KEEN-wa

My mind has been blown!  Tonight, I ate quinoa (KEEN-wa) and it was glorious!  :-)  

*Side note: Every time I see the word "quinoa", I say it in my head the way it's spelled.  

Okay, well, thanks to the hubby, I ate quinua... 

...which I think is the same as quinoa?  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  If they are NOT the same, then you should purchase quinua, not quinoa.  Hang on... okay, upon further googling, quinua refers to quinoa or the town Quinua in Peru.  As I did not eat a town this evening, please assume that I mean the former.  (I was just reminded of the fact that people in Peru sometimes eat guinea pigs and it made me sad.)

Don't eat guinea pigs!
(Me and Pig)

Anyway, back to quinoa.

It's very important to rinse your quinoa!
If you don't, it tastes bitter.

Also, boil it in broth.
The quinoa package did not tell me how to cook it AT ALL.  Fail.
Thank goodness I have friends who want me to like quinoa.
Thanks Sara!!!  ;-)

Oh, and this may go without saying... but don't let it boil all over your stove top like I did.  Second fail.

Quinoa everywhere...

OH, and don't stand anywhere near shallots cooking while trying to clean up the quinoa mess that you made.  Your eyes will burn.  Third fail.  (I know, it's not sounding good, is it?)

Done?  What a weird thing.

In this pot are sauteed shallots, black beans, corn...

...green chiles, cumin, Adobo, chili seasoning, oregano, paprika...
...red chili pepper flakes, garlic salt, and onion powder... *whew*

Add and stir quinoa...

Then you set up a little filling station...

Fill em' up!
I used fresh salsa and some jarred salsa that I had in my fridge and needed to eat.
Oh, and cheese.

Make those suckers pretty!

Prettier...
Doesn't cheese really make everything better?

...and BAKE!  Do it!

Quinoa Enchiladas (about 315 calories each)

These were soooo filling that I could barely finish the two I put on my plate... I did it because I was really, really hungry and these were really, really delicious.  I excitedly put two more in a container for tomorrow night's dinner, too.  I know.  I liked quinoa?  What's the world coming to?  

***Plant Update***

They are not dead.  I repeat, NOT dead.  

They are thriving!  :-)

My tomato plant has FOUR tomatoes on it!  Little one has declared them to be "smooth" and "greeeeeeen".

There's one...

...and three more!  (Two are bunched together on the right.)

Look at all of the leaves on my strawberry plant!  There are even some little white flowers toward the top of the first picture and I didn't see any strawberries until I went poking around under the big leaves...

FOUR little tiny strawberries!

Stay back, squirrels.  It'll be time to fight.  You best back up.

In other news, you should know that mini blueberry muffins are delicious and have either half or a third of the calories of regular giant ones (depending on the size of your muffin tins).

You should also know that babies toddlers like little muffins.  And capers.  

Okay, so you probably shouldn't feed your baby OR toddler capers because they are super salty... but if you're like me, you might give them random things just to try and see the fantastic expressions they make.  Or awesome yummy noises.  "Mmmmmmmm!" they'll say!  

Dinner tonight was fresh corn on the cob, grilled zucchini, and salmon seasoned with some lemon pepper and garlic powder... and capers for me.  I heart capers.  They make me think of my honeymoon, where they were served with smoked salmon every day for breakfast.  :-)  

Unfortunately, now I know that my toddler likes capers.  Loves may be a better word.  Except she calls them "kini", which I think she mistook for the zucchini that she didn't like at all.   I had to quickly eat them off my plate because she kept asking for "Momma's kini", "have more?"  *sigh*

(Pre-caper picture)

I hope you ate something healthy and delicious this weekend!  

P.S. Sorry about the caper rant!  Do you like capers?

Miso...

I'm attempting to be productive today... semi-productive, at least.  

As part of my attempt, I made some Miso Soup for lunch today.  I've been feeling it lately and since today isn't quite as hot as it has been over the past week, I turned on my oven.  During the day.  I know, crazy, right?  

So, I found these "miso soup" packets at the grocery store the other day and immediately stepped away from the because of the sodium content.  WOW.  Craziness!  It was funny because that same day, a friend of mine was talking about how she had just made miso soup using a miso paste that she found at Wegmans in a refrigerated aisle.  

So here's what you do... if you're me, you follow the directions on the tub.  

Saute onions in a T. of EVOO.

Add some sort of veggie... I added celery because I'm trying to get rid of it.
Celery is NOT my friend. 

Add 2 cups of water or broth.
I used veggie broth, again, because I had it.  Water is easier.
Simmer...

Miso Paste!  Weird!  It comes in a tub like sour cream.

Simmer it up some more after adding miso paste to taste.

Enjoy!

I think my first attempt was okay.  The next time I make it, I think I'll add less onion than it suggested and probably not put in celery.  I also added in some tofu because it made me think of sushi restaurants I've been to where the miso soup is amazing.  I see lots of potential here.

I also made some little English muffin pizzas for my little one... okay, okay, and maybe for me, too.

They were a hit!  ;-)

Have you ever made your own miso soup?  What do you like to put in it?

At Least There Wasn't Any Quinoa...

Dinner was too healthy tonight.  It tasted healthy.  Who wants that?  

I found this recipe for Cornmeal-Dusted Catfish with Quinoa Saute in a Cooking Light magazine.  Sounds fancy, doesn't it?  I've been wanting to try more quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wa') recipes because I feel like I could like it.  It's good for you and something different, right?  So far I haven't been all that impressed with quinoa, but I'm hopeful!  Jimmy, maybe not so much.  He's a good sport though and eats whatever I make (love you, babe!).  Anyway, I thought this recipe sounded like it had some potential.  

It may have been better if I'd actually used catfish.  I don't know, I've never eaten catfish.  Since I didn't have catfish in the freezer, I used tilapia instead, thinking that maybe it would be okay... 

...and then I realized that there wasn't any quinoa in my pantry.  

Uh, what was I thinking here?  

Tonight's dinner became Cornmeal-Dusted Tilapia with Brown Rice and Sauteed Vegetables... which tasted way too healthy for our liking.  Don't get me wrong, we ate it.  It was probably even good for us.  I just won't be making it again.  ;-)

Veggies: Zucchini, Red Pearl Onions,
Shallots, Celery, and Grape Tomatoes

Little one did gobble up some fish, though.  That's something!  

So, as we were eating it, I said to Jim, "At least there wasn't any quinoa..."

His response?  "True dat."

Fondue and Grilling Fun!

I hope you had a nice weekend... it was a busy one for us!  We went to a cookout, had a fondue night (just barely!), had lots of playground time, worked on the house, bought a new sofa, and I feel like the list goes on and on... 

I feel productive, yet exhausted.  Though I didn't feel exhausted until today.  In the rain.  The gloomy, gloomy rain.  Why does rain make you feel like that?  Is it just me?  I wasn't even all that tired today (and I do know tired), but I could probably have taken a solid 2-hour nap.  If I napped well.

I digress.  

It's the food you're here for, isn't it?  

First off, Fondue Sunday with Neal and Casee!  :-)  

They sure do look like a weird bunch, don't they?  (Love you guys!)

Things I learned on Fondue Sunday:

1. You can solder a cord and finagle it so that it works (if you can't find the real fondue pot cord because you moved).  Thanks hubby!

2. Hard cider is delicious.  Seriously, Angry Orchard?  Do it.

3. There's a fine line between cheese fondue and a big lump of gooey cheese that barely counts as fondue.

4.  Fondue pots are not easy to clean when they are filled with gobs of cheese.

5.  You cannot take a picture of someone stirring fondue without it being a blurry, action shot (See below).

We used a vegetarian broth base and then added some garlic, Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, and cheese (Sharp Cheddar and Colby Jack).  Now, it's been a long time since we've had a fondue night, but I've found that pretty much whatever you put into a cheese fondue is delicious.  Tomatoes, mushrooms, tofu, apples, carrots, celery, oh, and crusty bread.  Rock on.

I heart fondue.  :-)

Oh, and yes, Jimmy did indeed solder a cord to make our fondue pot work.  We probably spent an hour looking for the cord and couldn't find it!  Ugh.  (I still haven't found it, for the record.)  I thought for sure it would show up immediately after we made the fondue.

Next up... last night's dinner.  I would say that this was something I would never have eaten as a child.

Chicken Sausage with Grilled Onions, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Carrots

I'll be honest.  Not my favorite.  Here I was, trying to like sausage.  What was I thinking?  I'm just not a fan!  With the exception of the Hot Creamy Sausage Dip my mom used to make.  Click here to see the blog post where it was included.

By all means, if you enjoy sausage, cook some up!  I got chicken sausage that was already de-cased or whatever you call it.  I HATE de-casing sausage.  It's icky.  Anyway, since the sausage was already de-cased, it was certainly one of the easiest meals I've made in a long time.  Just chop everything up and throw it on the grill pan.  Enjoy!  :-)

Okay, this post is getting out of hand.  Bear with me!  Here's what I had today...

Moooooore Eggsalad!  (On an Arnold Sandwich Thin)

Can I tell you that it was amazing?

For dinner, I was going to make Grilled Eggplant with a side of Red Pepper Sauce.  Then I realized that you actually need to have a real grill to make that happen.  So, I chopped up an eggplant and grilled it with some mushrooms and red pearl onions (better than the white, yum!) and applied it to some spaghetti noodles with tomato sauce and roasted red peppers.  Mmmm...

Eggplant Spaghetti?

Not exactly the prettiest dish, but it was delicious.  AND... it made enough leftovers so that the hubs has lunch for a week.  I'm not kidding you.  A WEEK.  Score!

Until next time...   

What's Your Favorite Food?

I'd like Friday night to be Pizza Night.  

It's funny, most of the time if you ask people what they're favorite food is, they say pizza.  (Is it your favorite food?)  I don't know if it's because they can't think of any other foods when they're asked the question or what.  I wouldn't say that pizza is my favorite food, but I sure do like it.  

Anybody else have a pizza line in high school and eat pizza every single day?  With tater tots?  Mmm.  *mouth waters*

*Side note: I was recently introduced to the idea of crab tots, which sound amazing.  I've never had them, but I may have to try them for the blog's sake.  Don't worry, I won't feed them to my shellfish-allergic husband.  

Back to PIZZA!  I made one tonight using a whole wheat pizza crust.  

 

Add chunky pizza sauce and pizza cheese... 

Add sliced up turkey bacon...

Add mushrooms for ME and ham for the hubs...

Um... a touch more cheese...

Cook!

Something kinda funny... I may have gotten that pizza pan from a delivery place years ago.  When they delivered the pizza, the pan was definitely still in the box.  Thank you for the pan whatever delivery place gave it to me with my pizza!  I hope I tipped you well!!!  

You know as well as I do that you can put anything on pizza.  That's why it's so amazing.  Lately I've been doing lots of English muffin pizzas for my little one.  It's a great way to keep the portion size smallish.  I think she kinda liked this pizza tonight though... she definitely ate all of the toppings right off it.  Can't say I blame her.

Oh!  ...and for your viewing pleasure... I present to you... *dun dun dun!* ...my favorite way to eat MY favorite food (and my lunch today)...

On Waffles!  ;-)

Surprised by my favorite food?  Shame on you.  

What's your favorite?  :-)

Best. Eggsalad. Ever.

Sorry friends!  I was almost too busy picking out paint colors to remember to blog.  Almost.  Here I am!  I have been de-wallpapering our basement from this terrible atlas wallpaper and looking forward to painting the walls something fabulous.  

I hope you didn't miss me too much... I mean, I haven't really given you much chance to miss me this week, have I?  I'm on a roll, but I can't promise anything over the weekend.  You just never know what will happen on the weekend.

For now, here's a picture of the best eggsalad in the world:

Alissa's Eggsalad

It certainly is not the best picture of an eggsalad sandwich, but I think that I've officially mastered eggsalad.  Should I reveal my secrets?  To you?  Hmm... mayhaps.

First, I will say that if you know me at all you know that my all-time favorite way to eat eggsalad is on a waffle.  A homemade Belgian waffle made with the Bisquick waffle mix.  That's normal, right?  I've made other kinds of waffles, but Bisquick is best.  Just my opinion.

I generally don't like anything crunchy in my eggsalad (or tuna, for that matter, but I did break that rule last night!).  Celery is not allowed near my eggsalad at all, so if you're a celery-lover, leave now.  I've also been trying to add veggies to everything I eat, so there might be fresh spinach and scallions on the sandwich, which breaks all kinds of Alissa-laws.

Anyway, you hard-boil some eggs.  I always put a pot of water on my stove and add the eggs right away.  Once it's boiling, I let the eggs sit in the boiling water for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, I turn off the heat and let them sit there until the water stops boiling.  I scoop them out with a big spoon and put them into a container in the fridge.  I NEVER have to worry about the eggs being hard to peel... and there's something nice about knowing how your eggs got hard-boiled *ahem ahem* (you know who you are).

Alissa's New Eggsalad Recipe
2 Hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 t. Light Mayo
1 Laughing Cow cheese wedge (any kind, except blue cheese or swiss-yuck?)
Season with paprika, pepper, Old Bay, and ground mustard (or none of the above if you don't like them)

Put all of the above into a bowl and mix and then add to your waffle... er, sandwich.  Pita?  Flatbread?  Whatever.

Add tomato, avocado, spinach, scallions, etc. if you're feeling particularly adventurous.  It's really that easy.  Mmm... :-)

For dinner, I may have made some more Mexi-Rice Bowls, but with organic beef and a ton of grilled veggies.  I got compliments from both my dad and hubby.  Score!  Little did not seem at all interested.  She spit out the pearl onion, part of a red pepper, and the avocado I had her attempt to eat.  She did like the meat, though.  Baby likes meat.

Grilled Mushrooms, Red Onions, Red Bell Peppers, and Pearl Onions

Alissa's Beef Mexi-Bowl

So, brown rice, organic ground beef, avocado, fresh salsa, black olives, light sour cream, scallions, pearl onions, red onions, red bell peppers, and mushrooms.  Ahhhh-mazing.  

Have I convinced you to try it yet?  I love Mexican food.