Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

My new love of late is Quinoa.

Don't you just love it?  Don't know what it is...or have never tried it?

Well let me tell you what you are missing.  It's a fiber rich whole grain that is classified as a superfood.  Who doesn't want that?  It a slightly nutty grain with a little bite to it like brown rice...or bigger couscous.  It's wonderful used in a salad such as this one, or as a side dish.  This salad is wonderful and light.  The flavors pop in your mouth, and it's very healthy for you.

Try something new this year, and be healthy with whole grains.  Try the quinoa, you'll love it.    

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

Serves 4

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 c fresh spinach, sliced

1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄4 cup dried cranberries

1⁄4 cup pecans, chopped

3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1⁄4 tsp. sea salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold water. In a saucepan over high heat, bring the 2 cups water to a boil. Add the quinoa and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the grains are tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to a large bowl and fluff with a fork to separate the grains. Stir in the spinach, vinegar, olive oil, cranberries, pecans, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Jalapeno Steak and Mushrooms

Need a good meal for a game day...how about a family gathering? Break out the crock pot or the dutch oven for that matter, and make this wonderful dish. Jalapeno Steak and Mushrooms will serve 6 people easily as a full meal, or shred the meat to serve to a crowd with tortillas, pita, or flatbread. The flavors will knock your socks off!

So for your next party, or Sunday dinner, try this recipe and let me know how it turns out.  We loved it!

Jalapeno Steak and Mushrooms

Serves 6
2½ pounds boneless beef chuck steak, cut 1 inch thick
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Teaspoons cornstarch
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1 cup button mushrooms, cut into ½ inch thick slices
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro, thinly sliced

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into six serving size pieces. Place pieces in a 3½ or 4 quart slow cooker. In a medium bowl stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeno peppers, vinegar, tapioca, and garlic. Stir in cilantro. Pour mixture over meat in cooker. Top with mushrooms and onion.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high heat setting for 4½ to 5 hours or until meat is tender. If desired, sprinkle with cilantro just before serving. 

adapted from:  Creative Slow Cooker Recipes: Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication, 2011

Nutrition facts: Cal: 339, Pro: 40g, Carb: 16g, Fat, total: 12g, Chol: 108mg, Sat. fat: 4g, Fiber: 1g, Sodium: 618mg

Baked Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Herbs & Lemon

To continue on with the cooking class that I recently took.  I wanted to share with you the main course.
Baked Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Herbs & Lemon.

This is a low-fat, low-fuss way to enjoy tender chicken breasts.  Baking the chicken takes longer than sauteing or poaching, but it produces more flavorful meat.  The lemon infuses this dish with a light citrus flavor that is hard to beat.  Cherry tomatoes become even sweeter as they bake, making them a tasty accompaniment to chicken breasts that cook right alongside.  This has become a new favorite of mine!  It's simple to prepare, looks wonderful, and tastes even better.

For the dessert we had during the cooking class click here.  A luscious Mexican chocolate pudding!

Cooking classes are so fun, and you learn such great recipes...I'm glad I can share this with you!

See the easy prep for baking?

Finished product!

Baked Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Herbs and Lemon

adapted from Healthy in a Hurry

Ingredients

6 1⁄2 tsp. olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. ground sage

8 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 1⁄2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1⁄2 tsp. sea salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 lemon, cut into 8 thin slices

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with 2 tsp. of the olive oil.

Place the chicken breast halves in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chicken with the thyme and sage, rubbing it on the chicken slightly to adhere the herbs.   Arrange the tomatoes around the chicken. Drizzle the chicken and tomatoes with the vinegar and 2 1⁄2 tsp. of the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Top each chicken breast half with 2 lemon slices.  Drizzle the remaining 2 tsp. olive oil over the herbs. Bake until the chicken is opaque throughout,  30 minutes. Arrange

a chicken breast half on each of 4 plates, spooning equal amounts of the tomatoes and herbs around each. Drizzle with the pan juices and serve immediately. Serves 4.