Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Here is another great one, especially if you want something healthy but filling. I adjusted the recipe quite a bit since I didn't have all the ingredients, so I listed the original recipe below and added my own side notes for what I did differently. I would believe the other version would have more kick. However, I have discovered after looking at and making stuffed peppers, there are many variations you can try, so have fun with it! This is also the first time I have tried quinoa. It seems like I will be cooking with it more often :) Please leave a comment if you have any questions!! This recipe is from http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2012/07/quinoa-stuffed-bell-peppers.html

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 Tbsp ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (Instead to add more kick, I sprinkled on chili powder.)

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed, drained

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup Trader Joes Pepper Jack cheese

4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

Salt and pepper

(I also added half of a lime's juice).

I didn't use any celery, jalapeno, or diced tomatoes, and I also used Monteray Jack cheese instead of Trader Joes Pepper Jack. Again, you can add,change, or take out ingredients. I still cooked it the same though, minus I forgot to put the cumin in until before it simmered, which I then added in.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Saute onion, celery and jalapeno for about 5 minutes, until soft, then add cumin, (chili powder if desired), and garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Stir in drained tomatoes (reserving liquid) and cook for 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in black beans, quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.  Stir in 1 cup of cheese and season with lime juice, salt and pepper, if desired.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and pour reserved liquid from tomatoes in the bottom of your baking dish.

Fill each halved bell pepper with 3/4 cup quinoa mixture and place in baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes.  Transfer stuffed bell peppers onto serving dish and drizzle pan juices over top.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Avocados

I don't have much to say about this other than...it must be one of the best recipes ever! It is very easy and fast, which is a bonus. How come I never thought of this idea before? Ready? Stuffed avacados. They are to die for. (originally from http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/122112-the-end-of-the-world-stuffed-avocados/ but I tweaked it and you can can pretty much fill them up with your favorite fillings that would go well in them.)

Stuffed Avocados

3 Avocados from Mexico halved
1 large can of sweet corn kernels
6 strips of bacon
1 red and green pepper cut into small strips (I used a tomato instead of the red pepper)
1small bunch of green onions, chopped
2 large lemons
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp chili powder

 Preheat oven to 450
1. In a frying pan over medium heat, add the bacon until golden. Remove the strips and place on kitchen paper to absorb the remaining fat. Then cut it into pieces.
2. In the same pan, and using the bacon fat, add the peppers, (tomato if used), onions, corn, and spices. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until slightly tender.
3. To prevent darkening avocados, sprinkle with lemon juice. Add the mix inside each avocado where the seed was removed and bake for only 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Roasted carrot sticks

Guys!! Guess what??  I got a new camera so this blog is up and running again!! In case you didn't know, I lost my other and searched everywhere, so I ended up getting a Canon Elph110 HS Powershot for Christmas. These pictures are beautiful, and I am already impressed with the quality!!

This first recipe is simple and very nutritious and tasty as a side dish. As I may have mentioned before, I love roasting veggies. Here is my version of roasted carrots:

Roasted carrots

Long carrots (preferably not baby carrots. I haven't tried using them, but I don't think they would taste the same.)
Olive oil
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Slice raw carrots into sticks. Place on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle with about 1 Tbsp olive oil and lightly sprinkle with paprika, pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes. They taste great plain, but I've also heard they are tasty with ranch.

Sweet Potato Fries

I attempted making sweet potato fries for the first time last weekend, and they are now one of my favorite foods. They are salty and tasty filled with nutrients, as well as easy to make!!

Sweet Potato Fries

Sorry about picture quality. I also lost my digital camera so there are going to be more Instagram pics from now on.

(For a couple of servings. You can double or triple this if you'd like.)

1large Sweet potato or 2 medium
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 C Water

Preheat oven to 450. Wash and peel potato(s). Cut up in wedges or strips, but keep in mind they take longer to cook if in wedges (as shown above.) Place on a sheet of aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Roll the sweet potatoes around in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Gently roll up the sides of the aluminum foil, creating a shallow bowl shape, then gently fill it up with the water. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli and Tomatoes

During these past few months, I have started to roast vegetables a lot. You can roast carrots, asparagus, zucchini, and much more. In this case, I tried this recipe for roasted broccoli and tomatoes. It was so delicious and made a great main course for a healthy lunch to bring to school. I took out the olives and capers and used fresh, chopped tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes, but this is something to try. (From http://www.recipe.com/mediterranean-roasted-broccoli-tomatoes/?sssdmh=dm17.594078&esrc=nwdr050412&email=3176242465)

Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli and Tomatoes

 

• 12  ounces

  broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets (about 4 cups)

  see savings
• 1  cup grape tomatoes
• 1  tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 10 pitted black olives, sliced
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 2  teaspoons capers, rinsed (optional)

   

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

  2. Toss broccoli, tomatoes, oil, garlic and salt in a large bowl until evenly coated. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the broccoli begins to brown, 10 to 13 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, combine lemon zest and juice, olives, oregano and capers (if using) in a large bowl. Add the roasted vegetables; stir to combine. Serve warm. 

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

This is one of my absolute favorite potato recipes. These potatoes are not fried; they are healthily made with a delicious kick of Italian flavor. They go well as a side but if you don't feel like eating meat, it can be a great main course. They are super easy to make, but require patience because your house will smell so good while they cook for an hour. I have made these several times since they are that good!

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes (from http://www.lovintheoven.com/2011/10/parmesan-roasted-potatoes.html)

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes, rinsed and diced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• pinch of salt
• couple grinds of fresh black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 4-5 tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pour the potatoes into a baking dish.
3. Drizzle olive oil on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the rest of the seasonings on top. Use a large spoon to evenly coat all of the potatoes.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, making sure to move the pieces around every 15 minutes.

The Best Way to Cook Corn on the Cob

Ready for it??

Turn the oven on at 350
Once the oven is preheated, stick the corn cob in, with the husk on, and cook for 30 minutes.

That's it!! Trust me, I was unsure about it when I first heard of this trick, but the corn husk traps in the moisture, keeping the corn tender, and then the husk peels off much more easily once it's cooked. Plus, you don't have to worry about water squirting in your face once you bite into it if it were boiled. This is a perfect summer treat, especially when the corn is on sale at the grocery store for 3 or 4/$1.

Favorite Steak Marinade/Grilled French Fries

Here it is! Here is the best steak marinade recipe. It is also a family favorite :)

Steak Marinade

1/2 tsp ginger
1 green onion, chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp honey or sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice (I like to use lemon juice)

Combine ingredients in a large plastic bag or bowl with a seal. Roll steaks in your choice of marinade for at least 20 minutes, but the longer, the better (but no longer than 2 hours for an inexpensive cut of meat. Twenty minutes is usually perfect for me.) While marinading, rotate it every once in a while.
You can broil at 400-450 degrees until desired done-ness, however, I have been raised by watching how broiling has started a fire every time at my house, so I just use my little George Foreman :)

Grilled French Fries

Once again, I just use my mini grill to make these. All you need:

Desired amount of potatoes, 1 per person
Olive oil
Water
Salt

Slice up potatoes and place onto grill. Add 1/4 cup water every few minutes between opening and closing the lid to soften the potatoes. Once they become much softer, spread olive oil onto the top and bottom of the inside of the grill, close again, and cook for a few minutes. Top with salt and serve with ketchup or fry sauce.

Crock Pot Applesauce

I usually hate applesauce. Literally, for about 8 years, I ate applesauce for every single meal and snack to take my digestive enzymes for Cystic Fibrosis, since I hadn't learned how to swallow pills at that time. I would break open the capsules and put the small, what I called "bebe's." Once I learned how to swallow pills, I never went back to applesauce.

Years later I tried chunky applesauce, which wasn't as bad. I could handle apple sauce cooked in things, but that was it. 

However, when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I figured that homemade, chunky applesauce wouldn't be as bad as the disgusting texture and taste of normal applesauce. It was absolutely delicious, can freeze well, doesn't have a lot of ingredients, and is easy to make. Here is the recipe (from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/crock-pot-applesauce.html): 

Crock Pot Applesauce

• 8 medium apples (Use a combination of Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Fuji, Gala, etc.)
• 1 strips of lemon peel - use a vegetable peeler
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 inch cinnamon stick
• 5 tsp light brown sugar (unpacked) - or agave (however, I cut it down to about 2 1/2 tsp and it was just fine)

Peel, core, and slice the apples. I used a veggie peeler and then a round apple divider cutter

Place in a slow cooker. Add cinnamon stick, lemon peel and brown sugar. 

Set crock pot on low for 6 hours. Stir apples occasionally, as the apples will slowly become a delicious applesauce. Remove cinnamon stick and blend if you prefer a creamier sauce, otherwise you can slightly smash them with a spoon for a chunky sauce.

Then bam. Deliciousness. You can eat it with potato pancakes, with sausage, or just by itself as a healthy snack.

Bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast cups/ hashbrowns

My sibs and I tried making a recipe from http://www.adventuresofourfamily.com/2012/02/bacon-egg-and-cheese-breakfast-cups.html for our mom and grandma for Mother's Day breakfast. They absolutely loved it! And fortunately for us, there were enough left overs (about 9 of these small breakfast dishes), so we were all able to try it. They were very easy to make and were delicious!

Bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast cups

Needed:
A muffin tin
eggs (5 eggs for 6 cups)
bacon
shredded cheddar cheese
crescent roll dough from a can

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Be sure to cover it so they come out easily afterwards.

Open the package of crescent rolls, and then place one inside each muffin tin. You can play around with each one so that it well forms each muffin space.

Next cook the bacon. After you drain the grease, you can scramble the eggs with 1/4 cup milk along with some salt and pepper on the same pan. Or, if you find that gross (my family enjoys it as it adds more flavor), then you can use another pan. Once the bacon is crisp, crumble it up. Divide the eggs into each muffin cup, then top with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the outer edges of the crescent rolls are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

This picture is not the best, but trust me--they were so good!

Now for the hash browns, if you would like them as a side dish: this is my own recipe that I created, so bear with me, but they are not hard to make either.

 Hash browns:
4 medium potatoes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper seasoning
1/2 tsp minced onion

Take the potatoes and poke holes all around each one with a fork. You can cook them which ever way you desire, whether you boil them, put them in the oven, or in the microwave, until they are almost cooked through (they need to be a little firm so they are easier to cut without flaking). I find the microwave being the fastest.

Once the potatoes are cooked, chop them up into 1/2 inch pieces, leaving the skins on. Place butter into a skillet, set on medium-high heat. Once it starts to heat up, put in all the potato pieces. Then add salt, peppers, and onion. Cook until slightly crisp with a light brown color. Enjoy with a dipping sauce, such as ketchup.