Cozy Quinoa Casserole … Regular and Vegetarian
April 28, 2011 | 
Author 
Turkey Quinoa and Squash Casserole
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 sliced cremini (or white) mushrooms
1/2 sliced acorn squash
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey or chicken
1 tsp salt (if I am using commercial chicken stock I skip this as it is salty enough)
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 c chicken stock
1 c rinsed quinoa
1/4 c minced parsley
6 oz rediced fat shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, saute the onions for 2-3 minutes until clear. Add in squash, mushrooms and garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Add turkey, breaking it into small buts as you stir: brown for about 4 minutes. Add seasoning,s stock, quinoa and bring to a boil – cover and simmer 12 minutes.
Transfer ingredients into a 9×13″ baking pan. Sprinkle with parsley and half of the cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes: when you remove from oven top with the reamining 3 ounces of cheese.
Vegetarian Version: (if you omit the cheese, it can be vegan!)
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
18 sliced cremini (or white) mushrooms
1 whole sliced acorn squash
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 c vegetable stock or water
1 c rinsed quinoa
1/4 c minced parsley
6 oz rediced fat shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (or vegan soy cheese)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, saute the onions for 2-3 minutes until clear.
Add in squash, mushrooms and garlic and cook another 7 minutes. . Add seasoning,s stock, quinoa and bring to a boil – cover and simmer 12 minutes.
Transfer ingredients into a 9×13″ baking pan. Sprinkle with parsley and half of the cheese.
Bake for 30-35 minutes: when you remove from oven top with the reamining 3 ounces of cheese.
World’s Tastiest (and Easiest) Stir Fry!
My husband and I love Chinese food. In our small mountain town we have yet to find a decent Chinese take out place. I turned to my trusty wok, one of the best wedding presents we received, to create our own at home Chinese food. The result is a healthier version of one of our favorite dishes and it is the simplest dinner to prepare! We both work and I can whip this up in a pinch after a long day at the office!
Sesame Beef
(Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food)
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 6 tablespoons white wine- I use whatever is open/leftover from the night before!
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 6 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated or dried ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 3/4 pound boneless New York strip steak, thinly sliced
- 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
- Cooked rice, for serving (optional)
1. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, wine, sugar, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, ginger, garlic and cornstarch. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook meat until just browned on each side. Transfer to a plate
3. Add bell peppers and scallions to skillet and cook, stirring, until veggies are softened.
4. Whisk sauce mixture and add to skillet with the steak. Cook, until sauce thickens. Stir in sesame seeds.
5. To serve, spoon beef mixture over rice. I usually make jasmine rice but white, brown, or any other grain would work perfectly.
The sauce is very flexible. In a pinch I have used a few dashes of Sriracha or cayenne pepper in place of the red pepper flakes. Same with the ginger- I always have dried ginger in my spice rack so if I don’t have fresh ginger on hand I just use the dried spice!
Also, I always have onions in my pantry so if I can’t make it to the store to get scallions I will use a regular sweet onion (just takes a little longer to cook.)
Raw Carrot-Banana Cake
Have carrot pulp? Make cake!
Raw Carrot-Banana Cake (adapted from Healthy Simple Living)
Serves 4 – 6
INGREDIENTS
*3/4 c pecans
*4 medjool dates, pitted and diced
*1.5 c carrot pulp
*1/2 c shredded coconut
*1.5 tsp flax seed oil
*1.5 Tbsp ground flax seed
*1 small, ripe banana
*Dash cinnamon
*Dash of nutmeg
METHOD
Pulse pecans and dates in the food processor using the “S” blade. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse again until a “dough” forms.
Transfer “dough” to ramekins, filling each half-way. (I only found two small ramekins — where did the other two disappear to?! So I took the remaining dough and added it to a larger “ramekin” style bowl.)
Dehydrate on 145F for one hour. Reduce to 105F for another 3 hours. Flip the cake out of the dishes directly to the dehydrator screen and dehydrate for 4 more hours.
I made this incredible frosting and spread it on the carrot-banana cake.
This dessert was delicious! Even the omnivore husband loved this raw, vegan cake!
Original post on JL goes Vegan: Food & Fitness with a side of Kale. You can follow JL on Twitter and Facebook.
Very Veggie Split-Pea Soup
JL’s Very Veggie Split-Pea Soup
Makes 6 cups
INGREDIENTS
*2 golden beets
*5 kale leaves
*6 swiss chard leaves
*1 cucumber
*1 zucchini
*6 stalks of celery
*2 T olive oil
*1 small onion, diced
*3 cloves garlic minced
*1 bay leaf
*1 t each: rosemary, coriander, saffron strands
*2 cups dry split peas, rinsed and drained
*2 cups of water
*Juice of one lemon
*Salt & Pepper to taste
METHOD
Juice the first six ingredients. This should make approximately 4 cups of green juice.
Heat olive oil in the pressure cooker. Saute onion and garlic and stir frequently for 2 – 3 minutes. Add rosemary, coriander and saffron strands. Toss in the bay leaf and add the split peas, vegetable juice and water. Bring to high pressure and remain at high pressure for 6 minutes followed by natural release. Upon release of pressure, carefully remove the lid from the pressure cooker, away from you. Stir in the juice of one lemon and begin to add salt and pepper to taste (I went with 1 t sea salt and 1/2 t black pepper).
Remove bay leaf and serve.
Original post on JL goes Vegan: Food & Fitness with a side of Kale. You can follow JL on Twitter and Facebook.
Chocolate Dipped MMMacaroons
Ok FoodNutters, its COOOOOKie time! Want a gluten-free cookie that tastes like something you bought at a fancy cafe? Having guests over who have celiacs and don’t know what to serve for desert? Need a host gift for a foodie type who doesn’t eat wheat? Look no further, I have your solution in the form of deliciously decadent (but ridiculously easy to make!) Chocolate-Dipped MMMacaroons. I’ve had a great response from this recipe on my blog www.glutendairyfreedom.net, and I wanted to share it with you, the food-nuts-foodies, so you can proudly place your stamp on something that looks store-bought and fancy-schmancy! And if you’re curious, the extra M’s in “MMMacaroons” are for Ummmmmmmm, mmmmmmm, good.
Ingredients:
No, you didn't buy them!
- 5 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 2/3 cup rice syrup or honey
- 4 egg whites
- 6 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Bittersweet chocolate (optional)
What do I do?
- Preheat the oven to 350′F
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients (except chocolate) quite well until entire mixture is wet and the same consistency.
- Form into balls and flatten slightly on cookie sheets with a bit of space in between.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until edges are golden.
- Remove from oven and let cool on pan to set.
- When set, transfer to parchment lined tray and if you are doing the chocolate dip, refrigerate for at least one hour.
- For chocolate dip, melt chocolate in a small pot on very low heat, stirring constantly.
- Tilt the pot to the side, and dip half the cookies one at a time and lay back on parchment lined tray.
- Refrigerate again until set.
These look really fancy and appear much more difficult then they actually are. They are sure to impress when served to guests or as a host gift when wrapped in a white box with some ribbon, or on a plate with some cellophane and tied with a bow. People will think you went to a fancy bakery. Let them think that, then slip in that you made them yourself! You’re such a pro!
Posted in Blogging, Dessert, Foodies, Fun Stuff, Gluten-free | 
Tags: cookies, macaroons | 
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