Spicy black bean quinoa

Since becoming gluten free I've found myself in love with quinoa.  I love it because you can add anything you want to it and it will absorb that flavor.  That means it can be mexican tonight, Italian tomorrow and Greek the next day.  Today I was in a huge hurry at work so I grabbed a few things out of the fridge and a pan and off I went.  Quinoa looks like it might be hard to cook, it's not.  It is idiot proof.  I promise.  

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup water

1/2 cup peach mango salsa

1/2 cup black beans

1/4 cup chopped bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

The basic directions for quinoa are; Bring quinoa and water to a boil.  Reduce to low, fluff with a fork and simmer for 20 minutes covered.

For this recipe you will:

Bring quinoa, onions & peppers to a boil.  Reduce heat to low & fluff with fork.  Add salsa, beans & garlic powder & mix.  Cover and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until the quinoa is kind of soft.  That's all.

The only thing you have to worry about with quinoa is making sure it's cooked all the way. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes.  Sometimes it takes 20.  As long as there is some liquid (stock, salsa, etc) in the pan you can continue simmering it until you get the consistency you want.  I topped mine with a little bit of hot sauce and it was delicious.  In place of water you could use vegetable stock, or chicken stock if you eat meat.  This should make two lunch size portions or three side dish portions and it's a complete protein and great fiber.  

Enjoy!

Vegetarian no noodle lasagna

1 Medium zucchini sliced length wise 1/4" thick
1 medium squash diced
2 cups shredded mozzarella
12 carrot shredded
1 cup spinach rough chopped
2 cups mushrooms diced
1/2 medium white onion diced
1 jar your favorite pasta sauce
1 clove of garlic roughly chopped
1tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Generously coat a deep baking dish with Pam cooking spray. Heat a pan over medium heat and add oil. Add in mushrooms, onions & squash. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Add in garlic & spinach and sauté until spinach is wilted. Put about 2 tbsp sauce in the bottom of your pan to prevent sticking. Place a layer of zucchini "noodles" over sauce. Add more sauce then a couple spoonfuls of your veggie mixture followed with 1/3 of your cheese. Lather rinse repeat. The last layer should be only zucchini "noodles, sauce and then copeous amounts of cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is all bubbly and delicious.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups peanut butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
36 peanut butter cup candies

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl combine the peanut butter, sugar and eggs. Form a spoonful into a ball. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and press peanut butter cup candy into the center. Let cool.

Kicked Up Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

INGREDIENTS

6 red bell peppers

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey

2 cups left over Spanish rice

1 can diced tomatoes

1 small can El Pato Mexican tomato sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

pepper jack cheese, shredded

water

DIRECTIONS

1. On medium high heat cook turkey in a large skillet. Add a splash of water and season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook thoroughly until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.

2. Stir in Spanish rice and diced tomatoes until thoroughly combined.

3. Cut off tops of bell peppers and clean out the inner membranes.

4. Arrange the peppers cut side up in a baking dish. Fill each pepper with rice meat mixture. Pour El Pato tomato sauce over the top of each bell pepper and sprinkle with pepper jack cheese.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Fresh Thai Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

This is a great fresh summertime recipe that can be used for appetizers, a light lunch or if you are like me and enjoy eating appetizers for dinner, a great light dinner! This is a very simple vegetarian version of the recipe, but feel free to get creative with things and alter the ingredients to suit your tastes. Some protein suggestions include: baked tofu, tempeh, shrimp, chopped chicken or pork. Also you can vary the veggies as well...red peppers, bean sprouts, avocados, minced onion and various types of greens (arugula, mustard greens, other herbs and lettuces) make great additions.

The sauce and rolls can be made the day before. If you store the rolls, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and sprinkle lightly with water. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted chunky peanut butter (I would suggest using a natural brand of peanut butter versus something like Jif or Skippy..those have a lot of added sugar that you do not need, plus the natural versions have more of the natural peanut oils that help add flavor to the sauce).

3-4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Juice from 1 small lime

Water - 1-2 tbsp or just enough to thin the sauce out

Salt to taste (this will vary depending on what brand of soy sauce and peanut butter you use)

Directions

In small bowl, combine all ingredients except the water and salt and stir until mixed thoroughly and the sugar has dissolved. Add water, a little at a time, until you reached the desired consistency. Taste and add more salt or sugar if necessary. Set aside while you make the spring rolls.

Spring Rolls

Ingredients

1 - package of Spring Roll Wrappers/Rice pancakes

1/2 package of Long Kou Bean Threads or other thin rice or bean noodles

3-4 carrots, shredded or julienne

1 large cucumber - shredded or julienne

Basil - 1-2 leaves per spring roll

Cilantro - 1-2 sprigs per roll

1 tsp sesame oil

1tsp rice vinegar

Salt

Directions

Prepare all of your fillings (veggies, greens, herbs and protein - shrimp, tofu, etc.) and set aside.

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add the sesame oil, rice vinegar and salt to the water. Turn off the burner and add the bean threads to the water and allow noodles to cook (approximately 5 minutes). Leave the noodles in the water while you complete the next step. You want to to drain the noodles right before you start using them, otherwise they stick together and are a pain to work with.

While the noodles are cooking, on another burner cover the bottom of a 12 inch pan with 1 inch of water and heat the water. It doesn't have to boil but should hot. You are going to have to put your fingers in it so don't make it so hot that it is going to burn you.

To assemble the rolls:

Place a rice pancake in the warm water and allow it to soften (about 15-30 seconds). Remove the paper from the water and lay flat on a clean surface (I like to use a flexible plastic cutting board). Place about 1/4 cup of bean threads, approximately 1 tsp of shredded carrots and cucumber, basil and cilantro onto the lower 1/3 of the paper. Roll in spring roll fashion. The paper should become relatively sticky and will seal itself. Set aside and repeat for the remaining rolls.

To serve: Assemble rolls on a plate and serve with peanut sauce. I also enjoy serving these with a some chopped herbs (basil) and some Sweet Chili sauce that can be found at most grocery stores in the international food's section or at any specialty food store (or even at World Market! Which by the way is also where I get the rice pancakes and bean threads.)

VEGETABLE RICE

Carrots
Celery
Mushrooms
Onion
Garlic
Peppers in all colors
3 cans vegetable broth
Rosemary (fresh)
Thyme (fresh)
Salt
Pepper
1 cup of rice

I do not tell you an amount for the veggies above because it is up to you. I liked more mushrooms and celery then carrot but you may not. I would use at least a half cup of each chopped small.

Dice up all veggies. Put rice in rice cooker along with two cans of broth. Add veggies salt and pepper and season to taste. Allow it all to cook until broth lowers and add last container of broth. Let cook and serve.

If you don't have a rice cooker simply cook on the stove usig one can of broth at a time and let it cook down then add another and so on until rice is soft. Mmmmm

Dinner last night, aka portobello mushrooom cups

This is a great little meal for one in a hurry, although you can easily make it for two or three or ten.

1 Portobello mushroom chopped to about 1 inch pieces
Spreadable garlic and herb cheese (I use Alouette)
Sun flower seeds
Green leaf lettuce
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Olive oil

Chop up mushrooms into bite size pieces

Throw in frying pan with some olive oil and pepper and saute until brown

This is the spreadable cheese I use, garlic and herb

Spread a layer on your green leaf lettuce cups

Top with some sun flower seeds

Once mushrooms are brown you can add the salt, if you add it to soon it will dry them out.

Top lettuce with mushrooms

Then add the Parmesan cheese to top it all off. I roll them slightly like a taco and it makes a terrific little snack or a whole dinner.