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!!