Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Quinoa

MORE QUINOA?! Can you believe it? The possibilities with this super grain are endless.  Did you know one serving has eight grams of protein and five grams of fiber. Amazing! Since Mac and Cheese is my all time favorite food, I decided to try to make Mac and Cheese Quinoa. I wanted to mix in some veggies and chicken to make a "casserole" of out if.  My mistake here was I mixed cheddar cheese with Italian style cheese, since I did not have enough cheddar. I highly recommend using all cheddar when you make this.

You will need:

One cup quinoa, uncooked

10 oz of chopped broccoli

one chicken breast, cooked and cubed

minced garlic

Cheddar cheese

2 eggs

one cup of milk

Panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the quinoa as directed (one part quinoa, two parts water, or chicken broth). Once cooked, add two cups of cheddar, two eggs, garlic, and one cup of milk into the mixture. Stir until the cheese is melted. Add in the mixings. I decided on broccoli and chicken, but you can really use whatever your heart desires. Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with another layer of cheese and panko bread crumbs. Bake for 20 -30 minutes. 

**I ate this by itself as a meal for dinner. We used the left overs the next day as a side with grilled chicken, and then even more left overs the following day paired with london broil. 

Apple and Brie Tarts

Brie is one of my favorite cheeses. I love to melt it on a whole wheat english muffin with some grape jelly for a snack or for breakfast. Since I purchased a Costco size wheel of Brie, I needed to think of some creative recipes and fast. Here's what we had for dessert last night, although it would have been an excellent breakfast as well. (I accidentally purchase pie crust instead of pastry dough. Use crescent roll dough)

You will need:

One package of crescent roll dough

one green apple, sliced

a few thick slices of brie, with the rind on

cinnamon

brown sugar

egg whites

butter

Divide the dough into fourth and cut into four squares.  Place a slice of brie on each square and top with a few apple slices. Sprinkle your desired amount of cinnamon and brown sugar on top and place a small pad of butter to top it off. Brush each corner with egg whites and fold the dough into an "envelope" around the cheese and apples. Brush the top with more egg whites. Bake for 20 minutes on 400.

**Joe was so mad I did not have an ice cream to go with this as a dessert. It tastes like apple pie!

Eggplant Parmesan

My mom gets her produce from this awesome farmers market in the not so great part of town, but the veggies are awesome! I've been dying to make my own eggplant parmesan ever since we had it at Joe's brother's rehearsal dinner. It was fun making it, and I felt somewhat healthy eating it!

You wil need:

One large eggplant

salt

egg white

bread crumbs

dried oregano

dried basil

olive oil

one jar of tomato sauce

shredded mozzarella

grated parmesan 

Preheat oven to 350. Slice the eggplant into very thin slices. Sprinkle each side of the slices with salt and place on a paper towel. Put another paper towel on top of a layer of slices and top with another layer of eggplant, repeat until out of eggplant slices. Top with a paper towel and place a heavy pot or pan on top. Let sit with pan on top for about 30 minutes to an hour. This is to absorb some of the moisture in the eggplant so the final version is not soggy.  

Once most of the moisture has been absorbed from the eggplant slices. Heat a pan of olive oil about an inch deep until hot. Dip each slice into a bowl of egg white, and then dip into a bowl containing bread crumbs, oregano, and basil. Coat both sides evenly with the mixture and place in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Place fried eggplant slices on a paper towel to absorb extra oil.

Layer in a  casserole dish starting with tomato sauce, followed by eggplant, and topped with mozzarella. Continue until out of eggplant. Top with mozzarella and grated parmesan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes covered on 350. Remove cover and broil on high for about 5 or 10 minutes. 

**Serve with your choice of whole wheat pasta and a side salad. 

Joe's Pizza

Joe was so proud of his pizza he made, that we MUST share it on the blog. He made one for me and some friends a few nights ago, and the friends were confused as to whether or not he actually made it. Its that good!! The secret is the naan bread crust.

You will need:

One piece of naan flatbread

shredded gouda 

shredded pepper jack

tomato sauce

spinach leaves

onion

pepperoni slices

mushrooms, sliced

roasted red peppers, sliced

olive oil

garlic power

basil

italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute mushrooms, onions, and red peppers, and garlic salt in olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Approximately two minutes before veggies are sautéed, add spinach to the pan and cover. Leave covered until spinach is tender.  Lightly coat the naan with olive oil by using a brush. Top with a small amount of tomato sauce. Add the sauteed veggies on top. Top that with the assorted shredded cheeses. Add whatever meat you wish (pepperoni, chicken, etc). Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle basil and italian seasoning. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with red wine, duh.

**Broil on high for a few minutes if you want a crispier pizza

Blue Hawaiian

Every Sunday night I try to go home to my parents house for a delicious, free, home cooked meal.  My dad loves playing in the liquor cabinet, and this was what he was serving last Sunday. If you enjoy drinking vodka on the rocks, or straight up, this is something you would really like!

1 ounce of chilled vodka

splash of  blue curico

twist of an orange rind

Pour the vodka first and then add the curico. Top with the orange rind. Serve in a small martini glass.

**You can see the oils from the orange peel floating on top of the drink!! My rind broke, so it wasn't as pretty. But normally the twisted orange peel makes a great garnish!