Sauteed Veggie Quinoa

Click here for the original link.

I love this recipe!! I added more to the original recipe. If I made the original recipe, I am sure I would love it just as much! I love fresh garlic and I love onions and corn!! Since I love all of that I added more to the recipe. I also added some spam into it, because I like spam and I wanted some meat. You definitely don’t have to add spam. I understand there are some people who either don’t know what it is or doesn’t enjoy it. But I grew up in Hawaii and for some reason (there’s an actual reason for it), it’s really popular in Hawaii.

This recipe gave me two bowls, and I ate alone. If you are looking for something that you want to make for yourself and you aren’t planning to have anything else for the meal, then this will be good for you.

I think next time I make this dish, I need more cremini mushrooms and onions. Hope you will enjoy this dish as much as I did.

Here’s what I put in it:

Ingredients:

½ cup of dry quinoa
½ tsp of chicken bullion

1 cup of water
3 Cremini mushrooms, sliced

4 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
¼ sweet onion, chopped

1 cup corn

Small handful of cubed spam (optional)
4 cloves of garlic
salt/pepper to taste
3 tbs butter

Directions:

Bring water, broth, and quinoa to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. 

While the quinoa is cooking, melt the butter in a pan on medium heat. Then add the garlic and let it cook for a minute. Add the onion and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, corn and spam (if you’re using spam). While that’s cooking, season with salt and pepper. I didn’t add salt, and I’m glad I didn’t. I think my butter was salted. I only added fresh ground pepper.

Turn the heat down to low and add the cooked quinoa and combine flavors for a few minutes. I actually added the veggies into the pot of quinoa. Whatever floats your boat!

Enjoy!!

Lemon Penne with Chicken and Spinach

Here’s the original link: http://therecipecrayonbox.blogspot.com/2012/07/lemon-angel-hair-with-chicken-and.html

 

This is a really yummy dish. There are a few tiny changes I did to the original directions. But I made some notes after for what I'd rather do next time I make it. I didn't like the way the directions went. I love lemon and sour things. If you like lemons too, you will love this dish.

Here's what I had in it:

Ingredients: 

1 lb Penne pasta
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
2 lemons, zest and juice
3/4 c. half-and-half
1 c. Parmesan, grated (or shredded)
Leafy greens  (I used a box that had had baby spinach, red and green chard and, Kale)
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup pasta water

Chicken:

2 ½ Boneless, Skinless Chicken thigh, cut into bite-size

¾ tsp Fresh ground pepper

¾ tsp Garlic Powder

¾ tsp Garlic Salt

¾ tsp Oregano

½ tsp dried crushed basil

¾ tsp Tajin (very mild chili powder with a hint of lime flavor) (Optional)

Mix the seasonings for the chicken and marinate the chicken. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water well, and add pasta. When that is done, reserve ½ cup of pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large pan over med heat. Oil the pan and put some sliced of chicken into the pan. I like to cover the pan for the chicken to cook faster.  I made mines in three batches. When they are cooked, leave on a plate on the side.

 With the pot you used to cook the pasta (without the pasta), add oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cook until the oil sizzles (about 7-10 minutes). Add lemon juice, half-and-half, and a ladle of the pasta water to the garlic oil mixture. Raise the heat to med-low to med heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Add the pasta, zest, and 1/2 c. Parmesan to the cream sauce. Toss for a minute or two. Add chicken and spinach, and toss until well distributed. Top with remaining cheese.

Enjoy!

I completed the dish with a Pillsbury biscuit. Was quite good!!

I think if I made it again, I would have rather add the lemon juice, half-and-half and the pasta water into the pepper garlic oil mixture, then the zest and cheese. I would have had that all mixed together well then add the pasta, greens and chicken.  You can follow the original recipe procedure first and then cater it to your liking. Have fun and enjoy!!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Original link

Like the original cook, I loved adding sausage into my mac and cheese, but due to my love of spicy food, I always added Tobasco to my mac and cheese. When I saw this recipe, I wanted to try this, because I never thought to make mac and cheese with spicy cheese before. It’s such a great idea!! But the original cook used Monterey Jack cheese. I chose to use Pepper Jack cheese. I also didn’t use Turkey sausage like she did. I added Portuguese sausage. That’s double spicy!! If you don’t like too spicy, then you don’t have to use this same cheese and sausage. 

I enjoyed how it turned out!! I didn't have to add tobasco sauce to it. It was perfect the way I made it!!

The original recipe says to use the broiler, I have no idea how to use our broiler!! I’m used to electrical stoves and I now have a gas stove. It’s kind of different and the broiler is this tiny little thing on the bottom haha. Another thing the original recipe asks for a cast iron skillet but I don’t have one!! Kind of sad. 

Here’s what I had in it:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 12-ounce package Portuguese Sausage
1 1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth (low sodium is healthier, but I used boullion)
1 10-ounce can diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, Original Style (I used a 14 oz. can)
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces uncooked penne pasta (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Thinly sliced scallions
Salt, to taste
Directions:

Heat a pan to cook the Portuguese sausage. When that is done, soak it on a paper towel.

You can choose to clean the pan of the oil but I left a little of the oil from the sausage on the pan instead of using the olive oil. Heat oil in the pan and add the onion for about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer into a medium pot.

Add the broth, can tomatoes, heavy cream, uncooked pasta, and pepper, and give the mixture a good stir. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice while cooking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while the pasta is cooking.
Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Taste, and add salt as needed. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish or a 9”x13” baking dish. Top with the scallions and remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned - about 5 minutes.

Veggie Quinoa Soup

Original link: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/vegetable-quinoa-soup/

I want to call this “chicken-less chicken noodle-less quinoa soup” haha!! Just because instead of using vegetable broth for the soup, I used chicken broth. I love this soup!! I think the next time I make it, I’m putting more corn because I LOVE CORN!!! I think I want to add more basil too. But I drank 2 bowls of this soup. It makes about 4 bowls, depending on the size of your bowl. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

Here’s what I had in it:

 

Ingredients:

1 cup water

½ cup quinoa

1 Tbs olive oil

¾ cup onion, diced

3 clove garlic, minced

¾ cup Celery, chopped

¾ cup Corn

¾ cup sweet grape tomatoes, quartered

Half a bell pepper (I used orange for color)

2 cups chicken broth (2 tsps of chicken bouillon and 2 cup water)

1 bay leaf

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Boil water in a pot. When it boils, add the quinoa. When it comes to a boil, bring down to a simmer for 15 mins or until it softens.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. I added the corn with the onions because I forgot to defrost my corn. If your corn isn’t frozen then add with the celery. Add the garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the corn (if you didn’t already), celery, and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the chicken broth, quartered tomatoes, bell peppers, bay leaves, and basil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!!