Quinoa Bowl with Chicken and Avocado Cream

Food Network Kitchen

Prep: 15 min     Cook 30 min 

Yield:

4 bowls (about 1 cup quinoa each)

Ingredients:

1 -1/2 cups red quinoa

1 C fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped, plus 4 sprigs for garnish

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Kosher salt

1 Avocado, halved, pitted and cut into large chunks

1/4 C Sour Cream

3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan

Juice of 1 lime, plus 1 lime, quartered

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 C frozen fire-roasted corn, thawed

2 C shredded rotisserie chicken meat

2 C tortilla chips, crushed

1 C black bean salsa

1/4 C roasted and salted pepitas

Directions:

Make the quinoa: Bring the quinoa and 2-1/2 C water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until the quinoa is tender and most of the water is absorbed, 20-25 minutes. Drain off any excess water. Stir in the chopped cilantro, scallions, oil and 1/2 tsp. salt. 

Make the avocado cream: While the quinoa cooks, process or blend the avocado, sour cream, Parmesan, lime juice, 1 Tbsp. water, cayenne and 3/4 tsp. salt in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.

If the corn still has a chill, microwave it for about 1 minute.

Build the bowls: Divide the quinoa evenly among 4 bowls. Top each with neat piles and/or rows of chicken, tortilla chips, corn, salsa and pepitas. Top with some sauce, a sprig of cilantro and a lime quarter.

Crock Pot Taco Chili

A Total Health and Fitness Recipe. Very meaty.

Crock Pot Taco Chili    Serves 10

Per 1-1/4 cup Serving

204 Calories, 17 gm Protein, 1 gm fat, 33 gm carbs

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1 - 16 oz. can black beans

1 - 16 oz. can kidney beans

1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

10 oz. package frozen corn

2 - 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes with chilies

1 packet taco seasoning

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

24 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 c. Chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients except chicken and cilantro in a crock pot. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on low for ~ 6-8 hours or ~3 hours on high. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred finely. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro.

Janice's Pasta Chicken Salad

 Another good one from Janice. Can make with or without the chicken.

Dressing

2/3 C Rice Vinegar

1/2 C Honey

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Chopped onion (dried)

2 tsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika

2 tsp Celery Seed

Dash salt and pepper

1-1/2 C Oil (Olive and Canola)

Mix ingredients together

Salad

16 oz. Bowtie Pasta

1 Pkg Mixed Greens

Red or Green Grapes

1 bunch Green Onions

1 C Toasted Pine Nuts

1 C Grated Parmesan or Feta Cheese

3 Cooked Chicken Breasts

Toss all together. Add dressing right before serving

Marian's English Toffee

My kids and Bryan love this recipe that I originally got from Bryan's mother. Warning: it is addictive.


1/2 lb. (1-1/2 C) almonds
2 large (8 oz. each) Hershey milk chocolate bars

Chop the almonds in a blender. Grate the chocolate (I use a Cuisinart). Prepare a jelly roll pan by lightly greasing then spreading with half of the almonds followed by a layer of half of the chocolate.
Reserve the other half of each for spreading on the top.

2-1/2 C sugar
2 C (1 lb.) butter
1 cup water
4 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/3 lb. (1 C) slivered almonds

In heavy pan melt butter. Mix in all the other ingredients. Cook over high heat until 290* or hard crack, stirring constantly. Immediately pour into pan and spread. Sprinkle chocolate in a layer and let melt so you can spread. Follow with the rest of the almonds. Let cool. Break into pieces.

Best Cornbread Recipe from www.blessthismessplease.com

Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess 

Prep Time: 5 min 
Cook Time: 20 min 
Total Time: 25 minutes 
Yield: Serves 8-10

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Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup neutral oil or melted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk

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Instructions

1. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or cast iron skillet well and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine well.
3. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add your oil or butter, milk, and egg. Stir just until the mixture comes together and there are only a few lumps remaining.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Serve hot.

Notes

• You can make it it in a 9-inch round cake pan, square baking dish, or 9-inch cast iron skillet. Bonus! You can also make these into muffins or double the recipe and toss it in a 9×13-inch baking pan. You’ll just need to adjust the baking time if you are making muffins or doubling the batch. Muffins take around 15 minutes to bake and a doubled recipe takes 35-40 minutes to bake.
• Use yellow cornmeal in this recipe. White works fine, but it just doesn’t look the same. Golden yellow cornbread is a must. Also, don’t try to sub any of the cornmeals used for making tamales – they are a different grind and the texture doesn’t come out the same.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Slice

Serves 10

Amount Per Serving
Calories		173
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1.1g		2%
Cholesterol 19.1mg		6%
Sodium 516.8mg		22%
Total Carbohydrate 37g		12%
	Sugars 15.1g
Protein 4g		8%

Ann's Banana Cream Pie

This pie has a custard base that makes it extra good-no comparison to the jello pudding variety. Ann says to make sure you give it several hours to chill and set. Thanks for sharing.

Ingredients 

Baked Pie Shell
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
3 cups whole milk
5 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp butter - cut up
2 tsp vanilla
4 ripe medium bananas
3/4 cup whipping cream

     In 3-quart saucepan, stir cornstarch, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar.  With wire whisk, beat in milk.  Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils - stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat.
     In small bowl, with wire whisk, lightly beat eff yolks. In thin steady stream, whisk about 1/2 cup hot milk mixture into yolks.  Gradually whisk yolk mixture back into milk mixture - stirring rapidly to prevent curdling.  Cook over low heat until mixture is very thick and coats the back of a spoon well or temperature reaches 160*, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat.
     Stir in butter and vanilla until butter melts. Transfer custard to medium bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface. Refrigerate until cool - about 30 minutes.
     Slice 3 bananas and arrange half of bananas in bottom of baked crust. Spread with half of custard. Repeat with remaining bananas and custard.  Press plastic wrap onto surface; refrigerate until filling is set - at least 4 hours or overnight.
 
     To serve - in a small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat whipping cream with remaining 2 Tbsp of sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over filling. Slice remaining banana and arrange on top of pie. 

Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

Shortcut Sweet Potato Bake

I got this recipe from Karen Hurley at a cooking class. She makes it quickly with the canned yams. It was good but I still prefer to boil my cut up sweet potatoes until cooked but still firm; layer them in a baking dish with some pats of butter and salt (Bryan likes it with brown sugar added here but I find it a little too sweet) and then just use her topping recipe. I will post her original.

12 Servings

Yams
2 -28 oz. cans Yams in syrup, drained
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup shopped pecans (or nuts of your choice-I like chopped almonds)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup self-rising flour
         (I often don't have the self-rising. You can make it yourself with 1/4 cup regular flour minus 1/2 teaspoon. Add a shy half teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch salt and you make the full 1/4 cup)


     Mash sweet potatoes in mixing bow: add sugar, salt, milk, butter,eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Pour into a 9X13 baking dish. Cover and refrigerate until 1 hour before serving.
     Mix the topping ingredients just until crumbly; set aside until ready to bake. (Can be made up to one week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.) Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potato mixture before baking
     Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.