Quinoa Fried Rice

Made this with my sister Kat and I think it is another one you could bulk up on, make a double batch and eat for the week.  Super easy and fast, and you can cook your quinoa in advance and then throw it all together.

Quinoa Fried Rice
1-2 T. oil whatever you prefer
cooked quinoa (maybe 2 C or more?)
frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, green beans, lima beans, whatever)
one packet of fried rice seasoning
2 T. soy sauce (to taste)
1-2 eggs
grilled chicken, optional

I cooked the quinoa in the rice cooker (cook the same way as rice) and added the cold quinoa to the wok with just a touch of oil. Stir it around, add the (microwaved and drained) veggies and seasoning.  Push to the side, scramble the eggs and then mix all together.

I thought it was excellent as is but some chicken would have made it even better.  Yummy and so healthy.

Sangria

So my girlfriend Nicole makes this amazing Sangria.  I am embarrassed to admit that I may have forgotten my manners at least once by drinking WAY more than my share of this stuff, but she still invites me over when she makes it so I guess I am forgiven. :-)

Nicole spent a summer in Spain and said that they use canned fruit cocktail juice to sweeten their Sangria.  She hasn't tested it as of yet so I am sticking with her original recipe because its my favorite. I've also had good Sangria at restaurants but definitely NOT fresh out of a wine-looking bottle, I dumped that whole thing down the drain.

Sangria

1.5 L (128 oz) Burgundy (cheap red wine, not sure if even Two Buck Chuck would work here)

4 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec

4 oz Brandy
1 large can of fruit cocktail

Fresh fruit (fresh oranges, lemons, apples but whatever you have should be OK)

Sprite to almost fill the jug and to sweeten (or fruit cocktail or simple syrup) 

Quick Turkey Quinoa Taco Stew

My sister Kat made this last weekend for me.  It took about 30 minutes start to finish and was so good that after having two servings for dinner, I had it for breakfast the next day too.  Clocks in at about 270 calories per cup (before the cheese avalanche that I add) and SO satisfying.  My plan is to make this on Sunday's and dish it out for my Monday-Thursday lunches.  Here is the original link.

Quick Turkey Quinoa Taco Stew
small onion, diced
ground turkey (recipe says 8 oz but I think we used 16)
1 medium zucchini (might be able to do 2)
1 sweet bell pepper (red, yellow or orange, might be able to do 2)
1 package of taco seasoning*
1 can (15 oz) tomatoes with chiles (Rotel)
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained** (might be able to do 2 cans)
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth (or beef or veggie)
1 C. quinoa, rinsed
1 Tbsp. lime juice
shredded cheddar, optional (as if)

Cook the turkey with onion over medium heat.  Add zucchini, peppers and taco seasoning.  Stir to coat all the veggies with spices.  Add beans, diced tomatoes, broth and quinoa.  Turn up to high heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa soaks up most of the liquid.  Stir in lime juice and serve!

* Make your own taco seasoning with this link
** You can use any beans you like or have, black, pinto, garbanzo, etc.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I do love pumpkin, especially in the fall.  And so naturally, I love pumpkin baked goods- muffins, breads, cookies, etc.  Here's what I don't like: the cakey texture that most pumpkin cookies seem to take on.  So I found a recipe for them that promised not to be cakey but instead, the chewy, gooey typical cookie texture that I adore.  Here is the original recipe but I like to have my own ingredient list ready to access any time, so I am copying it below as well.  Kinda neat that this recipe doesn't have any eggs, too.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, unsalted, melted
1/4 C. light brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
6 T. pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie)
1-1/2 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking sode
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, if you have it, no biggie if not
1/2 C. chocolate chips

Cream the melted butter and sugars.  Add dry ingredients.  Dough will be very soft.  Fold in the chocolate chips, which might not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but it'll be OK.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes minimum, or up to 3 days.

Preheat to 350 and drop by rounded (two) tablespoons onto cookie sheet.  I did roll these into balls, then pressed down slightly so they would cook down very pretty, and it worked.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, taking them out before they look done.  You can flatten them now if you need to as well.  Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.

The author of this recipe says to let them sit for at least an hour before serving, and that the chewiness and pumpkin flavor is even better on Day 2.  Not sure if that is true as there were no survivors through the night.  This is definitely one I will make again.

Kettle (or Regular) Stove Top Popcorn

A friend had a Bunco night get together a couple of weeks ago, and all the ladies brought a snack to share.  Imagine my amazement when one lady walked in with what looked like still hot, fresh from the Farmer's Market kettle corn!  We all swarmed in on her and got her to share the ultra-easy secret recipe:

Homemade Kettle Corn
1/3 C. olive oil*
1/3 C. white sugar
1/2 C. popcorn kernels

Heat up the oil and sugar and throw in ONE popcorn kernel and wait for it to pop.  Once it does, add the rest, cover with a lid (that isn't too tight) and shake vigorously until the popping slows down.  Make sure you use a BIG pot and crack the lid some so that some steam can get out, but watch out because it is HOT and sometimes those kernels get out too.  Takes about five minutes, start to finish, give or take.

She said she has a "Whirly Pop" cooking pot with a crank on it that makes it really easy.  They look to be about $20 at Bed, Bath and Beyond so I may ask Santa for one this year.

Kate swears that she prefers "regular" popcorn so you do it basically the same way, minus the sugar.

My sister-in-law Amber said she read something that said microwave popcorn is one of the very worst things you can eat, and this is so easy, that I might be done with the stuff!  Give it a try!