Asian stir-fry quinoa salad

This dressing is one of my favorite dressings in the world. The salad it goes with is a delicious wonton chicken salad. The big problem is that my weakness is fried wontons wrappers. I was in the mood to be healthier than that. So I came up with this salad and it was wonderful!

Asian stir-fry quinoa salad

1 c quinoa
1 head broccoli
1 red pepper
2 carrots
Green onions
1/3 c. dry roasted cashews
1/2 c Mandarin oranges



Dressing
1/3 c oil
3 T sugar
3 T red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Dice veggies. Stir fry veggies in grapeseed oil. Add cashews for last minute or two. Remove from heat and mix with cooked quinoa. Allow to cool then add Mandarin oranges. While cooling whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (we had leftovers the next day and it was still amazing so I think this could easily be made in the morning or even the day before).

Like any good stir fry the veggies could be mixed up according to what your tastes are, or what you have in your fridge :)

Honey Chipotle Pepper Tostadas

I love peppers and these peppers are my new obsession. I just cannot get enough of them. I made them twice in five days. They are good on just about anything, and I eat them plain. These tostadas were my first complete gluten-free meal and John's response was "I didn't think gluten-free could be so good."

Honey Chipotle Pepper Tostadas

1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 T. honey
1-3 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, diced
1 can pinto beans
1 c. brown rice-cooked
1/2 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. salt
1 avocados
1/4 c. plain greek yogurt
1 clove garlic
Corn Tortillas
Lettuce
Salsa
olive oil

Preheat oven to 425

Combine rice with cumin, chili powder and salt and a couple drizzles of EVOO. Spread out on baking sheet and toast in the oven for about ten minutes-stirring occasionally. Rice should become crispy.

Heat a little EVOO over medium heat. Add peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add honey and chipotle, stir and cook for a minute or two until the peppers are covered with sauce.

Warm beans on stove

Blend together garlic, avocado and yogurt until smooth.

Heat corn tortillas. Top with rice, beans, peppers, lettuce, salsa and avocado dressing. Enjoy!

Cajun Veggie Frittata

Last November we visited my uncle. He is a new bachelor and didn't have much in the kitchen, but he had the seasoning "Slap your mama." You can only buy it in Louisiana so he has it mailed to him in California. I figured this must be some good seasoning so we picked some up last month in New Orleans. It is now one of our only seasonings in our hotel for 8 weeks, so we have had everything seasoned with it over the last month.

One of my favorite was this frittata, easy to make, but amazing to eat.

Cajun Veggie Frittata

1/2 zucchini

1/2 yellow squash

1/2 red pepper

1/2 green pepper

5 eggs

1 T milk

1/3-1/2 cheddar cheese

1 t. cajun seasoning (more or less depending on how hot you like it!)

Roast peppers under broiler until skin is charred. Place in tubberware with lid on. Roast pealed and diced zucchini and squash at 425 for 10 minutes (sprinkle with a little olive oil first). 

Meanwhile peal and dice the peppers. Lightly beat the eggs, milk and seasoning.

Once the squash is cooked place all veggies in a strainer to drain liquids (I saved the juices because it made a great sauce for leftover veggies the next day).

Heat ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into pan, throw veggies then cheese on top. Allow to cook about five minutes or until almost set. Place pan in over at 425 for another 5-8 minutes until set.

Enjoy!

*Since I was cooking veggies anyway I did a full one of each and then had veggies for lunch the next couple of days. Or make my phyllo dough sandwich the next day-kill two birds with one stone.  

Mexican beans, rice, veggies with Avocado sauce

I know lots of people do "themes" for each night of the week, thus making menu planning easier. That just does not work with my personality. Not really sure why, it just doesn't.

The only exception is Mexican Monday's. This tradition goes back almost eight years now, before we were even dating. Aspen Grove, the camp we worked at together, always did Mexican Monday's and it was the best meal of the week. We have always done Mexican Monday's to remember the good ol' days.

This recipe is so easy it is laughable. However in the words of John "it is fantastic."

Mexican beans, rice and veggies with Avocado Sauce

Spanish brown rice
Refried beans without the refry
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 zucchini
1/2 c. corn
1 avocado
2 T. greek yogurt
1/2 T lime juice
Salt

Prepare rice and beans.

In a food processor combine avocado, yogurt and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Peel and dice zucchini, cut peppers into strips. Heat olive oil* in large skillet over medium heat. Add veggies, cook 4-5 minutes, then add corn. Salt to taste.

Place rice, then beans, then veggies on a plate. Top with avocado dressing. 

This would go great with a homemade wheat tortilla, I didn't think of that until too late so I served it with a flour tortilla. Very yummy!

*I used habanero olive oil, it adds a kick! I love it! If we didn't have that I would add a habanero pepper, or just a jalapeno pepper with the veggies.  

Iphone photo, I just don't have the patience to take a great picture of my dinner-I just wanna eat!

**I am not a lover of onions, but you could throw those in as well.

Brown rice and lentil tacos

I love recipes with memories. Then whenever I cook or eat a particular dinner I can look back fondly on the days of yesteryear.

This recipe has a simple story, my friend posted a similar recipe on her blog. When I wanted to make it I couldn't find the link, so I made my own version. However, thinking of this friend reminds me of Freshman year and horrible Freddy Prinze Jr. movies. I love thinking of those memories.

As you will quickly learn I am a huge fan of vegetables. I add vegetables to any recipe I can, sometimes to the point of going overboard. But not really because they always taste so yummy!

Brown Rice and Lentil tacos

adapted from here

Combine the following into a crock pot

• 1 diced onion
• 5 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 diced pepper

• 2 Tbsp flour

• 1 cup of lentils
• 1/2 cup of brown rice
• 4 1/2 cups of water
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp of onion powder
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours (this will look like a soup to start with, it thickens up). 

About 15-20 minutes before dinner time throw in 1/2 c. corn and about 1 c. chopped spinach

Serve on corn tortillas with your favorite taco toppings!

If you don't want to cook in the crock pot, cook veggies in olive oil then add rest of the ingredients. Cook for about 50 mins on a low simmer (like you would with brown rice).

I usually half this meal and have plenty! It is so delicious, even picky Caleb will eat it.