Spicy Shrimp Quinoa Bowl

Do you ever get home after work and want a healthy dinner but don't really feel like cooking?  Here's a strategy I have been using lately: cook a larger than normal batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and you'll be half-way there to a healthy dinner like this quinoa bowl!  Or, sprinkle it into salads for a boost to your lunch salads!

Spicy Shrimp Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients:
1/2 lb raw shrimp
1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (cooked in chicken broth)
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
1 tsp sriracha chili sauce
1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp agave syrup

Method:
Get everything ready before you start cooking: grate your ginger, mince your garlic, chop the red pepper and cilantro and set aside.  In a medium sized non-stick skillet or wok, heat sesame oil and add the shrimp.  Cook for 4-5 minutes and add the garlic, ginger and sriracha.

Continue cooking until bubbly.

Add the peas, pepper and cilantro and stir-fry for a couple minutes, until peas are heated through.

Serve on top of warmed quinoa and dinner is served!!

"Crispy Chewy Double Taco"

Soft tacos or hard tacos?  How about both - but how about both combined to make one crazy insane super chewy crispy taco?  I know, it sounds like an excessive amount of carbs, and you're probably right, but it's Sunday - do it if it feels good! 

it's hard to take a picture of a taco!!

We actually spend a good chunk of the afternoon at the Red Deer Public Library, chilling in the Quiet Zone - Nick lasted for about an hour and a half, not all active "reading" time, but delightfully "silent" for almost all of it!  Todd got to read his book, Nick got some new ones and I checked out a couple of cookbooks, and one of them is where tonight's dinner idea came from!  East-coaster Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen - I enjoy his tv show and dig his vibe on cooking, I think this is actually a book I would pay for because it's full of great ideas!! 

The other book I got was David Rocco's Dolce Vita - another Canadian Food TV celeb - another book I would totally buy!  Can't wait to bust out some of his super simple recipes!!

For tonight's dinner, the flavour of the beef filling is amazing - I don't think I will ever need to buy the Old El Paso taco dinner kit again - this has awesome flavour and has like 1% of the sodium that the other stuff would have!!  If you're turned off by taco inside of tortilla, at least give this taco filling a shot - it's great!  Dinner came together pretty quick - definitely something you could bust out on a weeknight!

Crispy Chewy Double Taco (from Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen)
Filling Ingredients:
2 tbsp canola oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 white onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 large ripe roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp hot sauce
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Tacos:
8 crisp corn taco shells
1 cup Tex-Mex blend grated cheese
8 small soft flour tortillas
sour cream
salsa
shredded lettuce
handful of fresh cilantro

Method:
Preheat the oven to 450degrees.  Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat.  Cook the ground beef, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up as you go.  When the meat is cooked through, but NOT browned, chuck in your onions, garlic and spices and continue cooking until fragrant - about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, ketchup and hot sauce and simmer until heat through.  Season with salt & pepper.

Line a baking dish with parchment paper (I did not do this step and was super annoyed at having to clean the cooked on cheese!  ugh pet peeve!!)  Divide the beef filling evenly into the hard taco shells and top with some of the cheese.  Chuck into the oven and bake for 2-3 minutes - remember your oven is at 450degrees - i.e. HOT - so the cheese will melt quick - don't forget about it!

I really enjoyed cleaning up this pan afterwards!!

Meanwhile and if you're fast, lay out the tortillas and coat with a decent layer of sour cream, even add some salsa and lettuce at this point.

Remove the tacos out of the oven and position on the top half of a prepared tortilla.  Fold over and yep - crispy chewy double tacos are served!   Does anyone remember these commercials?  Drop the chalupa. 

My tortillas were more "medium" in size, so needed to be wrapped around the taco!!

Slowcooker Beef & Vegetable Quinoa Soup

Today was another travelling day for me - 2 hours each way on the murderous Highway 2 from Red Deer to Spruce Grove!  I could seriously drive this route blind-folded, though I might take out a few fences approaching Century Road, but whatever.  Last night I had high hopes of prepping stuff for the crock-pot today, but I lost track of time IM'ing with my cousin, so guess what I was doing at 6am??

Here's my latest slow-cooker creation - really hearty soup which actually took just under 20 minutes to prep .  I've never put quinoa in the slowcooker so I was very curious to see how much it would explode over the course of the day, but am so happy to report that it stayed pretty much the same and just added it's delightful nutrition and that's it!  Oh - one thing, those little c-shaped quinoa membranes separate during the cooking, so just be mentally prepared for that - it's not tiny worms! 

Anyways - enjoy!

Slowcooker Beef & Vegetable Quinoa Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb beef stew meat
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
a couple sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp dried oregano (a fresh sprig would be better, but I only had the thyme in the fridge!)
1 large bay leaf
1 dried chili pepper
4 cups beef broth
1 tsp each of salt & pepper (fresh ground of course!)
1 large can diced tomatoes and juice
1 can Campbell's condensed Cream of Tomato Soup
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa

Method:
It just couldn't be easier: chuck all ingredients into the slowcooker, give a stir and set timer for 8 hours on low.

I added the quinoa in last b/c I didn't know if I was going to chance an
explosion until the very last second!  My "risk" taken turned out very good!!

Come home from work and serve it up!!  Optional: serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and some extra ground pepper.

Big chunks of meat so that the men forget it's healthy!

Herb & Wild Mushroom Crusted Beef Roast

Make a delicious roast in less than an hour??  Yep, totally do-able if you buy little quick-cooking mini roasts - even wallet-friendly roasts like eye of round roasts!  By searching a few sites on Alberta Beef, I came up with a recipe for a roast that would give me a nice woodsy crust and some delicious creamy gravy.  I used a bunch of dried mushrooms that I bought last year from Mo-Na Foods - check them out if you're in the Edmonton area - great selection and great prices!!

Herb & Wild Mushroom Crusted Beef Roast
Crust Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard (I used some of that lovely truffle dijon I used in the beef stew a couple of weeks ago)
1/2 sprig of rosemary - leaves plucked and ditch the stem
1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves removed
3 cloves garlic
1 large shallot
1 cup dried mushrooms
salt & pepper

1 - 1 1/2 lb eye of round beef roast

Gravy Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup beef stock
1tbsp + 2 tbsp hot water
2+  tbsp heavy cream (I used some of the devonshire cream I had left over from the turkey & leek pie)

Method:
Take roast out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350degrees.

In your mini food processor, combine the first 8 ingredients to form a thick chunky paste. 

Put the roast in a roaster and spread the paste over the top and sides of the roast.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, until your meat thermometer reads 140 degrees (this will give you medium rare).

Remove from oven and place roast on a cutting board; tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile get your gravy going.  In a small saute pan over medium heat, melt butter and cook chped onions until they are soft - add the onions to the roaster pan and add the broth.  Slowly over medium high heat, bring to a boil.  Make a paste out of the flour and water and add to the broth mixture.  Get it going to a boil and add the cream.  I strained the gravy to serve, but if you like a chunky gravy - skip that step!

Slice the roast against the grain & serve with the gravy.  I stored leftover meat slices with the gravy which will make a nice beef-dip sandwich for Todd tomorrow :)

Healthy Breakfast Sandwich!

I am always late for work.  Doesn't matter if I wake up at 6am or 730am - the outcome is always the same and I still roll into work around 830ish (start time is 815am).  Because of my attraction to time worm-holes, I've become a bit of an expert at "breakfast on the go."  My number one fave is oatmeal - just microwave it, dress it with agave syrup, almond milk & cinnamon, shove it in a to-go container and out the door.  Sometimes, when I'm on the positive side of the time-warp, I'll make Todd and I up some of the healthier version of an egg McMuffin (when Todd is actually consuming carbs!)

Here it is, it's pretty quick and easy:

Healthy Breakfast Sandwich
Ingredients:
1 whole wheat English muffin
1/4 cup Naturegg Simply Egg whites
2 tbsp grated cheddar
2 tbsp finely chopped spinach
1 tbsp salsa
salt & pepper
PAM or other non-stick cooking spray

Method:
Toast & butter the English Muffin, set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine egg whites, cheddar, spinach, salsa, salt & pepper. 

Prepare a microwave safe dish with the spray (either a special little egg cookery type dish or a little bowl that is going to give you a cooked egg about the same size of the English Muffin).  Pour in egg mixture, cover and microwave for 90-100 seconds. 

Place the egg on your muffin and voila!  Breakfast is served! 

Bird Seed Salad with Pomegranate

Way to go Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood - you've inspired another kick-ass meal at our house.  I flipped through my new favourite cookbook tonight after work and settled on page 50 which boasted a delicious recipe for Pomegranate, Almond & Feta Salad.  What I turned it in to was a bright and cheery warm salad - slightly modified and guided by ingredients I had on hand.  Check it out (bold words are the things I changed or added):

Bird Seed Salad with Pomegranate
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup mixed seed mix - I used the seed trail mix from Amaranth at the Enjoy Centre in St. Albert - it contains sunflower seeds, pepitas, cashews, almonds, a few other things, and dried cranberries!
2 cups spinach leaves
1/2 cup soft-ripened or goat cheese
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1 pomegranate, seeded
3 tbsp cranberry balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Cook the quinoa in the usual way; bring the broth and quinoa to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins, turn of the heat but leave on the burner for additional 4 minutes and you're done.

Meanwhile, roast your nuts/seeds in a 350degree oven for about 7-8 minutes.  While all this is happening, get the dressing ready: combine vinegar, oil, honey, dijon, poppy seeds and s&p.  Whisk until slightly thickened - set aside.

In your serving plates, start with spinach and top with cheese.

Sprinkle with shallots, quinoa, pomegranate seeds and toasted seeds.

nom nom nom

Top with dressing and enjoy!  Another super quick dinner!  For the record, I would love it if I ordered this salad in a restaurant and actually got something like this - Todd said the only thing missing was a chicken breast, so next time I make it for dinner, I think I would grill some chicken and marinate it with a the same dressing.

Chipotle Pork Chili

Wow - it seems like forever since I posted anything!!  Just getting into the busy holiday season, already putting together my baking and crafting lists - I cant wait to get into December!!  For dinner tonight,  I whipped up a quick chili with pork tenderloin - I love this recipe because it is healthy, low calorie, spicy and FAST!  This chili can be cooked up on a weeknight in under an hour.

Chipotle Pork Chili
Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp chipotle chili powder (use 1/2 this amt if your family isnt into spicy!)
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces
796mL can diced tomatoes
1 each: red bell pepper, green pepper, yellow pepper
large jalapeno pepper, chopped finely and divided in half
540mL can navy beans
1/4 cup cilantro, leaves and stems, chopped
Toppings:
sour cream
shredded cheddar
cilantro

Method:
In a large pot, heat oil over medium.  Add onion and garlic - sprinkle with the spices.  Saute until onions are soft - about 3 minutes.  Warning: sometimes the spices can start to get dried out - I have some water on hand and add a couple tbsp at a time to create a spice paste... almost like a curry!

Add the pork into the onion mixture and pour the tomatoes in (reserve the juice and add later if you think the chili is too thick, or add all the juice at the beginning if you dont mind a saucy chili!).  Scrape up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan and reduce heat to medium low.  Cover and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Stir in peppers, beans, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and cook for another 10 minutes.

 If you like spicy, add 1/2 of the chopped jalapeno at this time too.  While the chili is cooking, assemble the Topping Bar:

After cooking time is up, serve into bowls and get top with your faves!!

Tonight Erin and I did a bit of crafting for her Movember celebrations at her office - check out our moustaches (we hand sewed them from felt!)

Sausage Lentil Soup with Spinach

Yesterday I made a really quick delicious soup using all pantry items and fridge/freezer staples.  Cooks up quick and ready for the table in about an hour!  Check it out:

Sausage Lentil Soup with Spinach
Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
3 Italian sausages (hot or mild, depending on your families heat tolerance)
1 medium sided onion, diced
2 leeks, white part only, chopped fine
3 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped not minced
1 small can tomato paste
2 cups chopped baby spinach
1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
4 cups good quality chicken stock + 1 cup water
1 tsp ground coriander
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper to taste
parmesan petals for garnish

Method:

Heat a large, wide saucepan over medium. Add oil, then sausages. Brown sausages, turning occasionally, 4 to 6 min. Remove to a plate.

Add onion, leek, carrots and garlic to the same pan. Cook until onion starts to soften, about 3 min.

Meanwhile, thinly slice sausages. Stir in tomato paste, coriander, salt, sausages and any juices.

Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until flavour develops, 5 more min. Pour in chicken stock, pepper, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil. Stir in spinach and lentils and reduce heat to medium. Cover and gently boil, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. 

Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.  This soup also freezes really well - if you have any left-overs, freeze in individual gladwares and it's an easy lunch to go!!

Vegetable, Bean & Quinoa Soup

I've been on the road all week and tomorrow heading out for a 4 day vacay for the Okanagan Wine Festival!  So excited!  Needless to say, I have a billion things to do tonight (we're aiming to leave by 5:30am tomorrow!!) but I still feel like I need to do a quick post about the lovely soup I made tonight. 

I had received a complimentary copy of Chatelaine Magazine (they tell me that with a year's subscription, I can enjoy a free watch - whatever) they showed a recipe for Hearty Quinoa & Bean Soup.  Their recipe is vegan, so if you're interested, check it out - I switched it up a bit, so here's my non-vegan version:

Vegetable, Bean & Quinoa Soup
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced carrot
3 ripe tomatoes, pulsed through the food processor a few times
1 cup diced zucchini
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 red chilli pepper
1/3 cup dry quinoa
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup navy beans from a can, rinsed (freeze the rest for a another time)
2 cups spinach
salt & pepper to taste

Method:
In a large saucepan, head olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add carrot, garlic, cumin, coriander,salt, pepper, chilli pepper & quinoa.  Cook for another 2 more minutes - you'll smell the quinoa give off a nutty smell.  Pour in the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and add zucchini.  Simmer, partially covered, until the quinoa is cooked - about 15 minutes. 

Stir in the beans and the spinach and heat thru (about 2 more minutes).  Taste to see if you need more seasoning - top with a bit of shaved parmesan and serve immediately.

This was a super quick and filling dinner!  Stay tuned for some adventures from Wine Country!!