Nutty Greek Quinoa Toss

It's amazing how easily one can gain a few pounds when your metabolism takes a nose dive in your late thirties. I mean honestly, can't a girl go on a nice relaxing cruise and sit around all day long on the back of a ship's deck looking out at the cold, serene Alaskan waters with her feet up on a wicker chair and be surrounded constantly with pastries, cheeses and berry filled crepes at all hours of the day without gaining 8 stupid pounds?

Apparently not. *Sigh.






Well, if that weren't a bad enough set back on my never ending fight against belly bulge then the 12 hour road trip we took this last weekend to Utah with 4 kids certainly put the nail on the diet coffin. While we did bring along apples and healthy trail mix, they went so well with Twizzlers and chocolate covered raisins that we decided to buy some cookies to top it off. Perfectly reasonable right?


Now, how to lose those 10 pounds gained in 2 short weeks after I've been fighting to lose 20 since who the hell knows when?    *Double sigh, big fat pout.

Here's the back of the ship where my sweetie and I  loved to sit and relax..... and snack.... a lot.

Can you blame us? I mean really. Look at the view. And the weather was just so unbelievably cool and perfect compared to the miserable heat we are used to here in Phoenix.

We didn't spend  ALL  of our time on our butts stuffing our mouths.
We had some pretty amazing adventures too.
Here we are zip lining through the 200 foot tall trees in Ketchikan, AK.  

Me and my baby sister Rachel.

Did I mention that due to the glaciers that swept over the land many years ago, the soil is only 4-6" deep?
Did you catch that? That's INCHES, not feet.


We were swinging from super tall trees that are hanging on for their dear lives in soil that is too shallow to plant carrots in!


Smart.

And we took one frieking amazing, hold onto your hats fast bike ride 32 mies from Canada back to Skagway, AK. This was by far the highlight of my trip! The scenery was breath taking. 

So, how to fit back into my pants?




It's a good thing I discovered quinoa some time ago and shortly after figured out how to make it unbelievable delicious.

It's the feta. No, it's the toasted pine nuts. NO! It's the white balsamic vinaigrette.

O.K., all of these things plus the squeeze of lemon, freshness of the parsley and zip of the sweet peppers make this quinoa toss very addictive and satisfyng. My tummy thanks me.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 big handful grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 big handful sweet peppers minced
1 big handful parsley, minced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinaigrette
freshly cracked white pepper
squeeze fresh lemon juice



Put quinoa into a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly to remove natural 'soapy' film.  Cook according to package directions, usually 1:1 parts quinoa-water, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
If you please, toast pine nuts on a dry cast iron skillet until golden brown to bring out flavor.
Using a small food processor or knife, finely dice sweet peppers, garlic and parsley.
In a large bowl, toss together still warm quinoa, feta, peppers, parsley, pine nuts and tomatoes.
Drizzle in oil and vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Add lemon and pepper to taste.

Serve warm or chilled.

For dinner, we prefer the warm version where the feta is just slightly creamy and the flavors melt together.

Nutty Greek Quinoa Toss

Posted by admin

It's amazing how easily one can gain a few pounds when your metabolism takes a nose dive in your late thirties. I mean honestly, can't a girl go on a nice relaxing cruise and sit around all day long on the back of a ship's deck looking out at the cold, serene Alaskan waters with her feet up on a wicker chair and be surrounded constantly with pastries, cheeses and berry filled crepes at all hours of the day without gaining 8 stupid pounds?

Apparently not. *Sigh.






Well, if that weren't a bad enough set back on my never ending fight against belly bulge then the 12 hour road trip we took this last weekend to Utah with 4 kids certainly put the nail on the diet coffin. While we did bring along apples and healthy trail mix, they went so well with Twizzlers and chocolate covered raisins that we decided to buy some cookies to top it off. Perfectly reasonable right?


Now, how to lose those 10 pounds gained in 2 short weeks after I've been fighting to lose 20 since who the hell knows when?    *Double sigh, big fat pout.

Here's the back of the ship where my sweetie and I  loved to sit and relax..... and snack.... a lot.

Can you blame us? I mean really. Look at the view. And the weather was just so unbelievably cool and perfect compared to the miserable heat we are used to here in Phoenix.

We didn't spend  ALL  of our time on our butts stuffing our mouths.
We had some pretty amazing adventures too.
Here we are zip lining through the 200 foot tall trees in Ketchikan, AK.  

Me and my baby sister Rachel.

Did I mention that due to the glaciers that swept over the land many years ago, the soil is only 4-6" deep?
Did you catch that? That's INCHES, not feet.


We were swinging from super tall trees that are hanging on for their dear lives in soil that is too shallow to plant carrots in!


Smart.

And we took one frieking amazing, hold onto your hats fast bike ride 32 mies from Canada back to Skagway, AK. This was by far the highlight of my trip! The scenery was breath taking. 

So, how to fit back into my pants?




It's a good thing I discovered quinoa some time ago and shortly after figured out how to make it unbelievable delicious.

It's the feta. No, it's the toasted pine nuts. NO! It's the white balsamic vinaigrette.

O.K., all of these things plus the squeeze of lemon, freshness of the parsley and zip of the sweet peppers make this quinoa toss very addictive and satisfyng. My tummy thanks me.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 big handful grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 big handful sweet peppers minced
1 big handful parsley, minced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinaigrette
freshly cracked white pepper
squeeze fresh lemon juice



Put quinoa into a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly to remove natural 'soapy' film.  Cook according to package directions, usually 1:1 parts quinoa-water, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
If you please, toast pine nuts on a dry cast iron skillet until golden brown to bring out flavor.
Using a small food processor or knife, finely dice sweet peppers, garlic and parsley.
In a large bowl, toss together still warm quinoa, feta, peppers, parsley, pine nuts and tomatoes.
Drizzle in oil and vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Add lemon and pepper to taste.

Serve warm or chilled.

For dinner, we prefer the warm version where the feta is just slightly creamy and the flavors melt together.

Spinach Pesto Pasta

Pesto is one of my favorite things to kick up a boring dish. It's simple and versatile and deliciously healthy. Typically basil is used but did you know you can use other greens like spinach, kale or even carrot tops? Basil is growing like crazy in my garden right now but I chose a big handful or two of baby spinach and then tossed in a few basil leaves to tone down the pungent flavor so that my kids would eat it.

It worked, score! My kids willingly ate a big bowl of spinach and were none the wiser.

I think it's important to serve a variety of colors and textures to your kids so that they get used to trying new things and have a balanced, healthy diet. Green is usually the hardest color to get my kids to eat, especially if it's not served in a typical fashion, like this pasta. They love salad and broccoli but will turn there noses up if I put collard greens in soup or kale in pasta. I keep at it though because I'm very attached to my leafy greens and am holding on to the hope that my kids will eventually get over there unwarranted loathing for them.

This pesto whips up in just a couple of minutes and can be used in pasta, as a dip on top of crusty bread 

layered with fresh tomatoes or on top of baked fish. The raw garlic is a healthy addition and adds a pop of spiciness to the pasta, I add several cloves but if you haven't built up a tolerance for loads of garlic like me, start with just one clove. Don't forget the Parmesan, it really goes well with pesto.

I like using rotini pasta because it holds the pesto well.

Ingredients:

1 box of rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 big handfuls of baby spinach

1 small handful of fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

1-3 cloves of garlic

2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt (preferably Himalayan pink sea salt)

Put spinach, basil, nuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse till smooth while drizzling in olive oil. Add a bit of water if needed to desired consistency. Add salt and pulse till combined.

Toss pesto with the cooked pasta. Serve warm, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

What are you planning on making for dinner during the hot summer months?

Spinach Pesto Pasta

Posted by admin

Pesto is one of my favorite things to kick up a boring dish. It's simple and versatile and deliciously healthy. Typically basil is used but did you know you can use other greens like spinach, kale or even carrot tops? Basil is growing like crazy in my garden right now but I chose a big handful or two of baby spinach and then tossed in a few basil leaves to tone down the pungent flavor so that my kids would eat it.

It worked, score! My kids willingly ate a big bowl of spinach and were none the wiser.

I think it's important to serve a variety of colors and textures to your kids so that they get used to trying new things and have a balanced, healthy diet. Green is usually the hardest color to get my kids to eat, especially if it's not served in a typical fashion, like this pasta. They love salad and broccoli but will turn there noses up if I put collard greens in soup or kale in pasta. I keep at it though because I'm very attached to my leafy greens and am holding on to the hope that my kids will eventually get over there unwarranted loathing for them.

This pesto whips up in just a couple of minutes and can be used in pasta, as a dip on top of crusty bread 

layered with fresh tomatoes or on top of baked fish. The raw garlic is a healthy addition and adds a pop of spiciness to the pasta, I add several cloves but if you haven't built up a tolerance for loads of garlic like me, start with just one clove. Don't forget the Parmesan, it really goes well with pesto.

I like using rotini pasta because it holds the pesto well.

Ingredients:

1 box of rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 big handfuls of baby spinach

1 small handful of fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

1-3 cloves of garlic

2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt (preferably Himalayan pink sea salt)

Put spinach, basil, nuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse till smooth while drizzling in olive oil. Add a bit of water if needed to desired consistency. Add salt and pulse till combined.

Toss pesto with the cooked pasta. Serve warm, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

What are you planning on making for dinner during the hot summer months?

Baked Orange Roughy with Chopped Basil Pesto Crust

I got this recipe from here.  Kaylen's kitchen has many wonderful recipes I can't wait to try. I'm so upset that my pictures don't do it justice. It was THE best fish recipe I have ever had, and I love fish! This pesto crust was so wonderful. Not overpowering at all. The pine nuts and parmesean cheese just melt in your mouth. My kids all loved this too! Score! I will be making this one often. Thanks Kaylen!

The mild flavor of Orange Roughy or Tilapia make them great choices for those who don't like the "fishy" taste of fish ;-)

You Will Need:

4 white fish fillets, about 6 oz. each

1/3 cup  pine nuts

1/4  cup Parmesan Cheese

1 TBSP  finely minced garlic (2 cloves)

1/4  cup chopped fresh basil

1 TBSP EVOO

Putting it all together:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F Spray individual casserole dishes with non-stick spray or olive oil (use one large casserole dish if you don't have individual ones.) Remove the fish fillets from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature while the oven reheats. (Having the fish at room temperature is very important or it won't cook before the crust topping gets too brown.) Just don't let it sit out for more than 20 minutes for health safety reasons.

Use a large chef's knife to finely chop the pine nuts and mince the garlic.

Mix together chopped pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, finely chopped basil, and EVOO.

Spread  the crust mixture evenly over the surface of each fish fillet.

Bake fish 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness and type of fish you use. For instance, Tilapia will take less time than Halibut. I like to use Orange Roughy, it takes about 13 minutes.  Fish is done as soon as it flakes off easily with a fork. Don't over cook or it will be dry.  Serve hot

Baked Orange Roughy with Chopped Basil Pesto Crust

Posted by admin

I got this recipe from here.  Kaylen's kitchen has many wonderful recipes I can't wait to try. I'm so upset that my pictures don't do it justice. It was THE best fish recipe I have ever had, and I love fish! This pesto crust was so wonderful. Not overpowering at all. The pine nuts and parmesean cheese just melt in your mouth. My kids all loved this too! Score! I will be making this one often. Thanks Kaylen!

The mild flavor of Orange Roughy or Tilapia make them great choices for those who don't like the "fishy" taste of fish ;-)

You Will Need:

4 white fish fillets, about 6 oz. each

1/3 cup  pine nuts

1/4  cup Parmesan Cheese

1 TBSP  finely minced garlic (2 cloves)

1/4  cup chopped fresh basil

1 TBSP EVOO

Putting it all together:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F Spray individual casserole dishes with non-stick spray or olive oil (use one large casserole dish if you don't have individual ones.) Remove the fish fillets from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature while the oven reheats. (Having the fish at room temperature is very important or it won't cook before the crust topping gets too brown.) Just don't let it sit out for more than 20 minutes for health safety reasons.

Use a large chef's knife to finely chop the pine nuts and mince the garlic.

Mix together chopped pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, finely chopped basil, and EVOO.

Spread  the crust mixture evenly over the surface of each fish fillet.

Bake fish 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness and type of fish you use. For instance, Tilapia will take less time than Halibut. I like to use Orange Roughy, it takes about 13 minutes.  Fish is done as soon as it flakes off easily with a fork. Don't over cook or it will be dry.  Serve hot

Tart Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Oh, I have a weakness for beautiful vegetables! Swiss chard takes the prize! Actually, swiss chard comes in red and yellow varieties. I love the red simply because it's so pretty. They taste the same, so either will do. 
I really hope that I can get people to get out of their vegetable rut and try new ones. It really is the main reason why I started this blog. After being asked for the millionth time by grocery checkers what the names of over half of my veggies were and what I did with them, I felt the need to get the word out however I could. Blogging is one of the ways I hope to spread the love. It certainly is a fun, creative outlet for me anyway!


So, the biggest misconception I hope to get rid of when it comes to the lesser known veggies is that they are harder to cook. NOT TRUE!!! Swiss chard for example is as easy to cook as spinach or broccoli and takes about 8 minutes total time.


The second thing I hope to change is the thought " I don't know what to do with "swiss chard....collard greens...fennel... etc." and that is where this blog comes in. I'll give you some ideas, and you can take it from there! Now you know how simple it is to cook new veggies! You never know what you've been missing until you try something new! Swiss Chard is DELICIOUS! I promise.

TIME  10 MINUTES   SERVES   6  


You will need:


2 bunches Swiss Chard


1 lemon


1 medium yellow onion


1/2 cup golden raisins


1/2 cup pine nuts


1 TBSP grapeseed oil  (or evoo. however, evoo doesn't have as high of a smoke point as grapeseed oil so it's not so great to sautee with. )


1/2 + 1/2 cup water




To Prepare:

Rinse Swiss Chard very well. Tear leaves from stems. Chop stems and leaves and keep seperated. The stems take longer to cook and you don't want soggy, slimy leaves. In a shallow saute pan, preferably metal, not non-stick (it will carmelize as apposed to steam) heat oil over med-high heat. Add chopped onions and chard stems, sautee for 1-2 minutes. Add juice from 1 lemon and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for about 2 more minutes. Don't overcook! Stir in chard leaves and raisins adding more water a little at atime if needed.

In a seperate pan, toast pine nuts over med-high heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Do not use oil!


Transfer Chard to a serving bowl and sprinkle with pine nuts. I eat this by itself for a light dinner. It also goes great with grilled chicken or pork chops. Enjoy!

Print this recipe

Tart Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Posted by admin

Oh, I have a weakness for beautiful vegetables! Swiss chard takes the prize! Actually, swiss chard comes in red and yellow varieties. I love the red simply because it's so pretty. They taste the same, so either will do. 
I really hope that I can get people to get out of their vegetable rut and try new ones. It really is the main reason why I started this blog. After being asked for the millionth time by grocery checkers what the names of over half of my veggies were and what I did with them, I felt the need to get the word out however I could. Blogging is one of the ways I hope to spread the love. It certainly is a fun, creative outlet for me anyway!


So, the biggest misconception I hope to get rid of when it comes to the lesser known veggies is that they are harder to cook. NOT TRUE!!! Swiss chard for example is as easy to cook as spinach or broccoli and takes about 8 minutes total time.


The second thing I hope to change is the thought " I don't know what to do with "swiss chard....collard greens...fennel... etc." and that is where this blog comes in. I'll give you some ideas, and you can take it from there! Now you know how simple it is to cook new veggies! You never know what you've been missing until you try something new! Swiss Chard is DELICIOUS! I promise.

TIME  10 MINUTES   SERVES   6  


You will need:


2 bunches Swiss Chard


1 lemon


1 medium yellow onion


1/2 cup golden raisins


1/2 cup pine nuts


1 TBSP grapeseed oil  (or evoo. however, evoo doesn't have as high of a smoke point as grapeseed oil so it's not so great to sautee with. )


1/2 + 1/2 cup water




To Prepare:

Rinse Swiss Chard very well. Tear leaves from stems. Chop stems and leaves and keep seperated. The stems take longer to cook and you don't want soggy, slimy leaves. In a shallow saute pan, preferably metal, not non-stick (it will carmelize as apposed to steam) heat oil over med-high heat. Add chopped onions and chard stems, sautee for 1-2 minutes. Add juice from 1 lemon and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for about 2 more minutes. Don't overcook! Stir in chard leaves and raisins adding more water a little at atime if needed.

In a seperate pan, toast pine nuts over med-high heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Do not use oil!


Transfer Chard to a serving bowl and sprinkle with pine nuts. I eat this by itself for a light dinner. It also goes great with grilled chicken or pork chops. Enjoy!

Print this recipe

Caprese Salad

So simple. It only looks complicated because it's beautiful.

1. Little tub of marinated mozzarella

2. Camparini tomatoes (small, warm and still on the vine.... while I wait for my tomatoes to grow.)

3. Basil from your little potted herb garden that I inspired you to grow.

4. Pine nuts to sprinkle over the top.

5. Aged balsamic vinegar ( if it's not aged, they add extra sugar to make it taste aged. Should be 3 grams of sugar or less, many contain up to 8 grams!.... I'm here for you people.)

5. Quick chop of the tomatoes and basil. Artful drizzle of the balsamic vinegar and elegant sprinkling of the pine nuts.

Voila! It is as beautiful as it is delicioso!

Caprese Salad

Posted by admin

So simple. It only looks complicated because it's beautiful.

1. Little tub of marinated mozzarella

2. Camparini tomatoes (small, warm and still on the vine.... while I wait for my tomatoes to grow.)

3. Basil from your little potted herb garden that I inspired you to grow.

4. Pine nuts to sprinkle over the top.

5. Aged balsamic vinegar ( if it's not aged, they add extra sugar to make it taste aged. Should be 3 grams of sugar or less, many contain up to 8 grams!.... I'm here for you people.)

5. Quick chop of the tomatoes and basil. Artful drizzle of the balsamic vinegar and elegant sprinkling of the pine nuts.

Voila! It is as beautiful as it is delicioso!