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Acorn Squash Stuffed With Quinoa, Cranberries and Mushrooms

Posted on 28. Nov, 2010 by Karri Wells.

I’ve been looking for a good squash recipe for weeks.  This is not only healthy, but tasty and really filling.  Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

• 1 acorn squash
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and place in a 8x8x2 inch glass pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and cover with tin foil.  Bake in oven for 45 minutes.

Combine cranberries and water in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Add quinoa and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes or until seeds are translucent.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil and add mushrooms, onion and sage.  Saute for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Add cranberries and water, cook for another two minutes.

Combine quinoa and the mushroom, onion, and cranberry mixture.  Spoon this into the squash halves and cook in oven for another 10 minutes at 425.

Salt and pepper to taste.

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Real World McDonalds Experiment

Posted on 20. Oct, 2010 by Karri Wells.

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Roasted Beets and Carrots with Hummus and Pita

Posted on 15. Oct, 2010 by Karri Wells.

When I was a kid my mom grew beets in our garden, but you couldn’t have paid me to eat them. I didn’t understand how a vegetable could turn such a brilliant color of red when cooked.  I was convinced that blood was somehow involved, and I didn’t want any part of it.  Plus, they smelled like dirt.

As an adult, I’ve come to love beets, especially in salads or with goat cheese.  Until recently I had never actually cooked beets myself.  This recipe was my first attempt, and I would say it was a success.

Ingredients

• 8 medium red beets cleaned, trimmed
• 5 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 5 medium carrots
• 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Hummus
• Whole wheat pita

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets in roasting pan; drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; toss. Add 2/3 cup water to pan.  Cover with foil. Roast until tender, about 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel carrots and cut into thirds crosswise, then quarter lengthwise. Place carrots on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Roast until carrots are tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool carrots and beets.

Using fingers, rub peel off beets.  (Considering wearing gloves, you WILL stain your hands, nails, and everything around you.)  Cut each beet into 6 wedges. Place in medium bowl.

In a small bowl, combine cumin and vinegar; whisk in 1/4 cup oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Do ahead Beets, carrots, and vinaigrette can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill. Bring all to room temperature and rewhisk vinaigrette before continuing.

Combine carrots and beets in a large bowl.  Add parsley, shallots, and lemon juice; toss to blend.

Drizzle vinaigrette over the beet and carrot mixture before serving.  Serve with warm whole wheat pita and hummus*.

*I used the Sabra Supremely Spicy hummus, because that is what we in the fridge.  It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t really go with the other flavors very well. I suggest using plain or garlic hummus.

This recipe went over very well and I will definitely be making it again sometime soon.  Anybody have any beet recipes?  I want to explore the possibilities of this vegetable!

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Quinoa With Zucchini and Chickpeas

Posted on 11. Oct, 2010 by Karri Wells.

One of my more successful concoctions involves quinoa, zucchini and chickpeas.  It was inspired by a similar dish from Bon Appetit.  It’s flavorful, healthy and inexpensive (all things I like).  I made this for my sister when she was here a few weeks ago, and she loved it.

So, ‘what the F is quinoa?

Quinoa prounounced “kinwa” is a high protein, amino acid rich, tasty little seed.  It has become my new favorite ingredient in dinner experiments.  It’s pretty easy to cook, and it’s really versatile. Plus it’s gluten-free if that applies to you.

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, minced*
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons turmeric, divided
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika,* divided
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa (about 6 ounces),** rinsed well, drained
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 6 medium zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

*If you have a hot date cut the garlic in half.

Instructions

Combine chickpeas and lemon juice in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil; press in garlic and stir to combine. Let marinate at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and 1 teaspoon paprika; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, quinoa, and coarse salt; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the grill* (medium high heat). Place zucchini on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with ground cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and 1 teaspoon paprika. Toss to coat evenly.

Place zucchini on grill; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to work surface. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Add zucchini, green onions, and parsley, then chickpea mixture to quinoa. Toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

*If you don’t have a grill, or if that just sounds like a lot of work, you can also bake the zucchini in the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

This makes about 8 servings.  I realize that sounds like a lot, but you will want them.  The leftovers are great!   Do you cook with quinoa often?  Please share your recipes with me!  I’m always looking for a new dish to try out.

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Fall Eats: Sweet Potato Stew

Posted on 09. Oct, 2010 by Karri Wells.

I’ve been cooking a lot more recently, and I’m not going to lie, I’ve been impressed with myself.  This is a hearty cool weather dish, that is tasty and healthy.  Plus it’s vegetarian and vegan friendly.  I almost always double the recipe because this makes for great leftovers.

The original recipe is from Epicurious, but I’ve made a few modifications to suit my tastes.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams; about 2 medium), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups orange juice
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 15- to 16-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
• 2 poblano chilies, seeded, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• Greek Yogurt (optional – skip for Vegans, obviously)
• Avocado slices (optional)
• Orange wedges (optional)

Instructions
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add ginger, chili powder and cumin and stir 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, orange juice and garlic and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until sweet potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir beans, poblano chilies and bell pepper into sweet potato mixture. Cover and simmer until chilies are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before continuing, stirring occasionally.)

According to Epicurious this is supposed to make four servings.  I find that it seems like we always end up with more like five or six.  I’ve been meaning to try this over wheatberries, which I think would make for a nice variation.   You can’t really go wrong with wheatberries in my opinion.

Happy eating!  Hope you enjoy this dish much as I do

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Have Your Beer and Make Music Too

Posted on 03. Sep, 2010 by Karri Wells.

Tuned Pale Ale combines two of my great loves in life, music and beer.  How many times have you blown into your beer bottle to make a sound?  I’ve always loved experimenting with the different tones I can achieve,  much to the dismay of my drinking compadres.

Tuned Pale Ale takes that concept a couple steps further.  The bottles come in various shapes and sizes which produce different sounds.  The label tells you what notes can be played when the beer reaches each level.  If that wasn’t already cool enough, the holder can be turned upside down and played as a drum.   Has your mind exploded yet?  Think of all the impromptu jam sessions this is bound to inspire.

The only bad part is that you can’t actually buy this anywhere. The creators, Matt Braun and Chris Mufalli, produced a small batch initially, and are now looking for larger brewing and distribution options.

What other food and beverages items could be transformed into instruments?  1, 2, 3 brainstorm!!

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Banana Puddin’ Dessert

Posted on 26. Jul, 2010 by Karri Wells.

I’ve been craving pudding recently, so last night I decided to make Banana Puddin’ Dessert for dinner.  Brian told me that I couldn’t eat pudding for dinner, but I did it anyway, because I’m an adult and the best part of being an adult is doing whatever you want.  I was able to whip this up in less than 10 minutes.  The recipe makes four servings, or in my case, two ‘dinner’ sized servings.

Ingredients

• 1 Package Instant Banana Pudding
• 2 cups skim milk
• 16 Vanilla wafers, crushed
• Whip Cream or Cool Whip
• 2 Bananas, sliced

Combine the pudding mix and milk in a bowl and whisk for 2 minutes.  Set aside.   Split the crushed vanilla wafers across four bowls.  Spoon the pudding over the wafers.  Top with sliced bananas and whip cream.  EAT!

Despite the fact that this is frequently served in elementary schools and nursing homes I think it is pretty tasty.  What are your favorite pudding recipes?

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