Southwest Quinoa Salad w/ Spinach

It's after midnight and I just finished making and devouring this salad. I do feel a little bit guilty for eating so late, but in my defense it was a healthy salad and I just couldn't help myself. I was text messaging all night with a friend whose mother has to go on an unprocessed diet and was having to eat a lot of brown rice. I suggested trying out quinoa and shared with her my tropical quinoa granola recipe and fried quinoa (think fried rice) recipe. The more we talked about food, the hungrier I got. Then I went to the kitchen to take a picture of the bag of quinoa I use so she could see what it looked like and before I knew it I was scooping some out to cook. I had no idea what I would add to it since we haven't gone to the grocery store since last week! After some rummaging, I had a pile of ingredients and started to chop my veggies and cook the quinoa. Then my heart fell as I realized I didn't have any lemons for my dressing (I was going to make a simple lemon/olive oil dressing). But a bottle of white wine vinegar that was tucked way back in the corner of my cabinet saved the day. As I cooked, I kept sending my friend pics and she will now be making this tomorrow since she also has all the ingredients. You probably do too!!! It's so easy and yummy!

Note: 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa will make about 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Those tiny little things expand quite a bit! 

Grab it:

FOR THE SALAD:

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

4-5 stalks of scallions, sliced

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced

spinach leaves

2 large handfuls of frozen corn (I did not defrost it, see #2 below)

half of a tomato, seeded and diced (I would prefer grape tomatoes, but I was lucky to even have a tomato on hand!)

salt and pepper, to taste

FOR THE DRESSING:

white wine vinegar

olive oil

Make it:

1) Cook the quinoa: boil 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup of water in a small sauce pan with a lid. Once it starts to boil, simmer for 10-12 minutes until the water is all gone and the quinoa has puffed up and has little "white tails". 

2) Allow the quinoa to cool. If you are making this last minute, spread the hot quinoa on a plate and toss the frozen corn with it - it will cool the quinoa down quickly and the heat from the quinoa will defrost the corn. I'm so smart! lol

3) Combine all the salad ingredients except for the spinach in a large bowl. 

4) I didn't measure the amount of vinegar and oil I used, but used a rough 1:2 ratio of vinegar to oil.  If I had to guess, I used about 3 Tbsp of white wine vinegar and 6 Tbsp of olive oil. Whisk (or in my case I used a fork) together until mixed well then drizzle over salad and toss salad.

5) Place spinach leaves on a plate and top with salad mixture. Enjoy...and try not to eat the rest of the salad.

this was the whole dish...it made a lot! I'm sure nobody will miss the midnight snack I had when it's time for lunch tomorrow (or rather today!)

*** UPDATE *** I had every intention of adding feta cheese to this dish last night, but I got totally caught up with trying to find a replacement for the lemon for the dressing that I totally forgot. So today for lunch I topped my salad off with some feta. It was delicious, light and yet very filling!!! Oh, and my girlfriend made hers this morning and she kept texting me and saying she can't stop eating it! lol

Black Bean Salsa

I've been making this "salsa" forever and it's so yummy! I usually make it when we are having a get together at our house or to bring over to a friend's house. If I make it to bring to a friend's house I usually double the recipe and leave half at our house for us to snack on. If I could get away with it, I would seriously just eat chips and dip for dinner every night. We usually just eat this w/ tortilla chips, but it would also be really good on top of grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish. It's so fresh and light and yet so filling b/c of the black beans.

I brought this over to our neighbor's pool party and it disappeared pretty quickly. I LOVE easy dishes like this that everyone enjoys!

Gather it:
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup of frozen corn (I don't measure, but it's probably about this much and it's ok to leave it frozen)
grape tomatoes, quartered (I used almost a whole pint)
scallions, sliced (about a large handful and then some if you like scallions)
2 avocados, diced (I usually prefer to use 2 and diced, but 1 of my avocados was too mushy so I mashed up just the 1 good avocado I had to make it go further)
1 lime
salt
pepper

Make it:
1. Juice half of the lime into a large bowl. Place avocados in bowl and toss in juice to help prevent it from turning brown. If you prefer to mash it then mash it now.

2. Add tomatoes, corn, scallions, and beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more lime juice if needed.

3. Serve with tortilla chips...and a margarita!

FYI: I've had this with cilantro too and it's really yummy with it, but the cilantro wasn't looking too good at Publix. And it's really good with diced fresh jalapenos too, but I've omitted it since kids have come into the picture. I suppose I could make 2 separate batches...yep...I'll do that next time!

Chicken Taco Salad

I had nothing to do with this meal...it was all the hubby. When I get home from work the kids are usually already bathe and in their pajamas and I just spend time with them before they head off to bed. Well my wonderful hubby fixed this up while I was busy racing Lightnight McQueen in my left hand and holding Goodnight Moon on my right hand and ready while Avery sat on my lap. This dinner takes me back to when I was little and my mom and I used to make taco salads for dinner. I have not had a homemade taco salad in forever! Super easy...of course it was...I didn't do anything! lol



Gather it:
flour tortillas
rotisserrie chicken, shredded
yellow rice, cooked according to package directions
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, diced and seeded
1 small red onion, diced
fresh cilantro,
shredded cheddar cheese
lime wedge

Make it:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Arrange tortilla in an oven safe bowl that is deep enough to create a "bowl" for your stuffing. Bake  until edges are golden brown and crispy...let's ignore the burn section of my tortilla bowl!

2. Scoop a little bit of everything into tortilla bowl and squeeze lemon juice over everything.

Hubby also used his special sauce...a must try!!!

Crockpot Black Eyed Pea Soup

We are having a cold spell here in Florida...as in 50 degrees cold!!! Brrr!!! I'm taking full advantage of this cold weather and making some soup! This soup is similar to the white bean and ham soup I have made before, but there were some changes/additions. This soup is truly the easiest thing to make and so filling. Parker "helped" me make the soup by shaking some herbs into the soup. He loves to help me cook even if it's just to shake the herb container or to stir. When he helps cook, he does tend to eat a lot more. He gobbled it up. Avery gobbled it up. Kevin gobbled it up. I gobbled it up. Easy. Delicious.

Gather it:
1 lb dried black eyed peas
2 thick slices of ham, large cubes (you can also use ham hocks, but my grocery store doesn't carry them)
2 cartons (32 oz each) of chicken stock
1 can (14.5 oz) of chicken stock
1 large white onion, large diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced (we love garlic, you can use less if you're not a fan)
2.5 cups of fresh kale, lightly packed (seems like a lot, but it shrinks like spinach)
dried parsley, more than quite a few shakes of the container b/c Parker tends to go crazy
dried oregano, just a few shakes
black pepper, to taste

Make it:
1. Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Avery picked the little bits of ham off first...lol

FYI, I did sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on my bowl of soup, but the kids had theirs unsalted and I also added a few drops of hot sauce that we bought from a local vendor at one of our farmer's market. I literally added 3 drops of hot sauce and my mouth was practically on fire, but it was so good! lol We also had it with corn bread muffins. I drizzled a tiny bit of honey on top of each corn muffin before I baked it so the top got a little sweet hint. The whole meal was absolutely delicious!!!

Crockpot White Bean and Ham Soup

I've been craving soup lately, but winter in Florida usually means it's 80 degrees outside. That didn't stop me though - just turn the AC down low! lol I've never made this soup before, but my friend's mom used to make black eyed pea soup with pieces of ham when we were in elementary school. It was delicious and used that as my inspiration. But she used to simmer that soup on the stove for hours. I've never cooked with dried beans before and I was gonna attempt it on the crockpot...def used my family as my guinea pigs! lol If it failed then we could always pick up a pizza!

I was hoping Publix had ham bones, but they didn't and I wasn't about to go all the way to The Honey Baked Ham store to get some. I just grabbed some ham from the meat section at Publix. I thought it was a big slab of ham that I could dice up on my own, but it was pre-sliced. It still worked and the whole soup turned out so good and this has to be the EASIEST dish EVER! Kevin liked the new recipe and the kids gobbled it up. In Parker's words: "It dee-wicious, Mommy!"

Gather it:
1 lb of dried White Northern Beans, rinsed and sorted through
about 1 lb of ham, large pieces
3 (14.5 oz each) cans of chicken stock
1 medium white onion, diced
pepper
parsley
oregano

Make it:
1. Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.

That's it! lol Easy, huh? I think that's a huge reason why I liked this recipe so much! I didn't add extra salt b/c I wasn't sure how salty the soup would be from the ham. The kids ate it fine without extra salt, but Kevin and I added a little sea salt to our bowls. We also ate it with some mini corn muffins - the Jiffy brand was on sale (not that it's not already cheap) 2 for $0.95. This is the brand that my mother in law uses so it's now my go-to brand. Parker thought he was getting a special treat b/c it was muffin shaped! lol Oh and next time, I'll probably add some spinach to the soup to get some veggies worked into the soup!

Another soup to try: black eyed pea soup
http://sweetandsimpleandadashofcrazy.blogspot.com/2013/03/crockpot-black-eyed-pea-soup.html

Beer Chili

I've been making this chili forever, but the recipe varies depending on what I have on hand. I actually went to Publix last night and bought a few ingredients I knew I didn't have. I thought I had kidney beans in my pantry and didn't bother to check. I should have. I looked high and low and couldn't find any...I finally found a can that got shoved in the back (no worries, it isn't expired!). But it would have been fine without it - this recipe can be made with whatever you have on hand. I have staples in my pantry/fridge/freezer that I almost always have: canned black beans, chicken stock, frozen corn, carrots, ground turkey, and beer.

I prefer to use beer instead of broth for the chili b/c it just adds a different flavor. Yes I feed this to the kids - they love it! No, worries, the alcohol gets cooked off and you are just left with the flavor. It's weird b/c I'm not a huge beer drinker. If I drink it, it's usually just a few sips of Kevin's beer. Kevin only had 1 bottle of beer left...I used it for the chili! Shhh!!! Don't tell him! I hope he forgets that he had 1 bottle left!

Here is the version I made today:

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
celery, cut into half moons (I only had 4 stalks left so I used it all - I probably would have used 1-2 more if I had more)
carrots (I used the fresh microwaveable kind from Publix - we always have this b/c Parker loves to snack on them)
half of a large white onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced (we love garlic!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes w/ juices (I used the kind w/ garlic, basil, and oregano b/c it was on sale,  I used to use the kind of green chiles, but it's a little too spicy for the kids)
frozen corn
dried parsley
dried oregano
sweet paprika (about 1 Tbsp)
mild chile powder (about 1-1.5 Tbsp)
1 bottle/can of beer or 1 can of chicken stock
1 Tbsp of flour
oil (just enough to lightly coat bottom of the pot so that the turkey doesn't stick)

Toppings:
sour cream
shredded cheese
green onions (I didn't have any...well I did, but they weren't looking too good)

Directions:
1. Heat oil under medium/high heat and brown the turkey. When half the turkey has browned, add onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Soften the carrots and celery a bit.

2. Add beans, tomatoes w/ juice, frozen corn, dried parsley, dried oregano, paprika, chile powder, and beer/broth. Mix together and allow it to boil. Either allow to boil on medium/high heat for 20-30 min or simmer for 1 hour. I've allowed this to simmer for 1.5 hours and it was PURE TORTURE smelling it cooking for that long!

3. This step is optional. If you want a slightly soup-y chili, then skip it. If you like it a little thick, then add 1 Tbsp of flour in small bowl with about 3 Tbsp of water. Mix until there are no lumps. It will be a runny rue. Add to chili, mix it in, and allow flour to cook through - about 5 minutes.

4. Top it with cheese, sour cream and green onions!

this picture has nothing to do with chili other than she was being cute while I was cooking. She grabbed 2 of her babies and started alternating between walking/bouncing them around the house and sitting down and swaying from side to side and giving them kisses on their heads...all while saying: "Shhh, shhh, shhh kwy." (Shh quiet). 

It's not particularly cold out...in fact, it's in the mid 70s, but I was craving chili. We live in Florida and we haven't had many cool nights this "winter". Just turn the AC down and pretend it's cold out. I made myself a small bowl after the kids had just eaten a snack. Both kids flocked over to me - they LOVE chili! Parker asked: "Mommy, I have some of you chili soup, please?" and Avery demanded: "Bite! Bite!". Of course I shared...but all I could think about was shoveling as many big bites as I could in my mouth before tiny little mouths came back for more. lol Do your kids do this too??? Ask to have some of your food even though they just ate? 

This chili is really yummy with French bread or beer bread! Enjoy!

fish stick tacos

I've never been a fan of fish sticks, but my cousin used to eat them all the time. When trying to get Parker to try new things and eat more fish as a toddler, I remembered my cousin eating fish sticks so I decided to give him some. He LOVED them! Parker has a pronunciation issue and calls them "sh!t d!cks". I died laughing when I first heard it. Anyway, for dinner last night I decided to make fish sticks for the kids (they don't like tortillas) and fish stick tacos for Kevin and me. Don't say "Eww!". Try it! It was super easy and yummy!

Taco ingredients:
fish sticks
tortillas
tomatoes, diced
red onion, diced
cilantro
shredded cheese
lime wedges

Directions:
1. Cook fish sticks according to instructions on box.
2. Once fish is done cooking, warm tortillas in microwave (cover with damp paper towel and nuke for ~1 min)
3. Pile fish sticks, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and cheese into tortilla and squeeze lime juice on top.

Kevin and I LOVE cilantro so I used almost half a bunch! I'm also a big tomato fan so I diced a whole tomato.

We had white rice and black beans too. We also love grilled fish, shrimp, and steak tacos, but those take a little longer and I wanted something super easy. Kevin and I def love us some tacos! We usually have it about once a week, but we haven't had it in a few weeks. I think it's gonna come back in the dinner rotation!

sorry for the bad pic...our dining room light gives my pics a yellow tint! 

Oh and in case you are wondering what that sauce is on my taco...it's the sauce from our favorite Cuban restaurant. For years Kevin tried to figure out how to make it and he finally figured it out a few months ago...or at least it tastes very similar. I'd give you the recipe, but I've never made it myself and Kevin doesn't measure anything either. I know it has mayo, mojo, lime juice, and cayenne pepper or hot sauce. I know it'll be hard to make not knowing how it tastes, but you should try. It totally makes the difference between a boring taco and a delicious taco. I've tried Google to find the recipe, but nothing! The consistency should be somewhat runny so alternate between adding more mayo or mojo if needed - Kevin and I do a few taste tests to get the right taste and those are the 2 things he usually adds. You should be able to taste the mayo, but it shouldn't be overwhelming. The lime juice is just a small wedge and the hot sauce or cayenne is however hot you want the sauce to be. Sorry I wasn't very helpful. Good luck! Let me know if it works out for you!