Cheesy Quinoa and Caulliflower

Ok this recipe may have won me over to both quinoa and cauliflower! So simple fast and easy to make.

1.5 cups Chicken broth (Vegetable broth would work well too for the vegetarians)
1 cup Quinoa
1 head Cauliflower chopped
1 cup Cheese shredded. I used marble-but a sharp cheddar would be great- experiment!(OK I put in more like 1.5 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a pot bring broth and Quinoa to a boil.  If you like your cauliflower add it from the start.  If you like it a bit more al dente let the quinoa come to a boil and then add the cauliflower. Once it's boiling turn down to a simmer and cover for 15-20 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Turn stove off- add the cheese and cover.  Once cheese is melted stir, add salt and pepper to taste. I Garnished with just a bit of parsley.

If you like spicey- some hot sauce added would be great!

8 servings = 142 calories/serving!

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken: Fried Rice

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

Warning- this is REALLY good.  And worth the effort.  It's easy but takes some time to cook (1 hour) So get it into the oven then make the rest of your meal. Which for me gives it 1 more star of awesomeness.  Preheat oven to 325F 

• 3-4 chicken breasts cubed
• 1/2 cup corn startch
• 2 eggs beaten 
• salt and pepper 
• 1/8 cup oil 

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 4 tablespoons Ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Soya Sauce

 Take your cubed chicken and season with salt and pepper. Then take each piece, dip into cornstartch, then egg and set aside.  Once every piece is done heat your oil in a large saucepan and then brown the chicken.  Turn several times and try to keep the pieces from sticking together

ready to go into the oven

Place into a 9x13 greased pan. Whisk together the sauce ingredients- pour over top and place into the oven.  Cook for 1 hour. Every 15 minutes stir the chicken so it gets covered again by the sauce.  Cook the entire hour it takes that long for the sauce to start to cook down to the proper texture. Serve spooning sauce over top

All done and ready to eat!

Fried Rice

This is my son's favorite thing.  I mixed it up a bit by using the non traditional veggies (Carrots and peas).

• two cups rice cooked
• 1/8 cup soya sauce
• 2 eggs
• veggies- frozen
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons oil (Sesame if you have it)

Heat the oil put in the frozen veggies and garlic over medium heat. Beat the eggs.  Move the veggies to one side of the sauce pan and poor the egg to the other side.  Think scrambled eggs. Cook the eggs for a minute or two then mix in with the veggies. 

Add the Rice, soya sauce  Stir and cook for a couple minutes then remove from heat and serve.

Giant Meat Balls

These turned out pretty good.  I was thinking Meatloaf but wanted something different so meat balls it was.

• 1lb ground meat- I used a mix of ground pork and lean beef
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• bread crumbs- Italian Style
• 1/2 tsp Oregano
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 red onion chopped

 Preheat oven to 350F
YES I'm terrible at chopping onions.  No comments on the photos please.  It's easy- Beat the eggs then add wtih all remaining ingredients into a bowl. Mix with your hands.  Form into ball size- Golf ball will take 30 minutes to cook Tennis ball size that I did took closer to 45 minutes.

Place in oven- cook- Enjoy!

Zucchini Sticks & Sweet Onion Dipping Sauce that is to die for

Sweet Onion Dipping Sauce

OK I'm going to the dip first because it is JUST that good! Another disclaimer as usual- I don't like unions.  Yup- don't like em.  So i was feeling pretty brave to try this- the mayo sold me on it :)

Totally worth it this sauce has many uses- I'm planning marinate some chicken breasts in it, Spread it on sandwiches and well I will fully admit I may have taken a bite of it all on it's own.I made this all with my kitchen aid stick blender in the handy little cup it came with and it went right into the fridge in it after for use later this weekend.

I love this stick blender and use it several times a day- the big blender never comes out anymore

• 1 small red onion (or 1/2 a large one)
•  1 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 table spoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup mayonaise 
• 1 tablespoon butter

Melt the butter in a sauce pan chop your onion and add to the butter.  Saute on medium-low until nicely browned and caramelized.  
Put the onions into the blender or cup, add in the other ingredients. Mix until a nice texture

Zucchini Sticks: 

I'll say this was a good way to eat roasted zucchini- which none of us are a huge fan of- they got eaten. This would probably be also a delicious way to make other veggies such as sweet potatoes, or egg plant.

• 3 medium zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs - Italian style
• 1/2 cup panko

You want nice medium size zucchinis.  Cut into 3-4" lengths then cut those up into sticks the thickness of your finger. Place into a colander which is placed into a bowl.  Generously coat with salt and let sit for about an hour so the water starts to move out of the flesh.

Rinse the salt off and pat dry with a towel.  Beat the egg & milk and place in a bowl. Mix the crumbs and cheese and have in another bowl.
Preheat oven to 450F
Put the egg mixture over the zucchinis in their bowl and thoroughly coat. One by one dip into the crumb mixture and place onto the non stick cooking sheet. Place into the oven cook for about 15 minutes- then carefully flip em over and cook another 15 minutes until crispy brown.
Dip and enjoy.  These would also be awesome with the Garlic Aioli I posted previously