Quinoa Mac-n-Cheese

Technically this is a Quinoa-n-Cheese recipe seeing as there is no actual "Mac" in it.... but "Quinoa-n-Cheese" just doesn't have the right ring to it, you know?


I've been so ADD today


I currently have 6 tabs open on my browser window. Pinterest, Facebook, Blogger, Gmail, GoogleMusic (Adele's 21 album) The World's Healthiest Foods.
This is what I do after work on my "rest" days.
And today is a much needed rest day because I took my friend Rachel to Camp Gladiator last night and I may or may not be walking funny today...... I also may or may not have almost face planted in the middle of the hallway and cafeteria today at work because I got a charlie horse...... good times. (yea, two separate times because I am that cool)


Okay, focusing..... Quinoa Mac-n-Cheese.....


First let me just tell you that while Quinoa (Keen-Wah) is actually a seed, it is considered a "whole grain"- score. It is related to just tasties as beets, chard, and spinach. Most likely you'll see a yellow-ish brown color seed, but they also come in orange, pink, purple, red and black! Nutritionally speaking, Quinoa is not only high in protein, but it's a complete protein which means that it contains all nine essential amino acids (used for muscle growth and maintenance). It is also high in magnesium which is good news for migraine sufferers like myself because magnesium is a mineral that helps relax blood vessels.
*Fun Fact* Quinoa comes from the Andean Mountain region of South America and it was once illegal for South American Indians to grow Quinoa.
Quinoa was first cultivated in the 1980's here in North America and has been growing in popularity ever since.

Quinoa Mac-n-Cheese


2tbs evoo
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 medium onion chopped
1/3-1/2 cup milk
Heaping handful of shredded cheese- that is my exact measurement.
1 tbs red pepper flakes
handful of washed and dried spinach leaves
1/2 cup Quinoa
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup water

Combine stock, water and Quinoa in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 15 mins. While simmering, saute garlic and onion in evoo in a small pan until soft. Add red pepper flakes and spinach to the garlic and onions- saute until spinach is wilted. Transfer mixture to another bowl.
Once Quinoa has simmered and all liquid has been absorbed fluff it with a fork and set aside.
Combine milk and cheese in the sauce pan and stir on low heat until cheese is melted. Combine the spinach mixture with the cheese, once they are completely combined pour the cheese/spinach mixture over the Quinoa and stir to combine. Serve hot with a little shredded parmesean on top.

Dessert Hummus

This week was one of those long short weeks.
Last Saturday was my sister's Bachelorette party. We did happy hour, Mexican food (best.margaritas.ever.) and then Salsa danced the rest of the night away! My feet hurt all over again just thinking about it!
Tuesday was the actual wedding. It was very lovely and the weather for the most part cooperated. Just about the time that the guests were sitting down and we were gearing up to trek down the isle, the wind started to blow and it got much much cooler. I know the groomsmen were fine (because they kept rubbing in just how warm they were....) but all of the bridesmaids were shaking and shivering like crazy!!
The cold was quickly forgotten, however, because soon after the ceremony was over we were shakin our groove things on the dance floor- I can't wait to see those pictures.
Then all of a sudden it was Wednesday and back to life (back to reality...).

I got up this morning and went to Camp Gladiator (it was flippin cold out) where I participated in voluntary torture. We definitely worked out the whole body and then some but it felt good. My arms were shaking a bit on the drive home- that's when you know it was a good workout.

I came home and refueled with some coffee and a veggie omlette and all was good.

Then it hit me. The sugar monster. I wanted a cupcake/cookie/pie/marshmallowthesizeofmyhead and I wanted it n.o.w.

My compromise to myself was this dessert hummus. It has some sugar in it, but not enough to make me feel bad about eating half of it in one sitting.

....no...I did not do that......

This hummus has a cake batter like texture and I kind of thought that the maple syrup was going to make it too sweet. Wrong-o. It was awesome. Smooth and creamy peanut buttery goodness. Get in my mouth.

And you have to add the chocolate chips because...duh...chocolate and peanut butter are besties....

PB Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus

2 cups rinsed and drained chick peas
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tbs vanilla extract
Chocolate chips- as much as you want. I wont judge.

Mix first 4 ingredients in a blender/food processor until smoooooooth and creamy. Resist the urge to stick your face in the blender- transfer to a bowl instead (or, if you're classy like me, a glad tupperware container) fold in all the chocolate chips you want. Dip everything from graham crackers to your fingers in it and enjoy!


Highlights of this week:
Watching my sister get married- obvs
5 words- Sexy and I Know It.
Being told by a second grader that I smelled like chicken....."but chicken smells good!"
Liebster Award!

Minestrone Soup

A few Christmas' ago my Grandmother came to visit. While she was here my younger sister and I decided to channel our inner 7-year old and make a crap-ton of sugar cookies complete with all colors of icing and lots of toppings. It was fun.....at first. All of a sudden there were like 72,000 cookies to be decorated and very quickly it seemed more tiring than anything. :-/ Christmas magic, friends. While my sister and I were now slaving away on cookies that we would have to give away for fear of growing a second arse, my Grandmother was busy making a Minestrone soup. It smelled like pizza, and tasted like delicious. That is exactly what I told her when it was done and we all had a bowl. It's one of those great food memories that stuck with me. The soup, not the cookies...damn the cookies.
This recipe is not my grandmothers- this is my lighter, fitter version with added protein because let's be honest, some soups can be less than filling. It has tons of fiber, thanks to lots of veggies and whole wheat pasta, and plenty of flavor. You'll be eating this all week and loving it.

Healthy Minestrone

1 tbs EVOO
1/2 bell pepper chopped
5 cups reduced sodium broth (chicken, beef or veggie) + 1 cup of water

1.5 teasp dried oregano
1 teasp dried thyme

2/3 cup whole wheat pasta (Small, like rotini)

1 lb (16oz bag) frozen "Soup Mix" veggies

1 cup frozen edamame- shelled

1 15oz can diced tomatoes- italian style
1/2 cup diced turkey pepperoni

In a small skillet saute the bell pepper with evoo until al dente- about 3-4mins

Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine broth, water, oregano, and thyme. Cook on high heat until boiling, then add pasta and cook about 7 mins. Add in soup veggies and edamame, bring back to a boil. Add the tomatoes and the pepperoni and cook until thoroughly heated.

*Tip: For even more added protein, toss in some diced pre-cooked chicken breasts.

In other news:
My older sister is getting married on Tuesday. Married. Whoa.
I cannot stop watching Big Bang Theory. It may become a problem....
I started my new job on Monday and am really loving it! It's a new schedule so I'm getting up much earlier but I'm sure eventually I will get used to it. I hope.
I got to witness a dance-off in a fourth grade class today. Girls v. boys, dancing to Cupid Shuffle. It was amazing.

January Healthy Every Week Challenge

Food Network's Healthy Eat's blog has extended another challenge! 

The January Healthy Every Week Challenge will be broken down into monthly goals: eat breakfast, eat more whole grains, cook at home, eat more fruits and veggies, and stay on track. I had a great time with September's brown Bag Challenge so I signed right up for this one as well!

This past week's goal was to eat more breakfast. Easy-peasy. I am a big breakfast person, seriously cereal is one of my favorite foods. No lie.

Cereal is okay for weekends or morning when I am not scrambling to get out the door on time (which is almost never, let's be honest) So every other day I need something substantial that is grab and go.

Enter make-ahead dishes such as these Lemon Donuts (made with whole wheat flour!) and Egg-cups.

These cute little donut bites are super easy and inexpensive to make and they keep really well for a few days when sealed in a Tupperware container. I replaced half the flour with whole wheat pastry flour and left off any kind of glaze/frosting. I love plain cake donuts and I think the lemon extract in the batter gives it enough favor. They'll pair just fine with a cup of greek yogurt and some coffee.

Another favorite make ahead grab-n-go breakfast item are my egg cups. They're like a super simplified version of a frittata. Not that frittata's are hard to make..... you get my point.

You can add whatever tickles your fancy to these as well- love those kind of dishes.

After these had completely cooled, I packaged these up, 2 to a baggie, and popped them in the fridge. I will eat them cold, but if cold eggs don't seem appealing to you, pop them in the microwave for 15-ish seconds before eating them (duh) and you're good to go!

Recipes

Lemon Donuts
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 white sugar
2 teasp baking powder
1 teasp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons lemon extract (or orange)

Preheat oven to 375*. lightly grease donut pans (mine made 2 pans of mini's)

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, butter, and extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until well combined. spoon or pipe batter into donut pans (about 1/2 full).
Bake for 5-10mins. Tops should be puffed up and spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Egg Cups
1 egg per cup you plan to make
chopped ham/turkey/pepperoni, etc.
chopped green onion
whatever else you want- cheese, bacon, cubed cooked potatoes...

Heat oven to 400*. Lightly grease muffin cups and add in your "toppings". Crack and egg into each cup and use a fork or knife to break the yolk and let all the ingredients get friendly in the up. Bake for 15mins. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing the fridge!



P.S. I guest posted for Melissa at 20 Going On 80 on Friday- tips to stay motivated and a super yummy soup recipe! Go check it out!
P.P.S. Are you loving the new blog look? Thoughts? Comments?
P.P.P.S. Happy Birthday to Elvis. The end.

Food for Fuel- Kale edition

I may have a thing for cabbage. Secret cabbage, at that.

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Today's Food for Fuel is brought to you by Kale; it looks like salad, comes in curly and plain leafed varieties, and is the cabbage family's wild child. That's right, Kale comes from the cabbage family. The "wild cabbage" family. Par-tay.

Kale, or Borecole, is a form of cabbage that grows in green or purple. You may not have thought of Kale as a member of the cabbage family because it's leaves do not form a head like it's siblings broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts.

Origins: aka: where I get my nerd-on.
Kale was one of the most common green vegetables in Europe until the end of the Middle Ages
(1453, the Turks conquest of Constantinople.)
In 4th century BC Greece the curly leaf varieties already existed alongside the flat leaf varieties. These curly leaf varieties were referred to by the Romans as Sabellian kale and are thought to be the ancestors of modern kale.
Nerd Alert:
During WWII, the civilians of the United States of America along with the civilians of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany grew "war gardens" (or Victory Gardens). These were private residential gardens that were encouraged so as to take pressure off of public food supply created by the war effort. Gardeners were rewarded by not only the produce grown, but the satisfaction that they were indirectly aiding in the war effort. In the U.K. during their "dig for victory" campaign, the cultivation of kale was highly encouraged for its important nutrients that would supplement those lost in a normal diet due to rationing.

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Nutrition Information:
Kale is seriously a super food- a Super Duper Food! It is very high in beta carotene (for your eyes), Vitamins C & K, and rich in calcium. Kale contains sulforaphane, an anti cancer chemical! These are particularly potent when kale is chopped (kind of like when you smash garlic, same-ish thought) Kale is also a good source of a chemical called indole-3-carbinol which boosts DNA repair in cells and is thought to block the growth of cancer cells. SEE? Super Duper Food!
Not convinced yet? Alright, well, I have more!
If you cook it by steaming the fiber related components in Kale can do a better job of cleaning you out. As in, they bind together with bile acids in your digestive tract then making it easier for bile acids to be excreted which in turn lowers your cholesterol level. Hey, you said you needed more....

What to do with it?
Well, technically you could just wash it, tear it up and throw in it your salad.... but sometimes it's a bit bitter that way. Plus when cooked it releases all the good stuff. :-)
Here's two recipes I really like. Baked Kale Chips (I add parmesean cheese to mine) & Sauteed Kale.
Kale also freezes really well and tends to become more sweet after it's been frosted a little bit. However you cook it, just please do NOT boil it. Say buh-bye to all it's super-duper food powers if you do.... just sayin.

before the oven

after a 9min bake at 350*. mmm tasty

Okay, so to recap: it's related to the cabbage family (snap, snap) it's a Super-Duper Food (I wish I had a picture of Kale with as cape on, the new caped crusader?) and NO BOILING.- also, do not buy if there are yellow spots on the leaves, means it's old, blech.

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