Meal 18 ~ Southwest Quinoa Wraps

The posts are slowing down now..I'm running out of new recipe ideas. This will be the last one for awhile because Connor and I leave for PA tomorrow for 10 days!

Southwest Quinoa Wraps

Chipotle Dressing:
6 oz greek yogurt
1 t adobo sauce
1/2 chipotle chili, seeded and chopped
1/4 t garlic, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients together. Set aside.
**Note: I found the adobo sauce & chipotle chilis in the canned aisle together (canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce).

Wraps:
1 c quinoa, rinsed well
2 1/2 c broth (I used chicken)
pinch of salt
1 can black beans, rinsed well (you can serve them in the wrap warm or cold)
1 med onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
2 ears of corn, shucked (I used canned corn)
2 bell peppers, grilled and sliced into strips (Any color will work. I didn't grill my peppers. I actually didn't noticed that they were supposed to be grilled until right now as I am typing this..Ha ha.)
Tortillas
Hot sauce, garnish

Heat broth and quinoa in a saucepan until boiling. Turn to low/med heat and simmer for 25 min until liquid is absorbed & quinoa is tender. Set aside.

 Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat & add the onion. Cook until browned and carmelized (about 10 min). Set aside.

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place corn on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake until just browned - 7-10 min, stirring occasionally.

To assemble:
Slather chipotle sauce over middle of tortilla. Add black beans, quinoa, onions and corn. Place bell pepper strips over top and finish with avocado slices. Roll and serve with hot sauce, if desired!

For dinner we had the wraps with leftover minestrone soup that I had in the freezer!

The verdict: They were very good! Both Ryan and I agreed they would have been better with some salsa on top (we were out -- bummer!). I ate the leftover "fillings" for lunch the next day!

Link to Southwest Quinoa Wraps

Are you like me and wondering why you need to rinse your quinoa?? I finally looked it up and the reason is because quinoa has a coating of bitter tasting chemicals called saponins to keep away birds and other seed eaters! You learn something new every day!

I also made Spicy Kale Lasagna this week, but froze it right away. We obviously haven't tasted it yet, but here is the recipe if you want to try it:

Link to Spicy Kale Lasagna

A little slice of heaven!

My absolute favorite cookie recipe of all time!!! I've been making them for about 4 years now and I've now got them down to a science. Thanks, Liz, for an amazing recipe!!:)

Liz's Chocolate Chips Cookies

aka Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies!!

Salivating yet??:)

** I always double this recipe **

3/4 c rolled oats

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c butter, softened (If you double this recipe, Liz recommends 1/4 c smart balance butter + 2 T lighter bake (found in a jar in the baking aisle) -- cuts back on the butter)

1/4 c canola oil

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 c dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grind oats in a food processor or blender (you can skip this if you want -- I do not skip this step though).

3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. In a separate bowl, beat butter (and lighter bake) until fluffy. Add oil, sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. 

5. With mixer running, add dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Bake until cookies are firm around edge. Recipe suggests 15 min, but mine are usually done in 8-10 min. I let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few min after taking them out of the oven. I don't know if it really does anything, but I feel like they bake just a tad bit longer on the sheet and come out perfectly!

I then cool them on a wire rack.

I rarely have lighter bake on hand, so I usually just use whatever butter we have on hand (sorry Liz!!)...

Enjoy! They truly are delicious.

Meal #17 ~ Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

So my posts have definitely slowed down over the past few weeks. I have a few reasons: we had family visiting, I'm repeating a lot of older recipes, and some of the recipes just aren't blog worthy. I'm also getting a little more tired at the end of the day and not really feeling like making anything too exciting. Hello 3rd trimester!!

I am pretty excited about this recipe. It turned out really good and it isn't overly difficult. It, of course, features my new favorite food quinoa!:)

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 med onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1/2 of a poblano pepper, diced
1 - 8 oz package of mushrooms
1 T cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained & liquid reserved
1- 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
3/4 c quinoa
1 1/2 c carrots, grated
1 3/4 c water
1 1/2 c pepper jack cheese, grated & divided
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise & ribs removed
Salt & pepper, to taste

I seriously don't know where my brain is some days....well, I do...trying to keep Connor from injuring himself while I'm cooking..Ha Ha. He's in a climbing phase at the moment. I left out a few ingredients in this picture -- one of them being the star of the recipe -- quinoa!! Oops!!

**It would be beneficial to grate the carrots right away before cooking. I didn't and felt rushed!

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over med heat and saute onion, celery, & poblano pepper until tender, about 5 min. Add cumin & garlic & saute another minute. Stir in mushrooms and drained tomatoes (saving the drained liquid). Cook about 5 min or until most of the liquid is evaporated.

2. Stir in quinoa, carrots, and water. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer over med/low heat for about 20 min until quinoa is tender. Don't forget to rinse your quinoa well before adding.

3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add black beans & cheese to the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

4. Pour liquid from tomatoes in the bottom of a baking dish. Fill each bell pepper half generously with the quinoa mixture and place in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 min.

5. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until browned.

For dinner we had Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers with a spinach salad! Yumm!!

The verdict: Delish!! We also added a little salsa on top! I will definitely make this again!

Connor ate an entire half himself!! We are SOOO incredibly lucky to have a little guy who eats pretty much whatever we put in front of him. I do realize that this can change at any time! Ha ha.

Meal # 16 ~ Chicken with Peas & Quinoa + Carrot and Zucchini Bars

Chicken with Peas & Quinoa

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 t paprika
1 c uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 c chicken broth
24 oz tomato pasta sauce
10 oz frozen peas, thawed

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

2. Add paprika & quinoa to pan and stir to coat.

3. Stir in chicken broth and sauce and heat over med-high heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium & cook for 15 min until quinoa is tender

I missed the 'add sauce' part of this step and didn't add it until the next step.

4. Stir in peas (and sauce if you mess up like I did! Ha ha).

5. Add chicken and cook until cooked through.

The verdict: This was good, but I had an "off" night and was distracted and I over cooked it. I'll make it again for sure. I may even make it without the chicken as a side dish. It was great for leftovers today & Connor gobbled it up!

Link to Chicken with Peas & Quinoa recipe

Carrot & Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c canola oil
1/4 c honey
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c shredded carrots
1 c shredded zucchini
1/2 c chopped walnuts (I left this out)
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey and vanilla.

2. Fold in zucchini and carrots (and walnuts).

3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda. Mix well.

4. Add flour to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Spread batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan.

5. Bake about 25 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

 

** While bars a cooling, you can make the frosting. I only made half the amount of frosting and put it on the bars as I want it because we actually prefer the bars plain. Plus, I give them to Connor without the frosting because it is a lot of sugar and a huge mess!!

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese

1 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 t lemon zest (I left this out..we aren't lemon fans)

 

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat frosting until well combined. Spread on cooled bars.

The verdict: So delicious! I've made these multiple times and we eat them for breakfast, a snack, and dessert! I messed them up when I made them last night (for the same reasons I messed up the quinoa recipe..distracted!!) and I switched the baking powder and baking soda amounts. They turned out too gooey! I think I may re-do them tonight since I have a zucchini left over!

Link to Carrot & Zucchini Bars recipe

Meals # 14 & 15 ~ Quinoa Pilaf & Arugula Pesto Mac & Cheese

Quinoa Pilaf

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
1/2 c mushrooms, sliced thinly (the original recipe called for crimini mushrooms)
1 1/2 c quinoa, washed and drained
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (the original recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme)
1/4 teaspoon dried bay leaves (the original recipe called for 1 fresh bay leaf)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper
3 c vegetable stock, or water (I used chicken broth)

1. In a saucepan, saute shallot until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until brown.

2. Add quinoa, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and stir. Let ingredients heat up and roast a little to bring out flavors.

3. Carefully add the stock. When it comes to a full boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 min. Turn off heat and let sit for an additional 10 min.

For dinner Ryan made Chicken Gyros & I made the quinoa pilaf!

The verdict: The quinoa was a good sub for rice! It was yummy, but I could have gone for a little less salt. However, I think I like less salt than most people.

Link to Quinoa Pilaf recipe

Arugula Pesto Mac & Cheese

4 cups uncooked pasta (I used shells)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/4 c heavy cream
10 oz freshly grated cheese (the original recipe called for white cheddar, but I couldn't find that at the store. I used extra sharp yellow cheddar. I also only used 8 oz)
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c arugula pesto (see pesto recipe at end)
1/3 c panko breadcrumbs


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. You can shave a few min off cooking time since it will go in the oven.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once sizzling, add flour and whisk until smooth and golden brown - about 2-3 min.

4. Add milk and cream, bring to a boil while whisking constantly.

5. Reduce heat and add cheese. Cook and stir for a few minutes to melt cheese and thicken sauce. Add nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste.

6. Add pasta to a baking dish and pour cheese sauce and pesto over top. Stir well. Top with additional cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Arugula Pesto

4 cups arugula
1/3 c asiago cheese
3 garlic cloves
1/4 c olive oil

1. In a food processor, combine garlic, arugula, and cheese. Pulse until combined.

2. Add olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time until pesto is smooth.

For dinner we had pork in the crock pot, mac & cheese, and green beans for my boys (I don't like green beans!!)

The verdict: The mac and cheese was amazing. It is more of an 'adult' mac & cheese!! Ha ha. The pork was really good too, so I'll add a link to that recipe at the end as well!!

Link to Mac & Cheese recipe
Link to slow cooker pork recipe

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