove some of the seeds so that your salad does not become too wet from the tomatoes)
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 handful parsley, chopped finely
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives

Dressing:
Juice of 2 lemons
2 garlic cloves grated or even better, us a microplane
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin or just plain.
whatever you have!)

Instructions:  

First cook your quinoa.   Follow the instructions on package.  I rinse mine prior to cooking and then again after it has been cooked with cool water so it's ready for the salad.  Chop and throw together all of your salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  

Make your dressing by whisking together all of the ingredients.  

Toss your salad ingredients with your dressing and there's your dinner.  I think letting it sit for about a half hour prior to eating is best.  It lets the dressing sink in.  

Yum. 

If you'd like to add feta or even chopped up fresh mozz, that is a great idea.  

I just, unfortunately, did not have any on hand. 

Next time. 

Chocolate Almond Crunch Bars

Came across this recipe in the Martha Stewart Magazine and I immediately had to try them.  Made from real ingredients and mostly healthy at that (also gluten free).  I tweaked it a bit (as I always do) and must say these are perfect for those of you who love chocolate but don't want to eat complete junk.  They take minutes to make and are so worth the wait in the fridge.  Make these.  You and your family will NOT be disappointed. 

Chocolate Almond Crunch Bars

Ingredients:

I cup almond butter
1 stick butter
1/2 cup honey
2 1/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1 1/2 cups bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate chips depending on preference
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Take an 8x8 square vessel, spray with cooking oil and line with parchment being sure to leave an overhang of parchment.  

Heat the almond butter, butter and honey over a medium low flame, string often,  until completely melted and blended.

While the wet ingredients are melting, throw together all of the dry ingredients. 

Cover the dry ingredients with the hot mixture and let sit for one minute before stirring to combine.  

Toss mixture into your 8x8 dish and spread evenly with a spatula. 

Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but I found it was best the next morning.  Yes, I ate this for breakfast!

Keep stored in the fridge in the 8x8 pan or you can remove and cut into bars.  Wrap them separately in parchment for easy access.  

Perfect chocolate treat without all of the guilt.   

Roasted Beet Hummus

This time of year you can buy beets in bulk at my local farmers market.  I always grab more than I can possibly use and sometimes they get lost way, way back there in my fridge.  I have been promising myself to waste the least amount of food possible and this is the perfect way to use up the left over roasted beets you made for dinner the night before. Not to mention that my kids were so intrigued by the bright pink (dare I say beautiful) hue of the hummus.  They liked it and probably would have eaten more if I roasted the garlic that I included, this is always an option as it makes the garlic sweeter, but for me raw garlic it is.

Roasted Beet Hummus

2 cans of chick peas drained and rinsed
1/2 cup roasted beets (this is approximate and a little more or less will not hurt it)
Juice of 1 lemon or 2 if you love lemons
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
Heavy pinch kosher salt

Place all of the ingredients except the liquids in your blender or food processor.  Begin to pulse and then slowly poor the liquids in.  You will see it come together quickly. 

I looooove my Vitamix.  So worth every penny. 

Just keep blending until your preferred texture is reached.  I always taste as I go as well.  If you want more salt, add it.  More spice, add it.  The only way to make food you absolutely love is to make sure you taste as you go and to NOT BE AFRAID to change it to your liking.  

If you find yours is having a little bit of a hard time blending, as all blenders and food processors are different, just add water little by little until smooth.

Simple.  Now enjoy!

Chick Pea Salad

I make this constantly.  I mean if you look in my fridge, 9 out of 10 times, it's in there.  It's one of those simple dishes that are just so amazingly good that you're not quite sure why you haven't made it before.    That said, here's the recipe.

Chick Pea Salad

2 cans chick peas drained and rinsed of liquid (Trader Joe's sells organic ones!!! hint, hint)
Half onion, chopped finely (can be red or white or yellow)
1 palm full chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar (buy Bragg's, it's worth it)
1/3 cup olive oil, you can use extra virgin if you like the extra flavor
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons honey
Heavy pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Throw together the vinegar, olive oil, cumin, honey, kosher salt and black pepper.  

Stir, or whisk if you feel like getting fancy. 

Throw on top of drained and rinsed chick peas and chopped dried cranberries and fold together. 

That's.  It. 

The longer this sits, the better it tastes. 

 If making for a get together a few hours in advance is just perfect. 

Don't forget this recipe is also extremely versatile and you can basically replace almost every ingredient and still have a great salad;  raisins for the cranberries, black beans for the chick peas, scallions for the onions, etc.  Don't be scared to experiment! 

Enjoy. 

No Bake Energy Bites

I have this love/hate but mostly love relationship with Pinterest.  So many great ideas and so little time.  That's where these came in.  Trying to come up with healthy things that don't take forever and a day to make.  These are so simple, the kids LOVE them and we do too.  I won't say these are low sugar or low calorie but they are made with real ingredients and you can add in chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries and I was also thinking protein powder!!!   Just like their name-sake these give you energy and there is no baking involved.

No Bake Energy Bites
This recipe made about 15 balls.  I think after you make it once, you may find yourself doubling

1 1/3 cup organic rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup peanut butter preferably without hydrogenated oil or organic
3/4 cup shredded coconut (Trader Joe's sells some without preservatives and less sugar)
1/3 cup honey (I eyeballed this and I think I put a little less, it was perfect)
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Mash it all together with the back of a spoon.  Put in the fridge for about an hour.  

Roll into whatever size balls you'd like!  

This is making me recall one of my most favorite SNL episodes 

with Alec Baldwin. heh heh heh

Store them in the fridge and eat whenever you'd like. 

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

So it's officially been way over a year since I've posted a recipe!!!  Life as a Mom/photographer/dance teacher has surely taken up most of my time.  I most certainly can't be the most busy of people so I promised (myself) to try and post a recipe at least once every 2 weeks.  Most of the food I make is relatively easy, quick and for the most part somewhat healthy.  As always I still stick to organic, non-GMO and mostly no processed foods.  Since you all are probably just as busy as I am, I hope these recipes can help inspire something relatively easy and new for dinner/snack/dessert/breakfa…..oh, you get the idea!

This recipe is so easy and I think the most difficult part is to remember to put your potatoes in the oven to bake (or you could always microwave if you are short on time).  My kids, especially my daughter, loved this.  My son ate mostly just sweet potato but hey, he ate a vegetable. Win!!!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes (Trader Joe's sells them in a large bag for not much $ at all)
1 large yellow or white onion
1/2 cup frozen spinach
3 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, if you like heat
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt to taste
fresh group pepper to taste
1 lb ground turkey
1 can black beans
2 tablespoons ketchup (I was always a Heinz girl but Trader Joe's had theeee best organic ketchup.  Also, Trader Joe's should pay me for free advertising!!! I use so many of their products and am happy to share that!)
2 tablespoons favorite BBQ sauce (try to go natural here)
Favorite shredded cheese to top

Like I mentioned, don't forget to do this part!  Can take up to an hour so if you are oven baking them, time accordingly.  If microwaving wait until you have made the stuffing mixture.  

Start by chopping your onion however you chop it.  Throw it in a pan over a medium flame.  Top with a little butter or coconut oil, spices and salt and let get nice a soft.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  

 If you'd like, now is a good time for one of these…

Next, throw your ground turkey in the pan and add another little pinch of salt.  I always, ALWAYS season every time I add something.  Cook until crumbly.  Throw in 1/2 cup frozen spinach, still frozen, right from the package.  Told you this was pretty easy. 

Your gonna throw these in.  Do it.  Adds protein and good fiber and I just so happen to love beans. Make sure you drain these of their liquid.  

 My son while he's waiting for dinner.  Always need to be busy with something!!!

  After mixing in the beans.  Toss in your cooked onions.

Add your ketchup and BBQ sauce and stir.  Let cook for a minute or 2 longer and your stuffing is ready.  This makes a lot and I plan on using leftovers for tomorrows dinner.  Keep in mind you can always half a recipe if you don't need to feed too many mouths. 

Take your beautiful baked sweet potatoes, split down the middle and squish to open.  

Don't burn your fingers like I did.  Just wait a few minutes. 

Stuff with however much stuffing you like, top with cheese of choice and stick under the broiler for a few seconds.  That's it. 

Done.

My taste tester.  Loves almost everything! 

Leah's little potato all ready to go.  She at it all.  That little thing ate that whole thing.  

Penne with a Creamy Sausage Mushroom Fennel Ragu

Not much of a story for this recipe.  Basically I just wanted a pasta dish with sausage and I had some fennel and mushrooms to use up.  This is the result.  SO good.  Really easy to make and doesn't take much time at all!

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 fennel bulb diced
2 pints of baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 pound package of italian sausage, casing removed
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (can add more if you like a thinner sauce)
1/8 cup parmesan plus more for sprinkling
green onion or parsley for garnish

Directions:

Put of pot of water on for the pasta

Sneaky Logan trying to steal my pasta. lol. 

 In a large pan, brown the sausage until fully cooked.  Remove and set aside.

Add the chopped fennel and saute until soft and the edges begin to brown.  

Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until tender but not mushy!

Start cooking your pasta...

Add sausage back to pan and make a well in the middle.  Add garlic in the middle and cook for a minute.  Then place the butter in the well and melt.  

Add the flour and cook until flour is slightly browned.

Add milk and 1/8 cup parmesan and stir all together until creamy.  If you want a thinner sauce, you can keep adding more milk until your preferred thickness/thinness is reached.  Add to cooked and drained pasta!!!!  Top with garnish of choice plus a little extra cheese and enjoy!