A friend of mine gave me this recipe a few weeks ago and I finally got around to making it. Wow. So, so good! The textures and flavors go so well together and it is great for this cool Fall weather. You can use whatever type of milk and sweetener that you like, I just like to use whole milk and natural sweeteners. If you are a Trader Joe's lover like myself then know that they have all the ingredients for this recipe in their store including organic red quinoa. I cannot stop making this!
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk, organic/raw preferred
1 cup water
1 cup organic red quinoa, rinsed (*If possible it is best if you soak the quinoa in 2 cups water + 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk, kefir or whey for about 12 hours. Give it a good rinse after soaking. This will make the quinoa easier to digest.)
2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pecans, chopped and toasted*
Maple syrup or raw honey for drizzling on top
Directions:
Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle with maple syrup or honey before serving.
*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Ruby Turns 1!
So Ruby turned 1. . . about 3 months ago and we had a sweet little party for her. Our themes were sunshine and lemonade! She really is "our little sunshine" as she brings so much joy to our lives. Here are some pics from the day.
Me and my sweet girl waiting for our guests to arrive.
She started walking about a week before her birthday
Lots of lemonade to choose from
And maybe I'm a little obsessed with mason jars. . . just a little. . .
Even Ruby was sampling flavors
Lemon Creme Cake
Lots of sweet friends celebrated with us. . .not all cooperated with having their picture taken
She got a little help with the candle from her broski
She licked it twice and then was done.
We sent our guests home with cupcakes in jars and wands
Happy Birthday to the sunshine in our lives! MUAH!
Me and my sweet girl waiting for our guests to arrive.
She started walking about a week before her birthday
Lots of lemonade to choose from
And maybe I'm a little obsessed with mason jars. . . just a little. . .
Even Ruby was sampling flavors
Lemon Creme Cake
Lots of sweet friends celebrated with us. . .not all cooperated with having their picture taken
She got a little help with the candle from her broski
She licked it twice and then was done.
We sent our guests home with cupcakes in jars and wands
Happy Birthday to the sunshine in our lives! MUAH!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Chicken Souvlaki
This is a great summer recipe and super simple. A friend of mine made this for me a few summers ago and I've been making it ever since. I buy the rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods when they are marked down to $5.99 on Tuesdays. I was also able to use fresh dill from our garden this year which was fun. (: Enjoy!
Chicken Souvlaki
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and pepper
1 2 1/2- to 3-pound rotisserie chicken, meat sliced
1 large english cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
1/2 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
4 flat breads or wheat pitas
1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Fold in the chicken, cucumbers, onion, and dill.
Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the flat breads and serve with the yogurt.
Chicken Souvlaki
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and pepper
1 2 1/2- to 3-pound rotisserie chicken, meat sliced
1 large english cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
1/2 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
4 flat breads or wheat pitas
1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Fold in the chicken, cucumbers, onion, and dill.
Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the flat breads and serve with the yogurt.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Chicken Vesuvio
The best thing about this recipe is that you can cook the ENTIRE meal stove-top in ONE POT. That means only one thing to wash! It is a great meal for when you have company over because it is a complete meal that looks really fancy even though it is super easy. All you'd need to add is a loaf of crusty bread and some glasses of wine! It is a Cook's Illustrated recipe from their "Skillet Supers" cookbook which I am newly obsessed with. I suggest having everything out and ready because this meal cooks up really fast.
Here is how you make it-
Chicken Vesuvio
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
2T olive oil
1 1/2 lb. baby red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup white wine (and then drink the rest with your meal!)
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 T unsalted butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Pat chicken dry and season w/salt & pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large 12" skillet over medium/high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point, you are just browning it to seal in the juices/flavor)
Add remaining oil to the skillet and cook potatoes, cut side down until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary, oregano and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add wine and broth, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Make sure the potatoes are flipped at this point so they can cook all the way though. Return the chicken breast to the skillet on top of the potatoes. (They will just sort of hang out on top of the potatoes and broth and the steam will cook them the rest of the way through) Reduce heat to medium/low, cover and simmer for about 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are tender.
Using a slotted spoon transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter and tent with foil while you finish the sauce.
Increase the heat to medium/high and cook the sauce, uncovered until it is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Take the skillet off the heat and whisk in the butter and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Pour sauce over the chicken and potatoes. Serve and devour. (:
Here is how you make it-
Chicken Vesuvio
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
2T olive oil
1 1/2 lb. baby red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup white wine (and then drink the rest with your meal!)
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 T unsalted butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Pat chicken dry and season w/salt & pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large 12" skillet over medium/high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point, you are just browning it to seal in the juices/flavor)
Add remaining oil to the skillet and cook potatoes, cut side down until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary, oregano and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add wine and broth, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Make sure the potatoes are flipped at this point so they can cook all the way though. Return the chicken breast to the skillet on top of the potatoes. (They will just sort of hang out on top of the potatoes and broth and the steam will cook them the rest of the way through) Reduce heat to medium/low, cover and simmer for about 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are tender.
Using a slotted spoon transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter and tent with foil while you finish the sauce.
Increase the heat to medium/high and cook the sauce, uncovered until it is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Take the skillet off the heat and whisk in the butter and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Pour sauce over the chicken and potatoes. Serve and devour. (:
Friday, April 1, 2011
Quesadilla Pie
So easy and so yummy. I got this recipe from a different blog but here is the edited version for how we made it. This will be a new Lucht family staple. Brad loved it and it was a great way to use up left-overs. Enjoy!
Quesadilla Pie
Ingredients:
4 large flour tortillas (9-10 inches diameter)
Butter
1/2 pound grated cheese- sharp cheddar, or Monterey Jack
3/4-1 cup of cooked black beans
1/2 a tomato, chopped and seeds removed
1/4 cup onion
1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/4 corn & chili salsa (from Trader Joes! It is a tomato-less salsa)
Cumin and/or chili powder for extra heat
Garnishes:
Chopped avocado
Chopped cilantro
Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed with vinegar and salt
Sour cream
Salsa
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the bottoms and sides of a pie dish with butter, approximately the same size as your tortillas (I used a 10-inch pyrex pie dish for 10-inch wide tortillas). *Don't skip the butter! It is what makes the tortillas crispy, not soggy
2 Place one tortilla on the bottom of the pie dish. Sprinkle some shredded cheese over the tortilla. At this point, you will begin to add your chosen filling ingredients, and layering the tortillas. Just make sure each layer has a generous sprinkling of cheese.
Here is what I did but you can do whatever you like:
Layer 1: cheese, black beans, corn & chili salsa (I used a slotted spoon w/the salsa to remove the liquid)
Layer 2: cheese, chicken, sprinkle with cumin and chili powder
Layer 3: cheese, tomato, onion
3 Place your last tortilla on top and give it a generous brush with butter. (For real, don't skip the butter!) Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Put in oven for 30 minutes on 350°F. Then remove the foil and increase the heat to 400°F. Cook for another 15 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into quarters.
Serve with garnishes.
Quesadilla Pie
Ingredients:
4 large flour tortillas (9-10 inches diameter)
Butter
1/2 pound grated cheese- sharp cheddar, or Monterey Jack
3/4-1 cup of cooked black beans
1/2 a tomato, chopped and seeds removed
1/4 cup onion
1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/4 corn & chili salsa (from Trader Joes! It is a tomato-less salsa)
Cumin and/or chili powder for extra heat
Garnishes:
Chopped avocado
Chopped cilantro
Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed with vinegar and salt
Sour cream
Salsa
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the bottoms and sides of a pie dish with butter, approximately the same size as your tortillas (I used a 10-inch pyrex pie dish for 10-inch wide tortillas). *Don't skip the butter! It is what makes the tortillas crispy, not soggy
2 Place one tortilla on the bottom of the pie dish. Sprinkle some shredded cheese over the tortilla. At this point, you will begin to add your chosen filling ingredients, and layering the tortillas. Just make sure each layer has a generous sprinkling of cheese.
Here is what I did but you can do whatever you like:
Layer 1: cheese, black beans, corn & chili salsa (I used a slotted spoon w/the salsa to remove the liquid)
Layer 2: cheese, chicken, sprinkle with cumin and chili powder
Layer 3: cheese, tomato, onion
3 Place your last tortilla on top and give it a generous brush with butter. (For real, don't skip the butter!) Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Put in oven for 30 minutes on 350°F. Then remove the foil and increase the heat to 400°F. Cook for another 15 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into quarters.
Serve with garnishes.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Ruby's Baptism
So sweet little Ruby got baptized last weekend. We had some friends over after the service for brunch and I made this, this and this. All were delicious and could be made the night before and then just popped in the oven the morning of. This made for a stress-free morning. (: We also had cinnamon rolls, melon and coffee. It was a special day for us because not only was it the first day of Spring but it was also the 20 year anniversary of my mom's death. 20 years. That just seems like such a long time. We wanted to celebrate her life and talk to William about her. It is hard to explain death to a 2 year old. We just told him that his grandma Jean lives with God in heaven and that he'll get to meet her someday when all of our family is together in heaven. We wanted to create a sort of memorial day for her so we took out pictures and planned activities that reminded me of her. My mom was an English teacher and loved to read. I have many fond memories of her reading to my sister and I. She wrote me a letter when she knew she was dying and in it she told me to spend special cuddle-time reading to my children. This is something I try to do with them every night. As kids we would often go to the bookstore and pick out new books to read so we decided to take William to get a new book about Spring. My mom also loved to garden so we went and bought some plants and Will helped me plant them. While we were putting dirt in the pot Brad said "Will do you remember why we are planting these?" and he sweetly answered "For Jean in heaven!". It was a sweet day and I am excited to start this new tradition for the first day of Spring.
Almond Crusted Chicken
This is a simple twist on regular old oven-roasted chicken. It tastes great and is high in protein. It is also super quick to whip together on a busy night. Serve with oven-roasted red potatoes and steamed green beans.
Almond Crusted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 cup unblanched almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 large eggs whites
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
Finely chop the almonds in a mini-chopper or food processor. Transfer the nuts to a shallow dish and stir in the paprika. Lightly whisk the egg whites in another shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg. Press both sides of the chicken into the nuts to coat. Place on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to set the crust.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the oil and the butter. Place the chicken smooth-side down in the pan and then raise the heat to medium-high. Place the baking sheet in the oven on the rack to get warm. Cook chicken turning once, until the nuts set and turn golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking sheet and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the sides of the chicken registers 160 degrees F, about 20-25 minutes.
*For extra tender chicken and a faster cooking time you could pound the chicken flat to 1/4 inch thickness
Almond Crusted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 cup unblanched almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 large eggs whites
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
Finely chop the almonds in a mini-chopper or food processor. Transfer the nuts to a shallow dish and stir in the paprika. Lightly whisk the egg whites in another shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg. Press both sides of the chicken into the nuts to coat. Place on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to set the crust.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the oil and the butter. Place the chicken smooth-side down in the pan and then raise the heat to medium-high. Place the baking sheet in the oven on the rack to get warm. Cook chicken turning once, until the nuts set and turn golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking sheet and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the sides of the chicken registers 160 degrees F, about 20-25 minutes.
*For extra tender chicken and a faster cooking time you could pound the chicken flat to 1/4 inch thickness
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