Spicy Quinoa

I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy food, I love it but most of the time spicy=heartburn. This dish is spicy without threatening my sensitive esophagus.

1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 can cannellini white beans, drained
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced

Combine the raisins and craisins, place in one cup of hot water, set aside. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add zucchini, carrot, pine nuts, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, salt, garlic. Stir constantly for a minute, making sure not to burn spices. After about 3 miniutes, turn down heat to medium low, and add remaining ingredients; drained beans, quinoa, veggie broth, craisin and raisins in water. Cover and cook for about 20 min, until quinoa is softened. Turn off heat, let stand for 5 min before serving. Serves about 4 adults. Enjoy!

Other things I’m going to try with this dish next time; green onions, garbanzo beans, 1/2 tsp curry powder and cilantro. If you’re not a vegetarian, you can use chicken stock instead of veggie broth.

Advertisement

Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
8 bacon strips (cut into chunks)
1/2 diced onion
1 clove garlic – chopped
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F Cook ground beef then drain Cook bacon until crispy (drain but keep 1 1/2 tablespoons grease in pan) Sauté onion and garlic in grease.
In a large bowl mix the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, Worcestershire and ketchup Add beef, bacon, onions and garlic to mixture above and stir until combined.
Pour into baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes Enjoy!

For more information visit the link below
http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/bacon-cheeseburger-dip-recipe/#sthash.nzPryNo7.dpuf

Grilled Cheddar, Tomato and Bacon Sandwiches

This is “comfort” food at its finest! Easy and delicious!
Life is good, eat cheese
Audrey~

Ingredients
•8 thick-cut bacon slices
•8 slices country-style sourdough bread (cut on deep diagonal into 5x3x1/2-inch slices)
•2 cups (packed) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
•8 tomato slices, seeds removed, slices drained on paper towels
•4 tablespoons mayonnaise

Preparation

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Wash and dry skillet.

Place 4 bread slices on work surface. Press 1/4 cup grated cheese onto each slice. Top each with 2 tomato slices. Sprinkle with pepper. Place 2 bacon slices atop each, breaking into pieces if necessary to fit. Press 1/4 cup grated cheese over bacon on each. Top sandwiches with remaining bread slices, then spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise over top of each sandwich. Heat 2 heavy large skillets over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches, mayonnaise side down, to each skillet. Place plate atop both sandwiches to weigh down. Cook sandwiches until bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Spread top of each sandwich with 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise. Turn sandwiches over, mayonnaise side down. Top with plates and cook until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to work surface. Cut sandwiches crosswise in half and serve

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Cheddar-Tomato-and-Bacon-Sandwiches-103128#ixzz2iCU7i7cz

Lasagna Cups

Photo Credit: http://www.laurenslatest.com
Lasagna Cups
yield: 12
Original Recipe: http://www.laurenslatest.com/lasagna-cups/

Another fun recipe for you! I can’t eat bell peppers because I have acid reflux, so I leave them out. If you like, you can replace with a different veggie, or just leave as is. 🙂 I hope you try this and love it.

Ingredients:
21 lasagna pasta sheets

for the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion
1/2 pound lean ground beef cooked and drained
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce {+1/2 can water to wash out can}
1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
salt & pepper to taste

for the cheese filling:
1-10 oz. tub Philadelphia Italian Herb & Cheese Cooking Cream
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg

Directions:

For the sauce- heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions, pepper, zucchini and garlic until tender, 5 minutes. Stir in cooked ground beef and tomato paste until well incorporated. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook 30 minutes or so. {The longer it cooks, the better it will taste!} This will be very thick.

For the cheese filling- stir all ingredients together excluding half of the grated mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

For the pasta- Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta sheets 2 minutes less than package directions and drain. Place pasta on greased baking sheet until you are ready for assembly.

For assembly- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 jumbo muffin tins with squares of parchment paper. If they don’t stay in on their own, that’s ok–the pasta will help with that. Line the edges of the muffin tins with 1 pasta sheet per cup. {Pasta sheet will overlap about 2 inches.} Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of sauce into the bottom of each cup. Next cut 9 pasta sheets into quarters and press one of these pieces of pasta into the bottom on top of the sauce. Top pasta sheet with a generous tablespoon of sauce and then a generous tablespoon of cheese filling. Repeat this pasta-sauce-cheese layering one more time being sure to press out any air bubbles. Top these lasagna cups off with a 3rd piece of pasta, more sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve hot

Mashed-Potato Spring Rolls

Not a healthy food! But, hey, I’m American! Hahahaha! Sometimes a fried food really hits the spot! If you don’t like green beans (why wouldn’t you), you can exchange for another veggie.

Provided by: Food&Wine

30 mins total 0 mins prep Full Screen
Servings

David Chang took F&W’s Thanksgiving challenge by improvising a Momofuku-style feast from basic leftovers, including turning mashed potatoes and green beans into this crispy canapé, a salute to the 1950s.

Ingredients

16 slice(s) of packaged white bread
1 cup(s) mashed potatoes
1/2 cup(s) thinly sliced cooked green beans
1/4 teaspoon(s) togarashi, see Note or cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
2 cup(s) vegetable oil, for frying
Warm turkey gravy and Sriracha chile sauce, for serving

Directions

1. Stack the bread in 4 piles and trim the crusts. Using a rolling pin, roll out each bread slice to a thin 3-by-5-inch rectangle.
2. In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, green beans and togarashi ; season with salt and pepper. Brush the edges of 4 bread rectangles with the egg yolk mixture. Shape 1 tablespoon of the potato mixture into a log along a long edge of a rectangle, leaving 1/2 inch on each end. Tightly roll up the bread to form a cylinder; press the ends together to seal. Repeat with the remaining bread and potato mixture.
3. In a skillet, heat the oil to 325°. Add half of the rolls and fry, turning occasionally, until well-browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Serve with gravy and Sriracha.

Life is good, try something new
Audrey~

A Very Different Pesto Lasagna

A Very Different Pesto Lasagna.

Roasted Pears with Ginger and Vanilla Bean

I have a real appreciation for pears! I prefer the “Anjou” pear, over others.