Superfood x2

I have a couple wonderful, healthy recipes to share with you bloggy friends today!!

first up:
Quinoa, Black bean, Edamame & Chicken salad

alright friends, don't be intimidated by this, it requires some time mgmt, but it's so worth it!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, in cubes
1 chopped medium onion
1 chopped red pepper (yellow and orange work well too!)
1 tbsp evoo
2/3 cup red quinoa - SUPERFOOD!
1 1/3 cup of chicken stock (or water. or vegetable stock. you're choice)
1 bag of Steamables edamame (soy beans) - SUPERFOOD!
1 can black beans
basil
2 lemons (juice)
2 tbsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp minced garlic
s&p to taste

combine first 4 ingredients in a pan, cook through. add garlic after 5 minutes. be sure to stir, you don't want that garlic to burn!
while the chicken is cooking, prepare the quinoa. prepare as directed on the package - bring stock to boil, add quinoa, stir, reduce to simmer - 15 minutes cook time is standard.

steam edamame as directed on package. if necessary, remove from pods.

while waiting for chicken and quinoa, (see??...time mgmt...) in a separate bowl, add black beans, edamame, basil (to your liking), lemon juice, lemon rind, and s&p.

when the chicken mixture and quinoa are cooked, add to the bowl. mix well, s&p to taste. serve hot, warm, or cold :)

enjoy!

i'll have to post a picture next time, friends!

Kitchen Essentials

really, Dean & Deluca? you just had to go there, didn't you?


i want.
considering the price, i may have to save up. $165 for the 40-spice rack, $105 for the 21-spice rack.
i want 40, i want it now.

Chimichurri x2

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hi again, lovely blog friends!

Last night's din consisted of more chimichurri deliciousness! follow the recipe from yesterday (double or triple for more! taste as you go!) to get started!


Cumin rubbed Steak

• 3 lbs flank steak - i forget the REAL name for it. good thing i'm so descriptive.....flat steak.
• Goya Mojo sauce (int'l section of the grocery store...hispanic foods)
• cumin
• s&p

rub the cumin, s&p into the steak and place in a big ziploc or dish - pour liberal amounts of Mojo sauce on top. Marinate for as long as you like (2 hrs for me!)
grilling instructions: find them yourself.
pan-searing instructions: put some evoo on the bottom of the pan and heat - place steak in and cook about 3 minutes per side if the steak is an inch and a half thick for a pink middle. remove steak once done to your liking, and let it sit for a few before you start cutting it, let the juices settle.

Brown Rice with Red Peppers and Cucumbers

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2.5 cups fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup red bell peppers - roasted (s&p, evoo, diced peppers in glass baking dish for 30 mins on 375 should do the trick)
• 1 cup diced cucumbers
• s&p
• 1/3 cup evoo
• 2 lemons - zest and juice
• a few sprigs of green onion - chopped (use both green and white parts)
• reduced fat or fat free feta cheese - if you please :)

boil chicken broth, add rice, reduce to simmer for 40 mins or until cooked through. in another bowl whisk together lemon juice and some zest, green onions, evoo, s&p. Add peppers and cucumbers. let sit while rice cooks. add rice, stir, yay it's done! so simple! don't forget to top with yummy reduced fat feta cheese! can be served hot, warm or cold :)

this makes me happy, i hope it makes you happy too! it's so simple, and so worth the ridic 40 minute wait for the rice!

and for dessert, SUCK ON THAT MICHELLE!
Italian Wedding Cookies - this time properly plated!



might i just add that i made this for 8 people :) it's not all for myself ...hahaha

Italian Wedding Cookies

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i found these little suckers here and after seeing the picture, i knew i had to make them!

every other week or so we have a potluck with the girls and last night's theme was italian - perfect opportunity to make the cookies! oh how i wish i took more pictures! in addition to my little italian wedding cookies, we had baked ziti, garlic bread, meatballs, bruschetta and caprese!

I used unsalted butter in the first batch, and added a pinch or two in the second - i couldn't taste the difference... :)

Adapted Recipe:

Italian Wedding Cookies

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. For the dough, combine 1 c. soft butter, 2 c. all-purpose unbleached (i used bleached) flour and 1/3 c. heavy whipping cream in an electric mixer. Mix until combined. Roll out dough 1/8" thick on a floured pastry cloth and cut out circles with a shot glass {or a very small cookie cutter if you prefer a different shape} -- ** BE SURE TO FLOUR HEAVILY, this is sticky if it warms up**. Gently press both sides of the cookie into a little bit of sugar that you have placed on a small plate (whoa just read this part for the first time - haha missed this all together). Transfer cookie to baking sheet and prick 3 times with a fork. Bake for 7 (I did 8) minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before icing.

For the icing, combine 1/4 c. soft butter, 3/4 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and food coloring of choice (TEAL!). Mix with electric mixer until well combined and fluffy. Spread icing between 2 cookies to make little sandwiches.

as you can see, mine were quite messy (like most of my baking) but they were sooooo good! i should have presented better, but they went so fast that there was no point :)

Tuesday Potluck

the girls and i have tried to keep up with a potluck every other week. we had been seriously slacking with everyone's crazy fall schedules - but last night we got back on our game! and it was awesome!

my contribution:
My Aunt Vals to-die-for spinach sausage stuffing
Hungry-girl Monkey Bread
other contributions:
mint chocolate chip cookies - tasted like thin mints. ohmygah.
gingerbread cookies - from scratch
mashed potatoes - lots of garlic...mmm
tortellini salad with salmon - yumm
shrimp appetizer with a yummy spicy dip!

recipes:

Spinach Sausage Stuffing - this recipe has been featured at quite a lot of family functions. it's passed down to my aunt val from her grandfather, which makes it quite special :)
From Aunt Val: "This recipe is originally my grandfather’s recipe – Jack McAuliffe (Mom’s Dad) and many, many years ago, my Dad (Grampi Crocetta) started making it each Thanksgiving. The flavors get better as they sit, so you may want to make a day in advance."
Here goes…
1 package Pepperidge farm stuffing (NOT CUBES)

1 lb mild sausage – like Jimmy Dean (not links – the tube thing not links – do you know what I mean???)

4 medium size onions chopped

1 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach

Butter – about ½ stick

Hot water (not quantity specified)

Cook sausage, drain fat, add chopped onions and brown – drain. Cook & drain spinach (spinach carries a lot of water). Add spinach to sausage/onion mixture. Add butter to mixtureIn separate bowl, mix stuffing and HOT water to desired consistency. Mix everything together. Place in glass dish (I used a huge tupperware container). Cook to heat – maybe 350 for 30 minutes (I added a little more water at J&A's house and put it in the microwave for 4 mins). Everything is already cooked, just needs to be heated.You can also refrigerate the stuffing and cook when you are ready to do so. Add butter, salt/pepper as needed. (I forgot the butter, and it still tasted amazinnggg)

*I also made a vegetarian version for kel - and it included everything except sausage. super yum!

Hungry-Girl Monkey Bread!!

mmm mmmm - no cool background behind this one besides me being a fatty who follows hungry girl recipes religiously.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp Splenda, divided
2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread
2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup
2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1 package Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1 tbsp. Splenda and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a large bowl or container. Set aside. Spray six cups of a muffin pan with nonstick spray, and set pan aside as well.

Place a small pot on the stove, but do not heat it. Add butter, syrup, brown sugar, 2 tbsp. Splenda, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Leave this on the unheated stove, to be melted and mixed later on.

Roll out the dough on a clean dry surface, and sprinkle evenly with baking powder. Gently smooth baking powder into the sheet with your fingers.

Cut dough sheet widthwise into six strips equal in size. Cut each strip into four squares. Roll each square into a ball, for a total of 24 dough balls.

Place 12 dough balls in the bowl with the Splenda-cinnamon mixture. Lightly toss to coat, and then place them gently in the muffin pan, with four dough balls in each of three cups. No need to press the dough balls into the pan -- just let them fall naturally. Repeat with remaining dough balls, so that each of the six muffin cups contains four coated dough balls. Set aside.

Bring the small pot on the stove to medium heat. Stirring frequently, heat just until butter has melted and contents are mixed well. Evenly spoon the butter mixture over the dough balls.

Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until puffy and firm. Allow to cool slightly, and then plate and enjoy!

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 4 pieces (1/6th of recipe)
Calories: 154
Fat: 7.5g
Sodium: 369mg
Carbs: 21g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugars: 6.5g
Protein: 2g

i doubled this recipe and it was deeeeelish! got lots of compliments! yay for being a hungry girl!

Fried Green Tomatoes!

leftover green tomatoes from my parents garden = fried green tomatoes at 5501
just like the movie!


it was my first attempt at making AND my first taste of fried green tomatoes



they were ok...next time - more flavor is necessary. perhaps a sauce?