Warm Quinoa, Spinach, Chicken & Mushroom Salad

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Can you believe 2014 is already here?  Last year seemed to go by so quickly, and I hope it was a fantastic year for you.  Personally, I'm super excited about 2014 and can't wait to see what it has in store. 

The recipe I'm bringing you today is a hearty, warm salad that will be an easy, flavorful addition to your weeknight repertoire.  The ingredients are common and making use of a rotisserie chicken takes this dish up even one more notch on the simplicity scale.  Plus, anytime I can incorporate a little healthy quinoa into a meal, I'm in.

First, a quick dressing is whipped up using red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper.  Half of this dressing is drizzled over the mushrooms, and then they are broiled until tender.  Delish.  After that, all that's left is cooking the quinoa and then mixing together all the ingredients in a big ole' bowl - baby spinach, chicken, quinoa, mushrooms and the remaining dressing.  A sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese perfectly finishes it all off.

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Warm Quinoa, Spinach, Chicken & Mushroom Salad
Adapted from:  Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar 
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil  
Coarse salt and ground pepper  
2 pounds button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced  
1 1/2 cups quinoa  
1 pound baby spinach 
2 cups cooked chicken, diced (a rotisserie chicken is a great time saver!)
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

On a large rimmed broiler-proof baking sheet, toss mushrooms with about half the dressing (reserve the rest); broil, tossing occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine quinoa, 3 cups water, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Cover, and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Place spinach and cooked chicken in a large bowl; add hot mushrooms, quinoa, and reserved dressing. Toss to combine (spinach will wilt slightly). Top with crumbled feta, and serve immediately.

Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake

Can you feel it?  The Christmas spirit, that is??

This time of year is magical.  My parents and grandparents made this time of year so special and unforgettable growing up.  From hearing Santa on the roof, to spotting Rudolph's shining red nose in the Christmas Eve sky, to impatiently waiting at the top of the stairs with my little sisters on Christmas morning, waiting until we were given the go-ahead to come scrambling down the stairs to see what goodies Santa had brought.

Even as an adult, those memories make this time of year just as special.

As I sit here illuminated by the glow of the Christmas tree lights, I'm thankful for the blessings that have come my way.  Among all the holiday shopping, parties, and gift wrapping, it's always fun to bake traditional Christmas goodies.    It just wouldn't be Christmas-time without some homemade sweet treats.  

When it comes to traditional holiday desserts, I can't think of any cake more reminiscent of the season than a strikingly-red, Red Velvet Cake.

This recipe from Paula Deen turned out beautifully.  I made it for our annual Christmas party/luncheon at work, and it was a big hit.  This cake had a somewhat dense, yet tender texture that was moist and perfect.  I did not use Paula's icing recipe after reading the reviews.  It incorporated melted marshmallows, and several reviewers noted that it was a little too sweet.  Instead, I used one of my favorite, classic cream cheese icing recipes and simply added a cup of shredded coconut to give it a twist.

This one will definitely be my go-to recipe in the future.  

Bon Appetit and Merry Christmas, my friends!!!

Red Velvet Cake
Adapted from:  Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake, from Paula Deen

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar 
Cream Cheese Icing (recipe below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. 

Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. 

In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Icing:

Adapted from:  Annette Harrell

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 stick margarine, room temperature

1 lb. confectioners sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Ingredients:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth. Add vanilla. Slowly add small portions of the confectioners sugar and mix on low until well blended. Stir in shredded coconut.  

Tostadas Salsa Verde

 

Oh, how I love this dish.  First of all, Brad and I adore Mexican food.  We make it a point to fit it into our schedules at least once a week, if not more.  Secondly, this dish is so easy and flavorful, that I made it three times within the same week.  See, we had extra ingredients on hand after the first night, and I didn't want them to go to waste.  The solution?  Enjoy it multiple times, of course!

Making use of a rotisserie chicken makes this meal even easier.  If you can't get your hands on a rotisserie chicken, simply poach some chicken breasts ahead of time and shred the meat.  In fact, that's what the original recipe called for.

The tortillas are covered with shredded cheese and then baked to crispy, cheesy perfection.  Then, they are topped with a mixture of tender chicken, salsa verde, fresh cilantro and ground cumin.  This all bakes in the oven until piping hot, and then it's served with a mountain of shredded lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream on top.

Um, yum!

It sort of reminded me of a Mexican pizza of sorts.  You'll love this, folks!

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Tostadas Salsa Verde
Adapted from:  Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart, pg. 211

Ingredients:
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
3 ounces shredded (3/4 cup) pepper Jack cheese
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded chicken (from a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup jarred green salsa, plus more for serving
1/4 cup chopped, plus 2 tablespoons cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over tortillas; bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together chicken, salsa, 1/4 cup cilantro, and cumin. Spoon mixture evenly over tortillas; bake until heated through, about 8 minutes.

Top with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately, with additional green salsa, if desired. 

Perfectly Sweet Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gracious...I've missed blogging lately.  Every once in a while, life just gets in the way and prevents me from blogging as much as I'd like.  I promise I'll do better...especially with all the holiday deliciousness coming up VERY soon!  (Oh my goodness, is it really almost Thanksgiving!?!)

Hopefully, I can make up for it a little bit with these mouth-watering muffins that will make a perfectly sweet treat for your out-of-town guests over the Thanksgiving holiday.  They are great for a sinful treat at breakfast, yet they are an equally perfect mid-afternoon snack.

I made these as a post-birthday surprise for my 9 year old niece over the weekend.  She was one happy camper when she woke up to the smell of these babies wafting through the air.  I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate, just so they wouldn't cross the line of being TOO sweet first thing in the morning.  You could also add your favorite nuts to the batter, if you feel like it.

Now, I'm just wondering  what these would taste like with a little banana added to the batter.  Hmm...I just might try that next time. 

Bon Appetit and Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

Perfectly Sweet Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from:  food.com

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light-brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (11 1/2 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Grease twelve muffin cups with no-stick cooking spray, or line with baking cups.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together flour, both sugars, baking powder, and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla until blended.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.
 

Stir in chocolate chips and spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. 

Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.  Remove muffin tin to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

Note:  These muffins can be frozen.

Delicious Turkey Chili

It's very possible that a hot bowl of chili is among the very best ways to remedy a cold fall evening.  Don't you agree?  My mom-in-law, Carol, makes an out-of-this-world chili, which I've written about HERE.  It's amazing.  I'll forever compare any chili that I have from here on out to hers.  

This lightened up version, adapted from Guy Fieri, was actually pretty dadgum delicious.  Ground turkey is a much healthier alternative to the traditional ground beef.  I also used reduced sodium beans, so that I could be more in control of the salt content.  

Don't let the long ingredients list scare you away from this one.  All of the elements are common ingredients and are easy to prepare.  It all gets tossed into a large pot and simmered for an hour, which is super easy.  

The red & green bell peppers, garlic, red onions and turkey make a fabulous base and are perfectly seasoned with a variety of spices, like chili powder, paprika, and cumin.   Using three different kinds of beans also makes this chili extra special.  The tomato paste and tomato sauce just add to the deliciousness, and shredded cheddar is a classic garnish to finish it off.

And you know what?  This chili is even "Carol Approved!"  She loved it!  :)

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Delicious Turkey Chili
Adapted from:  Ryder's Turkey Chili by Guy Fieri

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons canola oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 jalapeno peppers, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
9 cloves garlic, minced
2 small red onions, diced
3 pounds coarsely ground turkey (thigh and breast meat)
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 cups tomato sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups canned pinto beans with liquid
3 cups canned kidney beans with liquid
2 cups canned black beans with liquid
Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
Saltine crackers, for serving

Directions:

Warm the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic and red onions and cook until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add the turkey and gently stir, trying not to break up the meat too much; cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and sauce, stir for 4 minutes, then add the chicken broth. Add the granulated onion and garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Stir in the beans and their liquid, lower the heat and cook, uncovered, for at least 1 hour. Garnish with shredded cheddar and serve with saltines.