Quinoa Edamame Salad

I have made this a few times, just haven't had time to post the recipe.  The original recipe can be found at The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I did tweak it and below is what I do.

2 cups uncooked quinoa
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup celery, sliced
1 small bag of frozen corn, thawed under warm water
1 (15-oz) can chick peasbeans, rinsed and drained
1 heaping cup dried cranberries
1 (12-oz) package edamame, cooked and shelled
2 red bell peppers, diced (or you can use any color)
1 cup sliced almonds (or any nut you like)
3 Tablespoons olive oil (more or less to taste)
5 Tablespoons lime juice (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste


Add the quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, turn the heat down to low and cover. Cook for 15-20 or until done. Transfer to a cookie sheet that has been lightly oiled with olive oil and fluff with a fork.  Spread it out to let it cool faster.

I do like to roast my chick peas and edamame for better flavor.

Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I like to portion this out into small plastic containers.  This makes 12 cups.

Herby Roast Chicken with Onion Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Since it was Potterhead weekend on ABC Family, Miss V picked out a yummy recipe from her Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.

For the Chicken

1 medium onion
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 3-pound chicken
2 Tbsp softened butter or margarine
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp ground sage
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup water

For the potatoes
2 1/2 lbs (about 6) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup vegetable oil (subbed unsalted butter melted)
1 cup chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lay the onion slices and garlic cloves in a baking dish. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Mix the butter or margarine with the thyme, sage and parsley and spread it under the skin of the breasts and thighs; you will need to loosen the skin first by lifting up the flap of skin and sliding your fingers under it. Lay the chicken in the pan, breast-side up, on top of the onions and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the pan.

Bake for 50 minutes. Rotate the pan, raise the temperature to 450 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 170 degrees.

While the chicken is roasting, prepare the mashed potatoes. Cover the potatoes with water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a skillet and add the onions. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat.

Drain the potatoes. Add the onion-garlic mixture, 1/2 cup oil (subbed unsalted butter), chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher.

Now....unfortunately when we went out shopping at Walmart after lunch, they did not have a single whole chicken.  So....we picked up a rotisserie chicken.  Next time I go grocery shopping I will pick up a whole chicken so that Miss V can try the herby chicken.  She was very disappointed.

The potatoes were pretty good!  I think next time we will make them with russets though.  I like a really starchy potato for mashed potatoes.

Order of the Phoenix Dinner and Movie

Miss V has been asking for a long time to have another dinner and movie night.  She got out her Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and decided on her menu.

She picked out Molly's Meatballs with Onion Sauce, Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and Buttered Peas.  For dessert she picked out Triple Strawberry Burst Sundaes from Florean Fortescue.

Meatballs
1 lb. Extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup fresh or dry bread crumbs
1 Large egg
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 Tablespoons oil

Onion Sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 14-ounce can chicken broth

For the meatballs, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a skillet. From the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, and working in batches, fry the balls on each side until well browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a dinner plate.

For the Onion Sauce, add 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and heat. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the flour, and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or wide egg noodles. (Serves 6)

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

6 Idaho or russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.), peeled and quartered
1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 25 minutes or until the potatoes break apart when pierced with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes. Add the butter, milk, salt, and black pepper. Mash with a potato masher until the potatoes are light and fluffy. (serves 4)

Buttered Peas

1 pound frozen peas
1 cup water
1/2 tsp sale
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs granulated sugar

Thaw the peas in the microwave and place into a small sauce pan.  (The cookbook wants you to boil and drain and I think that loses a lot of the nutrition.)

Add salt, pepper, butter, and sugar. Stir until the butter melts and is well combined. Serve hot.

Triple Strawberry Burst Sundae

Place 1 scoop of strawberry ice cream in a dish/sundae glass. Cover with chopped fresh strawberries and strawberry syrup. Repeat layering once if desired.  We even bought three little sundae dishes at Walmart.

The meal and dessert were very yummy!

Roasted Edamame and Quinoa Salad

I kind of put a couple different summery salads together in my head this morning and came up with this.

16 oz frozen, shelled, edamame
1 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
3 green onions, sliced
1 can Chick Peas rinsed and drained
Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Pepper

1 red sweet bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cup cooked, cooled quinoa

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of Franks Red Hot

Preheat oven to 425.

On a baking sheet place the Edamame, Corn, Green Onions and Chick Peas.  Drizzle a little olive oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.  Stirring every 10 minutes.  The chick peas will start to crisp and the Edamame will get brown spots.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

In a bowl combine the roasted veggies, red bell pepper and the quinoa.

In a small bowl combine the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad mixture.  Stir to combine.  Place in the fridge for a couple hours to allow the flavors to blend.

I did cheat and eat some right away and it was FABULOUS!

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

Yesterday I needed to bake up an acorn squash and wanted something different.  Usually I make it with butter, honey and cinnamon.

Well I found a great recipe from Sunny Anderson on Food Network.  I halved the recipe since I only had one squash.

1 acorn squash, sliced in 1/2, seeds removed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (love using fresh)
Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Assemble acorn squash on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of butter and brown sugar in each half. Add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg in each and season with salt. Bake until golden and tender, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, basting flesh of squash several times.

Mine only took about 50 minutes and they were perfectly roasted.

I really enjoyed this and definitely make this again.

Orzo with Roasted Chickpeas

I pinned this recipe recently and you can find the original at Garnish with a Lemon.

1½ cups dried orzo
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
3 – 4 tablespoons dried parsley
4 ounces Feta Cheese (or more to taste), crumbled
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare orzo according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water if not serving immediately.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

Add chickpeas and stir to combine. Spread coated chickpeas on a baking sheet and roast for 25-35 minutes, until they are golden and crunchy. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder and parsley. Add the orzo and chickpeas beans and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the Feta Cheese.

Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

 This was really good and even better this morning.

Garlic Herb Croutons

2 French baguette (about 12 ounces), preferably day-old, cut into 1/2-inch dice or you may use Cuban Bread

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs Dried Italian Herbs
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A couple of Garlic cloves peeled and smashed

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan and add garlic.  Let simmer until you smell the garlic.  Make sure to not to over heat the oil and burn the garlic.  I simmered it about 15 minutes then removed the pan from the heat and allowed to cool for 15 minutes.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and toss quickly to coat the croutons well.

Transfer the croutons to two baking sheets and spread them out in a single layer. You may add a bit more oil and seasonings.

Bake, rotating the baking sheet front to back midway through, until crisp all the way through and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yield: About 8 cups

 

 

 

Serve on top of your favorite tossed salad.

 

Baha Black Beans

Another recipe from Pinterest.  The original recipe can be found at Food.com.

6 cups cooked brown rice
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
4 fresh tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 dashes hot sauce

Directions:

Cook brown rice.

In a medium bowl, combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, oil, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Mix in the cooked rice and season to taste again.

This was pretty good, but I think I would like to add some cumin next time.  This make a HUGE batch.

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

I saw this idea on Pinterest and Facebook the other day  You can find the recipe at Black Jack Bake House.  Luckily we picked up some zucchini the other day.

1 lb. zucchini or squash (about 2 medium-sized)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan (heaping)
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (heaping)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray lightly with vegetable spray.
Slice zucchini or squash into 1/4 inch-thick rounds. Toss rounds with oil, coating well.

In a wide bowl or plate, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt and pepper.

Place rounds in parmesan-breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere.

The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side.

Place rounds in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over the rounds.

These were pretty good! 

Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

On Saturday we decided to do fun family things instead of yard work.  We went to a produce stand called Grant's Produce in Nokomis.  It was a great little stand.  Miss V picked up a bunch of little red potatoes.

Last night I made a recipe from Pinterest called Rosemary Smashed Potatoes, it comes from Paula Deen and can be found on her site.

3 pounds small red potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

 

Preheat oven to 375º. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place potatoes in a stockpot. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds, stirring once.

Place potatoes on prepared pan. Using the bottom of a drinking glass or small bowl, carefully flatten potatoes until they are about ¾ inch thick. Drizzle with olive oil mixture, and sprinkle with salt.

 As you can see mine didn't smash so well.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

We had these with grilled Italian Sausage and salad.  They were pretty good, but I did cook them a bit longer since they didn't look very crispy.

Fried Rice

Here is the fried rice recipe that goes along with the Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken.  The recipe is also from Life as a Lofthouse.

3 cups cooked white rice (I made the rice early this morning)

3 tbs sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
1 small onion, diced
2 tsp minced garlic (I didn't have any so I had to use garlic powder)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

On medium high heat, heat the oil in a wok or in my case the electric griddle. Add the peas and carrots mix, onion and garlic powder. Cook until tender.

Lower the heat to medium low and move the mixture to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of griddle and cook until scrambled and dry.

Next add the rice and soy sauce and stir/toss all together.

Cook until heated through.

 

Sharing this recipe here:

Melt in Your Mouth Monday #98

Light Seasoned Broiled Chicken Drumsticks

So last night we had another Dinner & Movie night.  We watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone.  This recipe also came from the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. 

1 Pound Drumsticks, I used 2 pounds so we could have some leftovers
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic minced

Wash Drumsticks and pat them dry.

Whisk together the oil and seasonings.

Coat the drumsticks with the oil mixture and place onto a broiler pan.

Broil for 10 minutes on each side until crisp and golden.  (I just roasted them at 425 and turned them a couple times and basted them with the extra oil mixture).

I served them with Butter Peas which also comes from the same cookbook.

1 pound frozen peas
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbs butter
1 tbs granulated sugar

Combine the peas and water in a small pot and bring them to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Drain the peas and return them to the small pot.

Add the salt, pepper, butter and sugar.  Toss until the butter melts and is well combined.

Miss V cracked up when Ron was gobbling down the drumsticks on TV.