Quinoa Eggs

This is one of those super easy breakfasts that I can’t believe I haven’t thought of before now. If you’re a fan of quinoa like I am, you will love this. You just can’t beat this for a high protein breakfast, with a healthy amount of fiber, all in one dish. Check out this Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Cereal to get the scoop on the health benefits of quinoa.

Ingredients
For each serving:
1 egg cooked to your liking (I like fried, over easy)
1/2 C. cooked quinoa
2 T. low-fat cheese (I used shredded Mexican Blend)

1. Place the cooked quinoa in a small bowl.
2. Meanwhile, cook your egg. Just before the egg is finished cooking, reheat the quinoa in a microwave.
3. Sprinkle the warmed quinoa with 1 T. of the cheese.
4. Place the cooked egg on top of the quinoa and cheese and top with the additional tablespoon of cheese. Enjoy!!

Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

I have always enjoyed oatmeal for breakfast so when I saw a recipe for breakfast cereal made with quinoa, I thought I’d give it a try. It was fantastic!! Quinoa is a whole grain that cooks quickly and has several advantages over oatmeal. It contains over double the amount of a higher quality of protein than oatmeal and 50% more fiber. It also contains more calcium. Did I mention it is gluten-free as well? Since this cereal reheats well in a microwave, I make up a batch of this and eat it all week for breakfast. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 C. uncooked quinoa
cooking spray
1 T. butter
2 C. blueberries
2 C. cold water
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
3 T. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. fat-free milk

1. Soak the quinoa in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. This is important to remove a natural bitter taste found in quinoa.
2. Rinse and drain the quinoa.
3. Spray a medium sauce pan with cooking spray. Add the quinoa and water to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and if there is excess water carefully drain it off.
4. Add the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and milk; stir to combine and fold in the blueberries.
Makes 6 – 2/3 C. servings. Weight Watchers 5 PointsPlus

Ground Beef and Bean Vegetable Soup

Soup is one of my favorite winter time meals and I especially like those can that be made in the crockpot while I’m at work. There is nothing like coming home from work with a meal already made! The thought that I have something simmering away in the crockpot even helps me get through some of THOSE days with a bit more spring in my step!

I have included directions for making this soup on the stove and in the crockpot. To me it is worth it to spend a little time the night before to prep the ingredients for the crockpot. This soup ranks right up there with the smokey vegetable soup I posted awhile ago. But, if you want to check that recipe out, you can find it here.

Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef; browned and drained
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic; crushed
2 cans (14.5 oz.) petite dice tomatoes with juice
6 cups beef stock
1 can red beans; drained and rinsed
1 T dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
2 cups very thinly sliced and chopped green cabbage
1 cup chopped spinach
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 T. balsamic vinegar
sour cream for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and cook ground beef until it’s crumbled and well-browned.
Drain well.
2. Chop the onion and celery and crush the garlic.
3. Rinse and drain the red beans.
4. Add the chopped onion, chopped celery, garlic, canned tomatoes, beef stock, red beans, dried parsley, and dried thyme to the ground beef in the soup pot. Bring to a boil; turn down and simmer for 1 hour. and cook. Taste soup and add salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste.
5. Add the cabbage and spinach; simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in the balsamic vinegar.
7. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.
Serves 6-8

To make in a crockpot, brown the beef the night before and refrigerate along with the chopped onion, celery, and garlic. In the morning dump the ground beef, onion, celery, garlic, tomatoes, beef stock, red beans, parsley, and thyme into the crockpot and stir. Cook on low while at work. When you get home from work add the cabbage and spinach and turn crockpot to high. Simmer for 1 hour, add the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the sour cream.

Crockpot Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

This recipe is an old family standby recipe. I used to make this all the time when my kids were growing up and I’d serve it over either rice or noodles. While adding the sherry or white wine is optional, in my opinion, it’s what takes this recipe to the next level. If you don’t have fresh mushrooms around, feel free to substitute a couple cans of drained canned mushrooms. I’ve done that many times!

Ingredients:
4 to 6 boneless chicken breast halves
salt, pepper and paprika
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 C. flour
1/8 C. sherry or white wine (optional)
8 oz. of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C. onion, chopped

1. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika on both sides.
2. Arrange chicken breasts in crockpot.
3. Combine remaining ingredients and spoon over the chicken.

In the crockpot ready to simmer all day.

4. Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until tender but not dry. Serve over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Serves 4-6

Lemony Blueberry Rice Pudding Almost Gone!

Rice pudding is such a versatile recipe because, in my humble opinion, it works for both breakfast and dessert. This recipe was a total experiment on my part and one of those that turned out fabulous the first try. I really the like combination of blueberries with lemon and simply had a hunch that they would be great instead of raisins in rice pudding. My hunch paid off! I took this to church for our pre-Sunday school breakfast and it was a HUGE hit! Especially among those who don’t like rice pudding because of the raisins. I made a double batch of this, blueberry breakfast cake, and banana bread. This recipe is a good use for leftover steamed rice, as well.

Ingredients
3/4 C. uncooked white rice
2 C. whole milk, divided
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 C. blueberries
1 T. butter
1/2 t.vanilla
zest of 1/2 a lemon

1. Place the rice and 1 1/2 C. of water in a medium saucepan, stir. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 15 minutes without removing the lid.
2. Add 1 1/2 C. milk, brown sugar, lemon zest and salt to the cooked rice. Stir to break up the rice. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until thick and creamy, 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Combine the remaining 1/2 C. milk, beaten egg, and vanilla. Stir into the rice mixture and cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in melted butter and blueberries. Pour into a casserole dish. Serve warm.

Serves 6-8

Lemony Blueberry Rice Pudding Cooling

Sugar N' Spiced Pecans

With the Super Bowl coming up in a few days, I thought I should post a recipe for munching on during the game (or in my case the commercials). You can really use any nut that you like or 4 cups of mixed nuts if you’re not a fan of pecans. If you’re looking for another snack-type dish, whip up a batch of Pub Cheese Spread and serve it with raw vegetables and crackers.

Pub Cheese Spread

If you want a savory rather than sweet snack, check out this Zesty Ranch Pretzel recipe. It is a standard snack when my son goes tailgating.

Zesty Ranch Pretzels

For sandwiches, make this BBQ Brisket. It’s a real crowd pleaser and with little effort makes a lot.

Sliced BBQ Brisket

For dessert bake some Zucchini Nutella Swirl Bread or make a pan of Peanut Butter Apple Crisp. Either will satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

Zucchini Nutella Swirl Bread

Peanut Butter Apple Crisp

Have a great time with family and friends watching the Super Bowl!!

Ingredients
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 T. water
4 C. pecan halves
1/2 C. + 3 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground ginger

1. Preheat over to 325 degrees. Line a 10X15 inch baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl beat the egg whites with the water until fluffy. Stir in the pecans and toss until the pecans are coated.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, and spices. Sprinkle over the moistened nuts. Spread nuts on the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook and burn the nuts.
Makes 4 1/2 cups.

Orange-Chipotle Chicken

This is a really easy and tasty recipe with a sweet, tangy, slightly smokey flavor that comes from the chipotle jam used for the the glaze. I found this recipe at LaaLoosh.com, a blog that specializes in Weight Watcher recipes. One fourth of this recipe is 4 points+ for those following WW, but don’t let the fact that this recipe is Weight Watchers compatible scare you away from trying this. It is so flavorful that you’ll never believe its diet food!

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
Juice from one large orange (about 1/3 C.) If you don’t have a fresh orange laying around you can substitute bottled orange juice
3 T. Chipotle Pepper Jam (I think you could also substitute Asian Zing Sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. salt

1. Spray a large, non-stick pan with Pam cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.
2. Add chicken to the skillet along with the salt and orange juice. Saute until the chicken is cooked through and begins to brown. The orange juice will evaporate in the process.

Chicken simmering in orange juice

3. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the garlic and chipotle pepper jam. Cook until the sauce is heated through and evenly coats the chicken.

Glazed chicken pieces

4. Serve with steamed broccoli.

Thai Coconut Dumpling Soup

I love Thai coconut soup and Chinese dumplings so why not try them together in my own fusion of Thai and Chinese!? This was very easy to make with the help of frozen dumplings and already prepared lemongrass and ginger that can be purchased in a tube found in the produce section of the grocery store. Change out the dumplings for shredded chicken and you have the more traditional Thai Coconut Soup. If your a curry lover, add curry as well. I didn’t because my hubby doesn’t like it. Next time I will add some julienned carrots or sweet red pepper to add a little color to the dish. In other words, this is a very versatile Thai soup that you can tweak to your own tastes. Let me know how you make it!

Lemongrass and Ginger in Tube

Ingredients
1 quart chicken stock
1 T. grated lemon grass (or the white part of one stalk of lemongrass split down the middle)
1 lime
1 T. grated fresh ginger
2-3 dried chilies, halved and seeds removed (if you like it spicy don’t remove the seeds)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (I used the light version)
2 tsp. Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 T. brown sugar
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
20 frozen oriental dumplings (I buy them at Costco or Trader Joe’s)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Bring the stock to a boil over medium heat in a soup pot.
2. Meanwhile using a vegetable peeler shave wide strips of the rind off of the lime; reserve.

Shaved Lime Rind

3. Juice the lime, reserving the juice.
4. When the stock comes to a boil add the lemon grass, ginger, lime rind, chilies, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.
5. Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Remove the lime rinds.
6. Cook the dumplings according to package directions.
7. Place 5 dumplings in each individual soup bowl. Ladle the soup over the dumplings and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 4

Simple Baked Chicken Tenders

This is one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I’ve shared and it only has 4 ingredients. It is sooooooo easy and soooooo good and kids love them!! I buy the individually frozen chicken tenders to use in this recipe. I take the chicken out to thaw in the refrigerator the night before so they have almost 24 hours to thaw. When I get home from work I can whip these up from start to eating in less than 30 minutes. If you have any leftovers, they are great on top of a salad the next day for lunch.

Ingredients
1 lb. chicken tenders
2 T. light mayonnaise
1/2 C. Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I use Progresso seasoned bread crumbs)
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Mix the chicken tenders and mayonnaise in a bowl to lightly coat the chicken with the mayonnaise.
4. Mix the bread crumbs and cheese in a gallon ziploc bag.
5. Put 2 chicken tenders in the ziploc bag with the bread crumbs and cheese and shake to coat.
6. Place the chicken tenders in a single layer on the baking sheet. Continue until all the tenders are coated and on the baking sheet.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Gently flip each one, so as not to remove the breading. Bake and additional 8 minutes.
9. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Serves 4

Microwave Peanut Brittle

This is the easiest peanut brittle in the world to make and tastes fabulous! It only takes fifteen minutes to make, as well, so you can’t go wrong with this recipe. I packaged this up in small decorative boxes that can be found at craft stores and gave them to out to friends as small tokens of our affection for Christmas. It is also great to take to parties as a hostess gift or simply pig out on at home.

Ingredients
1 1/2 C. unsalted peanuts (or whole almonds if you want to make almond brittle)
1 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1/8 t. salt (if you could only find salted peanuts just leave this out)
1 t. real butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking soda

1. If you have an old microwave or one that is not very powerful use the longer cooking time. I have a relatively new one that is pretty powerful and used the shorter cooking time at each step.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl (I used a large round casserole dish), stir together the peanuts, sugar, syrup, and salt. Mix well.

Peanut Mixture Ready To Microwave

3. Microwave for 3 minutes 45 seconds to 4 minutes
4. Stir with a metal spoon so it doesn’t stick. Stir it quickly so it doesn’t have time to cool
5. Microwave 3 minutes thirty seconds to 4 more minutes
6. Stir in butter
7. Microwave 2 more minutes
8. Stir in vanilla. Don’t panic if the mixture steams and turns brown. All is well!
9. Add baking soda and stir quickly until it gets light and foamy
10. Immediately pour onto a lightly buttered baking sheet and spread quickly to about 1/4 inch thick
11. Cool
12. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Serves 6-10