Black Bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa Salad

I seem to be using a lot of black bean lately which, I guess is not always bad since they are pretty good for you. I really like to have sides that aren't heavy and are a good light snack. I have found many recipes similar to this one but just have never made it. This recipe is really simple doesn't require a lot of ingredients and it healthy. Because of the Quinoa and black beans there is quite a bit of protein in the salad. 

Black Bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa Salad
Adapted from Melskitchencafe
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced ( or more i put 4 because I love garlic and it wasn't over powering) 
3/4 cup uncooked Quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
2-15oz cans black beans rinsed and drained
1/2 cup cilantro chopped


Directions
In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. When hot and the onions, saute for 4-5 minutes, add garlic for about a minute.


Add the quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until almost all the liquid has absorbed. 


Stir in frozen corn and black beans. Cover and let pot sit of the heat until corn and beans are heated through. About 5-6 minutes. Stir in Cilantro. Serve warm or chilled.

I served mine chilled and it tasted even better the next day. Great flavors and I really load up on the cilantro because I love that stuff too. This is a great salad to bring to any potluck or party!! A definite keeper and crowd pleaser.

My husband said you can for sure make this again and soon please! Enjoy

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Corn Salsa chicken

Since I am a total fan of crock pot meals lately I decided to add another. This one was actually made on the weekend but it was perfect because I put it all in the pot and was able to get stuff done for the rest of the day. This recipe was SUPER easy also no complaints here. Very Very few ingredients also which is nice because it is a small shopping list for once and nothing out of the ordinary that you would never use again. 

Very few ingredients these are just a few and depending on how you use the mixture you wont need much.


Slow Cooker Black Bean and Corn Salsa Chicken
Adapted from sixsistersstuff


Ingredients

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed ( you may use whatever beans you like)

2 cans corn, drained

1 package taco seasoning

4-5 chicken breasts

1 cup salsa

3/4 cup water

Directions

Put beans, corn, taco seasoning, and water in crock pot and mix together until seasoning is dissolved. Place chicken breasts on top and spread salsa on chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours. Shred meat place back in crock pot and stir till combined. Serve however you desire

I chose to make mine into tacos. I had shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, Onions, avocado, shredded cheese, and sour cream. I used flour tortillas and wrapped them up right into my mouth!!

I served my delicious tacos alongside some re fried beans and cilantro lime rice! YUM I had my sis, her hubby, and my 2 nieces over and still had a bunch left over. I was able to freeze the rest in single portions for when I am home alone and need a good meal. The next day I did use my left overs and made a salad with the mixture and was very delicious! Very versatile recipe super easy and a definite must try!!

Pineapple Curry Chicken

Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines. The chief spices found in mostSouth Asian curry powders are turmeric, coriander, and cumin; a wide range of additional spices may be included depending on the geographic region and the foods being included (white/red meat, fish, lentils, rice and vegetables


So who doesn't love a home cooked meal when they get home after a long day? I sure do especially when it doesn't take much effort. Lately I have been looking for recipes I can throw in the crock pot and have ready when I get home. A lot of the time I go to the gym after work or shortly there after and don't have a lot of time to think about supper. This way when I make something in the crock pot I can have it whenever I am ready. Of course I am always looking for healthy recipes too. I had gotten this taste of home magazine from my mother in law and found a few recipes that I would like to try out.

Pineapple Curry Chicken
Yields: 6 Servings


Ingredients
2 cans 8oz unsweetened pineapple chunks undrained
6 bone-in or boneless chicken breasts
1 can (15oz) Garbanzo beans or chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 large onion cut in 1 inch pieces
1 cup julienne carrots
1 medium red sweet pepper cut into strips
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch 
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp curry powder
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp fresh ginger minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes ( I omitted since I don't like spicy)
Toasted flaked coconut (A MUST if you like coconut)


Directions
1. Drain Pineapple reserving 3/4 cup juice. Place chicken breasts, bean, vegetables, and pineapple in a 6qt slow cooker. In a small bowl combine coconut milk and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in the sugar, curry powder, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, lime juice, red pepper flakes and reserved juice. Pour Over Chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve with rice and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Yummy Chunks of pineapple and toasted coconut what a great combination!!

With the Chicken and Garbanzo Beans you are also getting a healthy dose of Protein.

Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramel

When I saw these cookies in my Martha Stewart Magazine I knew I had to test them out. Salted caramel yes thank you! These cookies for the most part are pretty easy but can be messy. I like to bake but have not strayed to far from the chocolate chip cookie which you can never go wrong with. These may not be for everyone but they are sure for me and warning it is hard to eat just one. They are a flaky cookie with a sweet, salty caramel middle that melts in your mouth. Like I said they can be messy as I was eating one last night my husband said uh you have something hanging on your chin.... Oops just a little caramel.

Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramel

Yields: 54

Ingredients

3 Sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

table salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

12 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

44 small soft caramel candies (12 ounces), such as kraft which I used

6 Tablespoons heavy cream

Large, Flaky sea salt 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Beat together butter and sugar with mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour and 1/2 tsp table salt, and beat to combine. Press dough together in plastic wrap, then roll into 1 1/4 inch balls. Dip each ball in beaten egg, and roll in coconut. Place balls on parchment lined sheets and press indentation into each with your thumb. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and re-press indentations. Bake until golden about 9-10 minutes. Let cool on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough.

2. Place the caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. cook stirring constantly, until the caramels are melted and mixture is smooth about 4-6 minutes. Spoon into indentations in cookies, and sprinkle with sea salt.

The caramel never really seems to harden enough to set the cookies on top of each other if you do they get stuck together and then it really makes a mess. It suggests storing them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Enjoy!

Quick Pastitsio

Pastitsio (Greek: παστίτσιο; [paˈstitsio]), sometimes spelled Pastichio, is a Greek and Mediterranean baked pasta dish including ground beef and béchamel sauce in its best-known form. Pastitsio is a version of the Italiandish pasticcio di pasta, also known as lasagne al forno.


When I found this dish I wasn't sure what Pastitsio meant but it sounded good and decided to make it. It really isn't that different from other recipes that I have made just has a weird name. I love pasta of any kind and will eat it any chance I can get. This also is a great recipe to freeze and the serving size 1 1/3 cups is a pretty decent size! Again I substituted the ground sirloin for ground turkey. Next time I make this dish I would add more tomatoes because I feel for my preference there could have been more. 

Quick Pastitsio
Source Cooking Light
Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
• Cooking spray 
• 1 pound ground sirloin ( or ground turkey if you wish)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (love onion so if you do too put in a little extra)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fat-free milk 
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained 
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese 
• 1 (3-ounce) package fat-free cream cheese 
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 
  
• Preparation
• 1. Preheat broiler.
• 2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
• 3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove beef from pan; drain. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add beef; sprinkle with salt. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in milk, tomatoes, and cream cheeses, stirring until smooth; bring to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in pasta.
• 4. Spoon pasta mixture into a 13 x 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over top. Broil 4 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with parsley.

Look at all that creamy pasta and bubbly Cheese.

1. 
   

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

So this recipe I got from Cooking Light and made some changes to it for my liking. This recipe is super easy and delicious. I also look for recipes that would be easy to freeze for a later date because, obviously I don't need to eat 6 mini meat loafs although it would be easy too since they are so yummy. These loafs also have gooey cheese hidden in the middle for a great surprise. I paired my loaf with some polenta and green beans. I switched up a few ingredients in my loafs I used ground turkey instead of sirloin and omitted the horseradish. These loafs came out soo moist and tender it was unbelievable.

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (about 1 ounce)
• Cooking spray 
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup ketchup, divided 
• 3 ounces white cheddar cheese, diced ( You may use any type of cheese you would like)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (I omitted this since I didn't not have any)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin ( or switch it up and used ground Turkey like I did)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. 2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently.
3. 3. While breadcrumbs cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining ingredients. Shape into 6 (4 x 2-inch) loaves on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; spread 2 teaspoons ketchup over each. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until done.

I used real bread and just ground a few pieces in my food processor so they were nice and fresh.

Look at all that Yummy Gooey cheese in the center! These are a definite keeper. If you have kids Im sure they will love them and they wont know it is healthy for them.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I would like to think of myself as a good cheesecake maker. Cheesecakes can be a very tricky desert. You have to have patience to make this desert because it takes time but, is totally worth it in the end. Cheesecake has got to be one of my favorite deserts because it can be so versatile. There are many different types of cheesecakes too. I like to keep it pretty simple or else it takes away that amazing creaminess!! I love that melt in your mouth feeling of cheesecake. I decided for Thanksgiving this year I was going to make chocolate chip cheesecake.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and cocoa. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring-form pan. Set crust aside.
2. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk; beat well. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat on medium speed until smooth. Toss 1/3 of the miniature chocolate chips with the 1 teaspoon flour to coat (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Mix into cheese mixture. Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips.
3. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour. Turn off oven (do not open oven door) and leave the cake in the oven to cool in the oven for another hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate before removing sides of pan. Keep cake refrigerated until time to serve.

Like I said earlier you must have patience when making a cheesecake. First off having the ingredients at room temperature helps everything mix together and be the same temperature when cooking. Also when the cheesecake is in the oven do not jump around or open the door at anytime. The cake can fall and when the door is constantly opened it really screws up the temp and can ruin the cheesecake. Another tip is patience!! I have a hard time not opening the spring form pan right away. The best thing you can do is just leave it!! Take it out of the oven let it sit on the counter for a bit and put it right in the fridge for overnight chill. Once the cake has chilled overnight take a knife around the edge to loosen and carefully open the spring form pan. I usually carefully run a knife under the crust to loosen it if I want it off the pan. When cutting the cheesecake it is very helpful to have a glass of hot water you can dip your knife in and a towel you can also wipe off excess on. This is if you want a clean cut cheesecake like me! 

Try and have just one of these creamy sweet decadent pieces of cheesecake!! Goes great with coffee.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Quinoa pronounced "keen-wa" is a high quality protein grain. This is the first time I have made anything with this grain and it turned out wonderfully. Quite nutritious also with 6 grams of protein for 1/4 cup. I am always looking to try new ingredients not that this is new because it has been around for some time just never ventured out to far. It is also quick and easy to prepare.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Servings 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 clove garlic, smashed ( I put 3 cloves because I like garlic)
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
•  
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Bring the water, bouillon cubes, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the garlic clove and scrape the quinoa into a large bowl.
2. Gently stir the , onion, bell pepper, olives, feta cheese, and chives, into the quinoa. Drizzle with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Stir until evenly mixed. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold.

Chop all the veggies while Quinoa is cooking so you can just throw it together when it is done. I chose to make mine a cold salad. 

The salad has so many different tastes and textures it will really keep your taste buds working. You may also add some chicken to add a little more flava and texture. 

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

My sister finally became a follower of my bog and she told me I needed a vegetarian recipe?? So, I just happen to have this fabulous mac-n-cheese recipe that I can put on here. I love mac-n-cheese but it doesn't usually like the figure. I found this recipe that used a few different ingredients and was great for the figure and delicious. It may seem a little time consuming but totally worth it in the end. There are some short cuts you can take for this recipe like buying frozen pre cut squash. You can also change up the cheese selection if you would like. The first time I made it I used Smoked Gouda for one of the cheese selections and it was amazing!

Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

Serves 8 (1 1/3 cup per serving)

• 3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash) (Can also buy frozen)
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk 
• 2 garlic cloves or more if you like garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt 
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1 pound uncooked cavatappi ( I used Rigatoni)
• Cooking spray 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
• 2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
• 3. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.
• 4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
• 5. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray.
• 6. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.
• 
• As you can see I did not use the panko crumbs on top of this recipe. It still tastes just as amazing. I like to portion out servings and freeze them for an easy quick supper. Hope you enjoy this amazingly creamy recipe!