Pineapple Fried Quinoa

Recipe Type: Side Dish
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Alli
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Based off the fried rice I love so much from Ban Thai in White Bear Lake, MN. Except subbing quinoa for rice, a nice way to get more protein and still keep it veggie only.
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or any preferred oil, I liked coconut for this recipe)
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 4 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 Tbsp Chicken broth
  • 3 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder
  • 1 Tbsp coriander
  • 1/2 cup cashews (salted or unsalted, whatever your preference)
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (follow directions on package)
  • 1 Tbsp diced green chilies
  • 1/4-1/2 cup golden raisins or currants
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup diced pineapple (fresh is best, but when in a hurry use canned)
Instructions
  1. Heat oil at medium-high heat.
  2. Add shallots and garlic. Saute for a couple minutes.
  3. Make a well for the beaten egg and add it into the pan, scramble it.
  4. Mix chicken broth, fish sauce and spices in a separate bowl. add that into the pan.
  5. Saute for a few minutes.
  6. Add cashews, saute for 5 minutes.
  7. Mix in cooked quinoa.
  8. Add in frozen peas, raisins and pineapple.
  9. Saute till peas are no longer frozen.
  10. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pineapple fried quinoa

Baked Cream Cheese Wonton’s

 

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Baked Cream Cheese Wonton's

Course Appetizers
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Author Alli

Ingredients

  • Wonton wrappers
  • Cream cheese
  • Water

Instructions

  • Place a dollop of cream cheese in the center of the wrapper
  • Wet the outline of the wonton wrapper with water
  • Fold the wrapper into a triangle
  • Wet the base of the triangle and fold the base of the triangle in
  • Place on lightly oiled nonstick pan ( I use parchment paper as well)
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until golden brown
  • Depending on the seal you obtain some of the cream cheese may escape- don't worry its still edible 🙂 yum!

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Date Night in Stillwater

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURESWhat to do on a Friday night during the long Minnesota winters? Take a cooking class with your kids in Stillwater! It was “Date Night in Stillwater” with Chef Manfred Krug. The menu included: Caesar Salad with Crispy Capers, Chili Con Carne, Grilled Flank with Creamed Horseradish, Oven Roasted Potatoes with Herbs, Lemony Green Beans, with Brown Sugar Berry Shortcakes for dessert. It was a sensational way to warm up on a cold night and a fun time with Alli, John, Natalie, Mickey, Karen and Dave all working together to improve their culinary skills. Yum!

Cranberry Guacamole

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Cranberry Guacamole

I had the pleasure of meeting Tammy at a Christmas gathering this season at North Haven Church. I loved her message which encouraged women to share the gift of hospitality with others as we welcome people into our homes and feed them good food. Not a guacamole fan I was apprehensive tasting this dip, and then I shouldn't have, it was amazing. I love the Christmasy colors that this dip has as well as the spectacular taste. Thanks Tammy!
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 12
Author Tammy Maltby

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe Hass avocados seeded, peeled, and coarsely mashed
  • ½ cup canned salsa verde green salsa
  • 4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
  • 1 fresh jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. coarse garlic salt
  • Juice from 1 large lime
  • 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries such as Craisins or dried cherries, soaked in water for ten minutes, drained, and squeezed dry. (Or if you prefer you can use fresh cranberries)

Instructions

  • Coarsely mash avocados and fold in remaining ingredients.
  • Guacamole is best made as close to serving as possible. Keep the seeds in the dip to prevent discoloring.
  • For short-term storage, seal in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the guacamole. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

 

Skinny Broccoli Cheese Soup

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Skinny Broccoli Cheese Soup

It's a chilly November day and one of my Dad's favorite soups is Broccoli Cheese, which screams comfort food. I've always stayed away from making this soup for the mere fact that it's chock full of calories and saturated fat. Some quick research and I found that one of my favorite websites, Cooking Light, has a healthy version of this soup. I used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and added more broccoli without losing any of the cheesy goodness. I plan to serve it with some crusty organic garlic bread. Looking forward to seeing what Dad thinks of this recipe....stay tuned:)
Course Soups
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 3 cups unsalted vegetable stock
  • 4 cups broccoli florets coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 chopped carrot
  • ½ tsp salt I omitted this
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ + 1/8 cup half-and-half I used fat-free half-and-half
  • 4 ounces shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese divided
  • ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves optional, garnish

Instructions

  • Combine first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
  • Turn off the heat. Using an immersion (hand) blender, blend the soup until it's creamy.
  • Stir in 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup half-and-half and 2 ounces cheese. You don't need to turn the stove back on again, the residual heat from the soup should melt the cheese.
  • Top evenly with remaining 1 tbsp cheese per bowl and parsley.
  • Adapted from Cooking Light
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Sliders

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Sliders

Summer's a perfect time to enjoy a hamburger on the grill. Combine that with Father's Day and we decided to have our first annual Father's Day Slider Cook-off. While the girls share my enthusiasm for cooking and good food, my son-in-laws are great cooks in their own right, and the idea of a slider cook-off sparked their enthusiasm and creativity. A lot of thought went into their recipes as I observed the variety of ingredients and toppings, some delicious BBQ was sure to be had. Mickey and Natalie created a "Cuban Slider" with caribbean jerk spiced pork, ham and swiss cheese, while John and Alli created a "BBQ Slider" with goat cheese, banana peppers and BBQ sauce. Dave and I went back to our roots to create a "Philly Slider" with peppers, onions and provolone. All were delicious and filling, which called for some Kube action out on the lawn following the BBQ. I'd say we need to do this again, so fun.
Course Entree
Cuisine American

Ingredients

  • Cuban Slider - caribbean jerk spice lean boneless pork, ham slices and swiss cheese.
  • BBQ Slider - onions goat cheese, yellow banana peppers, avocado and BBQ sauce.
  • Philly Slider - steak sauce onions, red and green peppers, provolone cheese.

Instructions

  • Cuban Slider - rub caribbean jerk spice on a slice of lean boneless pork and sear, then sear a slice of ham and top both along with swiss cheese onto a grilled burger.
  • BBQ Slider - add onions and goat cheese to meat, grill meat, top with banana peppers, more goat cheese, avocado slices and BBQ sauce.
  • Philly Slider - add steak sauce to meat and grill, top with sauteed onions and peppers and provolone cheese, and grill some more to melt cheese.

 

Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yesterday it was fishing opener in Minnesota, May 11, 2013. It was a chilly, windy day with intermittent showers of sleet and pops of sunshine. We took a brisk walk down by the lake and I dreamed of soup to warm me up. Since it was so cold, chili first came to mind but I couldn't quite bring myself to go that route since I normally reserve chili for autumn days. Therefore, since I missed having Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo, I decided on chicken tortilla soup. Thanks to the Food Network and Rachael Ray this recipe hit the spot with its' variety of peppers and spice which was the kick we needed.
Course Soups
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Author Karen

Ingredients

  • 6 6-inch flour tortillas
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 large ancho chiles seeded and stemmed
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 ears corn on the cob husked, kernels removed or 1 cup frozen kernels, defrosted
  • 1 large red onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chile seeded and chopped
  • 1 red chile pepper seeded and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 28-ounce can fire roasted diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 rotisserie chicken skinned and shredded
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 cups water
  • 2 limes
  • 2 ripe avocados halved
  • Sour cream for garnish
  • Cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the tortillas into 1/2-inch strips and scatter on large baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and reserve.
  • While the tortillas crisp, add the ancho chiles and the chicken stock to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chiles are tender. Remove from the heat to cool.
  • While the anchos simmer, heat a medium soup pot with vegetable oil over high heat. Add the corn and saute until charred at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat a little, add the onions, jalapeno, red chile pepper and garlic. Season with cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon. Saute for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes. Puree the anchos and the stock in a food processor, then add it to the soup pot. Stir in the honey and the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Thin the soup with 1 or 2 cups of water and simmer over low heat to combine flavors, about 5 minutes.
  • Zest and juice 1 lime and add to the soup pot. Seed and dice the avocados and add to a small bowl. Dress with the juice of the remaining lime.
  • Pile some crispy tortilla strips into each soup bowl. Top with diced avocado and ladle the soup over the avocado. Garnish with sour cream and whole or chopped cilantro leaves.
  • Note: I used extra chicken broth instead of water and did not put the cinnamon in. You may also choose to bake chicken breasts and shred these instead of using a rotisserie chicken.
  • Recipe courtesy of: Rachael Ray

 

Baked Goat Cheese Salad

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Baked Goat Cheese Salad

Serving food to 4 adult children, who all love to cook and are great cooks in their own right, is always an excuse to try a new recipe and hopefully elicit an exclamation of approval. This recipe from Green Cooking did such that. The kids loved the warm goat cheese with strawberries. However, thumbs down on the Dijon Lemon dressing, we preferred a balsamic dressing instead.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 2 large Spanish onions thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup whole-wheat Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 egg whites
  • 4 oz Chèvre or spreadable goat cheese
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons chopped raw unsalted pecans
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries

Instructions

  • Caramelize onions: Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high and lightly mist with cooking spray. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. (NOTE: Skillet will be quite full to start, but onions shrink as they cook.) Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, sticky and light caramel in color, about 1 hour. Remove from heat, transfer to a large plate and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, combine Panko, thyme, salt and pepper. In a separate medium bowl, lightly beat egg whites; set aside. With your hands, gently press goat cheese into 4 1-oz balls and flatten each into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Dip patties in egg, turning to coat, then gently press both sides into Panko mixture; repeat process to coat each patty twice. Transfer to a small tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare dressing: In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, Dijon and additional salt and pepper; set aside.
  • Line a medium baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Arrange cheese patties in a single layer on 1 half of sheet and mist tops with cooking spray. Bake for 6 minutes. Flip patties and bake for 6 more minutes, until golden. Turn oven heat off and remove sheet from oven. Add pecans to remaining half of sheet. Return to oven until pecans are warm, about 3 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine arugula, strawberries and dressing. Toss gently to coat and divide among serving plates. Top with onions, pecans and cheese patties, dividing evenly.

 

Hash Brown Quiche

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Hash Brown Quiche

Up North for the weekend with friends was the reason to brunch together. This recipe proved to be a keeper as we dined together at Green Lake. Use Ham and Cheddar Cheese in one quiche and Vegies and Swiss in another, or whatever your taste buds enjoy.
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 -8
Author Karen

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded frozen hash browns thawed and drained
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • 1 cup half-and half OR 1/2 cup half-and-half with 1/2 cup milk
  • ¾ cup diced cooked ham
  • ½ cup diced green onions
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible.
  • In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate.
  • Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.
  • Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.
  • Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes unti the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.
  • Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

 

Spicy Chipotle Roast

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Spicy Chipotle Roast

When I married a deer hunter I knew I would have an opportunity to taste venison, but I didn't expect I would enjoy it so much! This is our favorite roast recipe- best when made with venison of course! But if you must, beef will work as well 🙂
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Author Alli

Ingredients

  • Venison or beef roast around 3 lb, frozen
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 can tomato soup
  • 2 T chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce finely chopped
  • 2 T balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced
  • 1 packet of dry onion soup mix
  • 4 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp cold water

Instructions

  • Pour half can of tomato soup in crock pot. Add frozen roast. Pour remaining soup, oil, and vinegar over roast. Add all remaining ingredients. Cook on Low for 8-12 hours. If possible, shred roast in crock pot with forks, about 2 hours before eating and allow to continue to cook on low. Serve over mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or rice (mashed potatoes is best)