Cheesy quinoa and broccolini

This is for all the grown-ups who want a more healthy alternative to macaroni and cheese. Quinoa is a grain, not a starch, and is full of protein!

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 4 oz. (1/2 block) cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1-2 teaspoons onion powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• any seasonings (i.e. italian seasoning, garlic, herbs, etc.), optional
• olive oil
• broccolini

In a saucepan, combine quinoa and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare the broccolini by adding 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan. Add the broccolini and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reserving 1 c. of the sharp cheddar. Spread into a baking dish (or 4 individual sized baking dishes). Sprinkle in remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Saute broccolini and serve, or choose any side of choice!

Chicken roll-ups with goat cheese and herbs

I have to admit, the main reason I chose this recipe is for two reasons: 1) Goat cheese makes EVERYTHING better. 2) When you make roll-ups with any kind of meat, you usually pound the meat to flatten it, so it’s fun to hit stuff. 🙂 You can use the actual tool (meat tenderizer) to do this, but I wrapped it up in plastic wrap and used a roll pin. Maybe save it for a day when you need to let some frustration out? The flavors and gooey goat cheese will melt all of your problems away.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 3 oz. each
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 oz. goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

On a cutting board, place one chicken thigh between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound to an even thickness, about ½”. Set aside and repeat with remaining chicken thighs.

Lay the chicken thighs out flat on a cutting board, rough side up. Season the inside of each with salt and pepper.

Place ½ oz. of goat cheese in a line down the middle of each thigh. Roll each thigh carefully around the goat cheese and secure with kitchen twine or tooth picks. Place on baking sheet about 2” apart.

Brush the outside of each roll up with olive oil and season with additional salt and pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time, or until the internal temperature of the chicken tests 165°F.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Cheesy spaghetti squash

Do you crave spaghetti or pasta but don’t want to feel the guilt of eating all those carbs? Well I have the perfect solution: spaghetti squash. You can literally replace it with spaghetti noodles and prepare it your favorite way, and it is much, much more healthful! It also goes well with marinara sauce, but I was in the mood for a cheesy, alfredo-y kind of meal.

• 2 spaghetti squash
• 1 and 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh or dry parsley

Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Make 2-3 vents in the squash by poking deep slits with a sharp knife. Bake in oven for 60-65 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

Cut squash in half, length wise, and scoop out seeds.

With a fork, shred the inside of the squash, forming your “spaghetti noodles”. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Now add in the shredded cheese.Place squash under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until bubbly and melted. Top with parsley. Serve immediately.

Mozzarella, tomato and basil salad

For anyone that does not like or eat salads, this recipe is for you. I’m all about tricking your taste buds into liking something you normally don’t. You can also add anything else you like, such as avocado, or serve it with bread. But personally I love it just the way it is – so fresh!

• 1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 carton fresh mozzarella cheese pearls, drained
• 1/3 cup basil, julienned
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and parsley, Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over tomato mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

It’s that easy!

Five cheese potato gratin

Yesterday I talked about the meal I made for my mother’s birthday. I couldn’t tease you with the scalloped potatoes I made and not give the recipe, so here it is! FIVE cheeses?! Yes, you heard that right. I happened to have five different types of cheeses in my fridge, but you can mix and match as much as you want. That’s the beauty of scalloped potatoes. And I’m a huge fan of loading mine up with goat cheese.

• 2-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• 1/3 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup Parmsean cheese cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup softened goat cheese
• 1/3 cup Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 cups reduced-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1-1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat an 11- by 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Thinly slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the cheeses.

In another medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of milk and the flour until well combined. Whisk in the remaining milk and the nutmeg.

Layer half of the potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Pour half of the milk mixture over the potatoes. Season with half of the salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture and half of the green onions over the potatoes.

Layer the remaining potatoes over the cheese, and pour the rest of the milk mixture evenly over the potatoes. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil, sprinkle the rest of the cheese mixture over the potatoes, and cook until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and the let the gratin rest for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining green onions and serve.

Bell peppers stuffed with quinoa, black beans and cheese

I saw an article today on BuzzFeed, What You Imagine You’ll Make For Dinner Vs. What You Actually Eat. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of food blunders (fried chicken anyone?) I also understand that on the way home from work you’re imagining the creations you’re about to make in the kitchen, but the minute you walk in the door hunger strikes and the realization sets in that it could take an hour before you even eat. But that’s where recipes like this one come in, they’re quick, easy AND healthy!

For today’s post, I’ll show you my inspiration versus my own creation. How do you think I did? We may not all have fancy cameras, but we can still make food that turns out looking (almost) like what we imagined!

• 4 bell peppers (any color)
• 1c quinoa, uncooked
• 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 4oz can diced green chiles
• ¼c cilantro, minced
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• olive oil, if desired
• ½c Monterrey Jack, grated
• ½c cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 can enchilada sauce

Add quinoa to a large saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 5 minutes, cover, turn off heat and let steam 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

In the meantime, using a paring knife, cut the stem out of the top of the bell pepper and scoop out any seeds on the inside. Microwave the peppers for about 3 minutes to soften slightly. (Prepared this way, the peppers should come out crisp-tender. If you want them crisper, you can omit this step.)

Pour quinoa into a mixing bowl. Stir in black beans, tomato, green chiles, cilantro, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper and enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with cheeses.

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 400 degrees 15 minutes. Serve immediately, topping with additional cheese and cilantro if preferred.

Burritos with ground turkey and cheesy refried beans

I am so embarrassed by how long it has been since my last post! Let that be an indication of how busy I’ve been the last few months. Work has been a whirlwind of projects, deadlines and traveling. My room mate and I have barely sat down to eat dinner together, which we used to do  every night. Both of our schedules are going to be insanely busy the next few weeks, so we thought we would dedicate this weekend for some quality roomie time. Since she had to work all day today, I decided to make her a yummy meal to come home to!

These burritos are delicious and take less than 20 minutes to make. They are also very filling, so it was a good end-of-day meal for the both of us.

• 10 tortillas (I chose wheat)
• 1.25 lbs ground meat (I used ground turkey)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
• 1 can refried beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a pan over medium heat add the vegetable oil and chopped onion and cook until slightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add the ground meat and use a spatula to break the meat into smaller chunks so it cooks evenly. Let the meat brown by cooking for an additional 5 minutes, then add all the spices – salt, pepper, cumin, chile powder and oregano.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat the refried beans over low heat. Add 1 cup of the grated cheddar cheese, mixing in so it melts evenly.

Next, prepare the burritos by first heating the tortillas in the microwave so they are slightly softened. Using a spoon, add the meat mixture then the beans to the tortillas; then fold the sides and roll the tortillas. Add the burrito to a 9×12 inch casserole dish. Repeat for each tortilla, then sprinkle the remaining cup of cheddar cheese over the burritos. Place in the oven and cook, letting the cheese melt for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cowgirl hot pot

This recipe is a spin off of my favorite Cowboy Hot Pot but I added a few more girly twists to it and called it Cowgirl Hot Pot because we had some sweet potatoes to use up. I also thought instead of my normal smoked swiss/cheddar blend, a sharp cheddar would go well. Another adjustment I made was switching black beans for baked beans and adding some bell peppers. It was just as delicious and comforting as my original recipe but I’m glad I tried something a little different!

• Olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 can corn
• 1 can green beans
• 1 can carrots
• 1 can black beans
• 1lb sweet potatoes
• 6 oz cheddar cheese
• Salt, and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Chop the onion and bell pepper and heat oil over medium heat on the stove. Saute in olive oil for about three minutes. Next, add the corn, green beans, carrots, and black beans to the pot and leave to simmer. Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes. Then slice the cheese.

Move contents in pot to a 9 inch baking dish. Layer the cheese, then add the potatoes to the top. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake in oven for about 45 minutes then serve immediately.

Potatoes au gratin (made with goat cheese)

Ok, so the title may have been a spoiler, but I had to drag you in with the tempting secret ingredient! I believe I’m starting to sound repetitive about my love of goat cheese, but I can’t help it. I’ll find any way to sneak it into a recipe. You can use crumbled goat cheese, but I prefer soft goat cheese and use my fingers to separate it into smaller pieces.

Anyway, I practically licked the plate clean after making this. So lady like, I know. But this recipe is just THAT amazing!

• 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup milk (low fat is fine)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 heaping cup soft goat cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Chives or green onions, chopped, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease an 11×7 inch baking dish.

Slice the potatoes very thinly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, garlic, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish overlapping them slightly. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes, then repeat the layers two more times with the remaining potatoes and cream.

Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the potatoes are cooked through. Allow to stand at least 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chives or green onions and serve.

I served with my spicy baked tilapia and broccolini. To prepare the broccolini, saute in olive oil and mince garlic for about 8 minutes.

Squash and brie sandwich

Brie is one of my favorite types of cheese. Not to mention I love squash, so the combination of flavors in this sandwich are awesome. Nothing better than melted cheese over nicely toasted bread.

• 2 zucchini or medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 thick-cut slices bread
• 1 large garlic clove, split
• 10 ounces Brie cheese, sliced
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1 cup sunflower, radish or other sprouts

Preheat the oven to broil.

Brush squash with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil, turning once or twice, until tender and nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.

Put bread on a baking sheet and broil until just lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Rub bread on both sides with garlic; discard garlic. Cover tops of slices with Brie; place in the oven and broil until the cheese is somewhat melted, then remove from oven.

Top with squash, tomatoes and sprouts. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.