Lime Scented Quinoa with Black Beans, Tomato and Cilantro—from Hannah Burns
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
zest of one lime
1 tablespoon of hot sauce (we used Central Market Organics Chipotle hot salsa)
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed, and drained
1 cup diced red or yellow tomatoes (we used a plastic container of Cherubs)
1 cup diced red or yellow bell pepper
--Bring stock to a boil; add quinoa. Stir, and bring back to a simmer. Cover, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the quinoa is fluffy and tender. Strain and let cool. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper, zest and hot sauce. Place quinoa, beans, tomatoes and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the olive oil mixture, and toss. Suggestion: Serve with sautéed kale or spinach lightly tossed with olive oil and garlic.
NOTE: Logan and I added a chicken we had oven roasted. We shredded the chicken and added it to the meal, adding some protein and flavor. (And we always want some type of “meat” with our meal!!!) This is a great dish, served hot for winter and would be great cold (like couscous) for the summer.
ABOUT QUINOA: That was the first time I had ever cooked with quinoa (keen-wah). Hannah and Casey had us over for dinner and she had made a wonderful quinoa dish with chicken, carrots and celery. (I’ll post that recipe later….) Quinoa is a very nutrient-dense grain, is safe for a gluten-free diet, is high-fiber, and it has anti-fungal properties. So in a nutshell, this is a very healthy, nutritious meal! Quinoa is a complete protein (one-quarter cup of uncooked quinoa has about six grams of protein, about as much as one egg), and contains vitamins B and E and trace minerals. There was no quinoa here in Marble Falls (go figure!), so Cinda got me some when she ran in to Whole Foods in Austin. You can buy it packaged in health food stores or in the bulk section of larger stores. If you buy bulk, make sure to rinse it off and drain before you cook it because it has a bitter taste if it is not rinsed.
Baked Spinach---from Ashley White
NOTE: Not only do we love spinach because it is healthy, but with cheese, it is even better! Ashley said their almost 2 year-old LOVES this…..
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
6 ounces Cheddar or Colby Cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)
freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 7 by 11 inch Pyrex dish. Add onion. Stir in flour. Combine spinach, eggs, cottage cheese, and Cheddar or Colby cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon spinach mixture into onion mixture. Stir to combine. Back uncovered 1 hour.
This casserole can be prepared a day ahead, refrigerated, and cooked the next day.
Osta Kaka (Swedish sweet cake)---From a friend of Ashley White’s
24 oz small curd cottage cheese
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups half ‘n half
almond extract (use your preference)
Drain the small curd cottage cheese into a colander for 2 hours. Discard milk. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the 4 eggs. Add the sugar, half ‘n half, and almond flavoring. Stir. Add cottage cheese. Spray casserole dish and pour in mixture. Bake 1 ½ to 2 hours. You can serve with fresh fruit or just eat alone! Yummy!
