Quinoa, Almond and Orange Salad

Quinoa, Almond and Orange Salad

My favorite quinoa recipe to date.  I love the warmth of the cumin and the cool of the parsley.  

1 cup quinoa

1 cup plus 1 T orange juice, divided (can be from concentrate)

2 large oranges, peeled and cut into membrane-free segments (or a large can of drained mandarin oranges)

1 teaspoon orange zest (if you have it)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 T olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup parsley (or cilantro), chopped

1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water (if not pre-rinsed). Drain and combine with 1 cup water and 1 cup orange juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; immediately reduce heat, cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. (I just toss it all into my rice cooker, works like a charm.)

2. Meanwhile, place the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and very lightly toasted. Set aside. Mix together 1 T orange juice, olive oil, spices and orange segments.

3. Combine the cooked quinoa, oranges and spices, toasted nuts, dressing and parsley/cilantro and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4 generous servings

Modified from: http://asweetandsavorylife.com/quinoa-almond-and-orange-salad/

Ranch Seasoning

If you're like me, you like being able to pronounce the ingredients in your food.  Ranch seasoning without the preservatives (or dairy)!  And we like it better than the brand name.

Ranch Flavor Mix
1/2 c dry buttermilk (optional)
1 T parsley flakes
1 t dill weed
1 t onion powder
1 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t ground pepper

This is equivalent to a single packet, or about 3 T of seasoning.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Zesty Coleslaw

The sweet of crushed pineapple combined with the zest of horseradish!  After a dinner date at Famous Dave's, my husband made a special request - copy their coleslaw!  My husband, the self-proclaimed coleslaw hater (and horseradish lover), LOVES this recipe.  I hope you do too.

Sweet and Zesty Coleslaw  

1 bag shredded cabbage for coleslaw

1 c shredded carrots

20oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Sauce:

1 c mayo

1/2 c sugar

3 T prepared horseradish (from a jar, with as few ingredients as possible - horseradish, vinegar, water should be about it)

1 t dijon mustard (I like Trader Joe's)

1 t ground white pepper

1/2 t salt

1/2 t celery seed

1/4 t garlic powder

In a large bowl, combine sauce ingredients and blend well.  Stir in cabbage, carrots and pineapple.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, stir before serving.  

Serves 10-12.   

Tricky Water

This is how I trick myself into drinking tap water... Yummy citrusy ice cubes.  So fancy, but so easy!

Start by slicing up the citrus of your choice.  I am picky.  Heirloom naval orange are a-mazing.  And when I can't get my hands on some Meyer lemons, organic lemons are the next best thing - sweeter than just any ol' lemon.  Or you can use a whole cranberry, sliced grapes, edible flowers... the options are as varied as your taste. 

Pop that little bit of flavor into an old fashioned ice cube tray. Fill with tap water and freeze.
When the cubes are frozen, put them in a zip top freezer bag and enjoy at your leisure. I like to put 2-3 in my reusable water bottle. I even have a bag stashed in the work freezer!

They're especially fancy with some orange juice and lemon-lime soda in a punch bowl at a party! 

Mandarin Orange Coffee Cake

I love mandarin oranges!  (They're especially yummy when stowed in the ice chest on a camping trip). So when I had them baked on top of a delicate coffee cake I had to have the recipe.  I snagged this one from a co-worker's wife over a decade ago - and have yet to see anyone else bring a similar dish to the table.  Now you're in the know!

Mandarin Orange Coffee Cake
350F, 40-45 minutes in a 9x9 square pan, greased and floured
(I use the wrapper from the stick of butter and rub it all over the inside of the pan to grease it.)

2 15oz cans mandarin oranges, drained (in light syrup or in juice recommended)
2 c all purpose flour
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter (1 stick, salted)
2-1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt (I like kosher sea salt, reduce to 3/4 t if using regular iodized table salt)
3/4 c milk
1 t vanilla
1 large egg
1 t cinnamon, divided
1/2 t nutmeg

Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter.  Reserve 1/2-3/4 cup of these crumbs for topping.  To remainder of flour mix add baking powder, salt, and 1/2 t cinnamon.  Mix together wet ingredients and combine with dry.  Blend/stir until light and smooth.

Spread in greased and floured pan and top with mandarin oranges in rows, try to think of how you'll be cutting the cake and line them up appropriately.  You might have some leftover oranges (you're welcome).

To the reserved crumbs, add 1/2 t cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle on top of oranges.

Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Serve hot or cooled.  Makes 9-12 slices, depending on how you cut.

I love having serving dishes that match up to my baking dishes.  I bought this square one just for my 9" square baking pan.  It always looks so pretty to fill it with matching goodies!  I even store them together in the same cabinet and pull them out at the same time when I bake.

Favorite Pilaf

I love pilaf. I happily credit my Grandma Rose for this love affair. She made hers from scratch; this is as close as I have ever tasted from a mix.

Start with Trader Joe's Rice Orzo Pilaf Mix and add a 1/4 c Israeli Couscous.
Increase water to 2-1/3 c. otherwise, prepare as directed.

This makes an excellent side for chicken, steak, salmon... yeah, anything really. Tonight it's fish sticks.  One pot, 25 minutes, tah-dah! Dinner!

Hope you enjoy as much as we do.  And ask your Grandmothers and Aunts and dear ones for their recipes. You'll miss more than hearing their voice when they're gone.

Fun with Dr. Seuss

It is our dear Dr. Thodore Seuss Geisel's birthday and Alex's school celebrated with a week of fun activities!  I joined in the fun... call it a perfect storm of my love of feeding people, and my love of all things Seuss.

We made Green Eggs and (Bacon)... if anyone has a suggestion for the ham, without having to mold chocolate or play with marzipan, please chime in.  I thought about spray food coloring Bugles, but they still weren't quite right.  And these are just TOO cute (and easy)!  Melted white chocolate, green mini M&M's, and small stick pretzels.

Then, for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish - snack cups with Sweedish Fish on top.  Super easy and lots of fun.  Alex got to help stir the gelatin and put the fish on top.  I used Glad Press and Seal over each cup and transported them in 12-muffin tins with a small cookie sheet between each layer, in an insulated grocery sack.  Ice pack on top, zip-top baggie full of spoons... worked like a charm.

For 24 Red Fish Cups:
24 10oz clear plastic cups
1 8oz package Sweedish Fish
6 3oz package Berry Blue gelatin dessert, prepared as directed.
1/2 c measuring cup (for dispensing into cups)




Did you know that Dr. Theodore Seuss Geisel was married to Helen Palmer (A Fish Out of Water)?  And that they worked together with P.D. Eastman on the book Go Dog, Go!  Amazing to think of that think-tank of children's authors!

Now, go read a book!

Chocolate Mousse

Is there anything better than chocolate cake with a thick, creamy layer of chocolate mousse?  I think not.  Costco does a smashing job of it, but they have limited designs.  My Alex wanted a rocket for his 6th birthday.  Not just a rocket decoration, a cake the shape of a rocket.  And I would not disappoint.  I considered buying one, completely devoid of decoration, shaping it and trying to put it back together.  Yeah.  You can see the possibility for disaster there too, 'eh?

So I'll make one all myself!  Thankfully, I have some cake decorating skills (thanks Mom).  I can do this.

After some scrounging on the web, I merged a couple recipes and came up with this.  So. Amazing.  I could have licked the bowl right then and there.  Unabashedly.  Really.  Stan laughed at me, almost giving myself a stomach ache snacking on it one spoon at a time the whole while I put the cake together.  Did I say A-mazing?!  Easy too!

Chocolate Mousse
1 c heavy whipping cream or RichWhip, thawed (in the freezer section)
1 c milk (I used Lactaid 2%)
1 5.9oz package instant chocolate pudding
1 t vanilla

Combine all, whip until peaks form (but stop before it goes into butter stage).

Tah Dah!  Spread between your cake layers, liberally.  Stick your face in the bowl and consume directly... mmm...

I think you could even use the all powerful ice cream scoop and portion it out to a bunch of little desert cups. Little sprig of mint on top and you'll look like a pro.  I can't stress enough the beauty of a simple scoop. Of anything.

I used dark chocolate cake and dark chocolate frosting and let Alex decorate with an assortment of candies.  I think it looks great and it was SUPER yummy.  So much so that all the adults had a piece and all we had was a little sliver leftover.  Sad, but in a good way.

Sneaky Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins

What's that you ask? Oh, just a grated zucchini... Yup. Zucchini.
I use Aldi's Baker's Choice mix for Chocolate Chocolate-Chip muffins ($1.99), prepared according to directions, adding a shredded medium zucchini (3 for $1.79).

Alex enjoys them in mini-muffin form best. No matter the size, they're always really yummy and really moist, thanks to the zucchini.
.

A Perfect Star

You can make a perfect star with only one cut.  Really!  Check out this link (bonus history lesson provided free-of-charge)!

I'm going to use it to make some lovely ornaments out of recycled (Trader Joe's) brown paper bags and Aleene's glue using the burnt brown paper bag method and some rubber stamps.  I've done it before and it works like a charm.  So easy and pretty quick too if you spread out the steps.  For best results make sure you're working with a candle (the soot helps the project like a lighter can't), and in a WELL ventilated area.

from: the vintage pearl

Chai Spice Cookies

I found this recipe in a hand-me-down issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  How could you possibly go wrong with chai spice tea and molasses?!  

I followed the recipe exactly the first time (stars) but just can't rationalize cut-out cookies in my schedule.  Pretty? Sure! Tastes just the same? Yup. 

So instead of rolling the dough, I made them like my Great-Grandma's refrigerator cookies and voila - my absolute favorite go-to cookie. 

Chai Spice Cookies

Prep: 25 minutes

Chill: 3 hours-3 weeks (or freeze)

Makes: 48 2" cookies

Bake: 10 minutes

Oven: 350° F

2 spiced chai-flavor tea bags, like Stash's Chai Green... mmm

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
(or 1/4 t clove, 1/4 t allspice, 1/2 t ginger, 1 t cinnamon)

1-1/2 cups salted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

2 T molasses

1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing (below)

In large bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice and contents of tea bags, set aside.  The flour mix alone is intoxicating!

In Cuisinart (or large mixing bowl) combine remaining ingredients and beat until light and a little bit fluffy.  Add to flour (I usually end up mixing with my hands until I can create a ball of dough to work with.) Divide dough in half.   

Here's where I divert from the recipe. Roll each half of the dough into a long cylinder, about 2" diameter and wrap it up in parchment, then plastic wrap, and stow it in the fridge 3 hours, or a couple weeks.

When ready to bake, unroll the parchment and cut off enough to line your cookie sheet.  Then cut 1/4" slices of the dough and make round cookies.  Bake 10 minutes, remove to a rack to cool.  Drizzle in crazy pattern with icing.  They're beautiful (super yummy) and everyone marvels that I can have cookies ready at the drop of a hat!  

Powdered Sugar Icing: In medium bowl combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 4 teaspoons milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until piping consistency.

to store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in covered airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Modified from: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/chai-spice-girls/

Updated: 12/12/10 (after making 7 consecutive batches in a Christmas baking marathon)

Confetti Mac & Cheese

Did you know you can make macaroni and cheese from scratch!?  I grew up on the stuff from a blue box... but after seeing Alton Brown make it - I had to try it out.  I've since modified and modified the recipe.  You'd be amazed at how healthy you can make it and it's SO MUCH YUMMIER! I add chopped cooked chicken most of the time and make this a one-bowl dinner. Yum!

Confetti Mac and Cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni or pipette, cooked according to package directions
1 pound frozen mixed veggies (you know, the cubes of carrots, peas, corn and greenie beenies)
Cook pasta according to package directions.  When you have 1-2 minutes of cook time remaining on the pasta, add the frozen veggies.  Drain and set aside.

Optional: 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Cheese Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I like Trader Joe's)
3 cups low fat milk
1 large or 2 small bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/3 c pureed carrots (this gives it that pretty orange color our children have come to expect)
16 oz (4 cups) regular or reduced fat cheese, shredded (sharp cheddar or any mix of cheese you have on-hand)
3 T parmesan cheese
salt and white pepper to taste (black pepper will do, I just like the white because you don't see flecks of black in the pretty orange)

In a large saucepan (or the now empty large pot you cooked the pasta in...) melt butter over medium low heat.  Once it stops bubbling, add the flour, dijon and paprika - whisk together to make a smooth paste, cook until this gets just a little darker, or thicker, or starts bubbling in the thin spots, about 3 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure all the paste dissolves.  Add the bay leaf and carrot puree.  Increase heat to medium and simmer to thicken.  Get some little bubbles going, but don't boil, about 5-10 minutes.  Think the consistency of gravy.

Add cheeses, stirring until all melted.  Salt and pepper to taste.
Add pasta with veggies and chicken. Stir well, serve hot.

Leftovers are especially awesome if you spread them in a casserole dish and top with breadcrumbs tossed in some melted butter and bake at 350F until golden.

After

We ended up taking the sink back.  I know.  Phooey.  After the second one was damaged out of the box, we decided the claims it wouldn't scratch weren't worth the paper they were written on!  But, with the new faucet, I hardly notice that the sink is as shallow as it is.  Add to that a fully functional (read: not leaking) disposal and even a built-in soap dispenser... and I'm so excited about my re-vamped sink.

And, by deciding against the new sink, we have remaining in the budget funds for a new front storm door.  I'm excited about that too.  (oh, and those tomatoes came off our plants - we're finally getting yellow tomatoes. And, just like last year, I'm having to baby the plants through our first frosts hoping to glean enough fruit to make it worth buying the gallon pot in the first place - but they're SOOOO yummy!).

I'm Getting a New Sink!

I'm getting a new sink! It started with the disposal going out, then the faucet started leaking... Stan went for those parts then called from the store to ask what sink I want!


Stay tuned for the "after" photos!!!

Salt Water Taffy

These taffy's from Trader Joe's are amazing! The swirly ones are red licorice flavor.  I think I'm chewing on the best red vine ever - but there's NO red dye!!!

Heavenly.

Orange Jicama Salad

My Mother-in-Law created this recipe after enjoying something like it at a restaurant.  It's crunchy, light and rather unexpected.

Orange Jicama Salad

3 cups jicama, cut into thin sticks

1 can mandarin oranges, drained (reserve 1/4 c juice)

1/2 c snipped parsley

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c juice reserved from mandarin oranges

1/4 c vinegar (I like rice vinegar best)

1/4 c oil (or a little less if using olive oil)

1/2 t salt

Combine jicama, oranges and parsley.  Mix together remaining ingredients.  Toss to coat.  Serve chilled.

Pineapple Chicken with Black Beans and Rice

Here's a new favorite!  Quick and easy - especially when hubby will cook the chicken on the grill, and you make the rice in an electric steamer.

Pineapple Chicken with Black Beans and Rice

2-4 lbs BSCB (boneless, skinless chicken breast)

1 16 oz bottle BBQ sauce
1 22 oz can crushed pineapple, gently drained
1 16 oz can black beans (good additional source of protein)
1/2 t madras curry
2 t cinnamon (I may have been a little more generous with the cinnamon, but 2 t is close enough)
2 t dry ground mustard, or 1 T dijon mustard (like Trader Joe's)

3 c rice, cooked according to directions

Cook chicken and steam rice according to directions.  I used my favorite Calrose with a dash of wild rice blend.

While chicken and rice are cooking, combine all other ingredients in a medium pot. Simmer over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Let the flavors mingle. This has a fairly high sugar content, so you'll want to stir often enough you don't scorch the bottom.

Serve by making a bed of rice, with chicken on top, and pour a generous scoop of sauce over both.  We enjoyed a green salad on the side to round the whole thing out.  Yay for protein!

Tomorrow!

Trader Joe's opens in Kansas City!!!  TOMORROW!  I'm so excited.  I will meet a couple friends (also die-hard TJ's fans) there and track down my already bulging list.  Here are some of the staples I'm looking forward to having:

Chocolate Chips
Dijon Mustard
Jarred Garlic (pureed)
Jarred Ginger (that isn't all stringy)
Sourdough Bread (Stan's favorite)
Shaving Cream (like Alba's, only less expensive)
Pink Sauce (no, not spaghetti, this is a creamy roasted red pepper spread)
Tortilla chips with Lime
Pepitas and other nuts
and did I mention Chocolate Chips!? mmm...

And I know there is a long list of other things I have forgotten.  Salad dressings and candies and vitamins.

I can hardly wait!

Meat Fork

This is one of my favorite tools. It's a simple meat serving fork by Oneida that I picked up at Target. It's great for serving meat, but it's even better for smashing bananas or scrambling eggs.

When I make Banana Split Muffins, I use this fork to scramble the eggs and smash the bananas in the same bowl with the oatmeal. In this case, I had 4 bananas to mash for banana bread, so I smashed them on a cutting board.

I'm sure you could use a potato masher - but I don't own one. I use an electric mixer to mash potatoes (in the same pot I cook them in). But, that's another post...

Sharpie Magic

This is so much fun!  Saw a tutorial on CraftGossip and had to give it a try.  So simple and very stunning.  

I started, then got called away, and found that the ink carries differently over already dried spots.  I could play with this method for a long time trying to master it, but the fun is - you don't have to!  I do, however, recommend doing this in a well ventilated area.

It washed up really great too.  I did heat-set it, with an iron and in the dryer for 30 minutes on high heat.  Then washed it in cold.  Next I'm curious to see if I can use laundry soap or crayons to create a batik-type relief for a pattern.  Could be very cool.  Stay tuned!