BIZZY BAKES

This week, in Eating with Ellie, Margaret selected Corn and Quinoa with Sausage found on page 158 in Weeknight Wonders.  I was thrilled when I saw this on our list.  Corn and sausage always appeal to me and quinoa is not far behind.  All three sounded like a winning recipe and in fact, it was. The procedures went quickly although, you do have to prepare by cooking the quinoa and frying up the sausage and vegetables.  I did both at the same time to speed the process and the whole thing, did not take long.  Quinoa cooks much more quickly than rice which is why I have been choosing it for recipes above the brown rice, I used to cook, so much of the time. The sausage gives this a great flavor as does the cilantro.  I expected this to be a favorite and I was not disappointed. Let's find out what the other ladies did with this recipe at our site. Waste Not Want Not Wednesday               Creative Munst...

This recipe from Mark Bittman grabbed my attention with the name Meat and Grain Balls.  What grain is he talking about?  It seems, almost any grain would work so I used quinoa; Bittman used bulgur.  The truth is that quinoa is easy to cook and speedy to be finished which is why I chose it.  My guests picked out the quinoa by the taste but I could not do so.  I served these in a sweet and sour sauce and that is what dominated. Meat-and-Grain Balls 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt to taste 1 pound meat  1cloves minced garlic  2 shallots, chopped 1 or 2 shakes of cayenne 1 tablesppon chili powder black pepper to taste 1 egg 2 cups cooked, cooked quinoa 2 cups spinach  Preheat oven to 400F Bring pot of water to boil. Wilt spinach in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Drain it, dry it, chop it. Put spinach in a bowl, along with ground meat.  Add onion, garlic, spices and egg. Add either the cooked q...

When I saw the additions to the quinoa, in this recipe from All Recipes. Com, I knew I had to make it.  How could you go wrong with it?  Actually, I did goof, big time.  I must have put too much liquid in the quinoa and it was mushy.  Despite this, the added flavors made it worthy of eating and I would make it again, just with more care. Tropical Quinoa Ingredients: 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 1 cup water 1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple 1/2 cup dried mango 1/2 cup cut-up apple 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes 1/4 cup nuts, chopped                Method: Mix the quinoa and water in a saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from heat, and stir in the dried pineapple, dried mango, coconut flakes,  nuts.     Eat and enjoy. Serve hot. Linked to  Full P...

A dish, I very much like is eggplant and pasta with sauce and it serves like spaghetti and meatballs with the eggplant chunks subbing for the meatballs.  I decided to apply this idea to a new dish, quinoa with eggplant and mushrooms and served it on the Sabbath. Quinoa and Eggplant Ingredients: 2 cups cooked quinoa 1 small eggplant peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces 1 cup mushrooms, slice (baby bella) olive oil 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon miso Method: Heat 1 - 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet.   Add eggplant and cook, mixed on a regular basis, for about 6 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes. Add soy sauce and miso to the skillet and mix well. Place in a baking dish, sprayed with oil and bake at 350 degrees for 2o minutes. Eat and enjoy.

This brings back memories of the days of our weekly cooking group featuring Ellie's recipes.  I loved those days, making weekly successes and healthier foods.  Out group was made up of dedicated and lovely women and I think, we all looked forward to our special time of the week. This week, I happened upon this recipe by Ellie and I knew, it was time that Ellie and I became reacquainted.  It was a happy meeting with a yummy dinner. Instead of couscous which hubby can't eat, I subbed in quinoa. Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach adapted from Ellie Krieger I ngredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved 8 ounces baby spinach 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice 2 cups rice or quinoa, cooked Method: Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil and heat.   Add the...

I am thinking of planning a quinoa week where I make something with quinoa for every meal.  It is so versatile and whatever, I have put it in, has come out beautifully.  Here is another example of using quinoa wisely. Also, this leads me to think about all the ways I add filler to meat loaf.  I find that it can be too heavy without some kind of filler whether it be mashed tomatoes,  rice, bread crumbs or spinach.  I have made it with whole hard boiled eggs inside or a layer of sliced potatoes in the middle of the meatloaf.   Many people don't like meatloaf but I think if they would play with it and make it to their liking, they would find that it is another versatile dish. Quinoa Mini Meatloaves Ingredients: 1 cup cooked quinoa 1 pound ground turkey 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup barbecue sauce 2 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley Method: Preh...

   I was curious how these were going to come out and although they look slightly different they passed easily as good muffins.  How healthy can you get?  No butter!  No oil! No white sugar!  No white flour!  Maple Quinoa Muffins Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked and cooled 4 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup Rice milk 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon cinnamon Method: Preheat the oven to 375ºF and place the quinoa in a large mixing bowl. Spray six muffin inserts in tin. In a small bowl, beat eggs together, Rice milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until combined. Add maple syrup. Add egg mixture to quinoa.  Pour into muffin tins. Bake for 25  minutes until a thin knife comes out dry. Serve warm. Linked to:   Treasure Box Tuesday          Two Cup Tuesday       In and Out of the Kitchen           Tuesday’s Tab...

Since I discovered quinoa, a few years ago, I have used in a multitude of ways.  I made a big batch today and I made both this kugel like dish and maple muffins.  How yummy each one was! Spinach Quinoa Bake Ingredients: 1 pound fresh baby spinach 1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 red onion, diced 1/8 teaspoon chili powder 2 cups cooked quinoa 1 cup sour cream 2  eggs, lightly beaten (I used 1 whole egg and 2 whites) Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a square pan with cooking spray. Clean spinach and drain well. Place spinach in a bowl and put aside. In a small skillet, heat olive oil.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 - 7 minutes.  Add chili powder to onion for 1 additional minute. Put onion in medium sized bowl.   Add spinach, cooked quinoa, sour cream, and eggs to the onion mixture. Combine all the ingredients. ...

Have you ever been uninspired and tired but had dinner to make?  That was me and we find it is too hard to get local gluten-free food to bring in so it is ME and the kitchen.  Hubby offered to play sous chef and I happily accepted.  Fortunately, there was little to do for this meal other than the chopping.  With help, it was a pleasure. With the tomato crop in full bloom, it is fun adding tomatoes to many dishes.  This is another of those meal that was based on what was had in the house and those items worked well.  This is a filling but not overpowering meal.  It has a good balance and we like all the components. It means, we don't always have to be inspired to make a good dish. Chicken Strips with Quinoa Plus Ingredients : 1 cup rinsed quinoa 2 cups vegetable broth 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2  boneless chicken cutlets, cut into chunks 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 zucchini, diced 1 tomato, dic...

I had no idea what to call this recipe.  I was supposed to make this for Monday night but I remembered, we had a wedding to go to and there was no need for me to cook.  I changed things around a bit and here we are with one of the best meals, I have had in a while.  I think it is better than the fancy meal served at the wedding.   Giving a name to a recipe that I put together, with what is on hand, is a challenge and in this case, I came to a dead-end.  Listing the ingredients for a title seems wrong and boring. I thought about what I did and that was to perk up the quinoa. Quinoa is something that takes on the identity of the ingredients or other foods on the plate.  Like rice, barley, orzo or kasha, you can vary what you do with it in innumerable ways.  I think, quinoa is the easiest to cook especially with many of the ones on the store shelves do not need to be rinsed. To make this recipe work, do a lot of the prep  before hand.   ...

Quinoa brings out varied reactions from many bloggers.  Some share that they would like to make it but are a bit nervous about doing so.  Others can't stop raving about it.  Two very different reactions to one useful food item. I have found quinoa to be quite unassuming.  It goes where you tell it to go.  You want it to be spicy, it picks up the flavor with easily.  If you want it bland, add very little to it.  Use it instead of rice, on occasion. It is easy to make other than rinsing thoroughly.  I put it through a sifter three times.  I found my strainers have holes that allow the quinoa to fall right through.  The sifter catches it and is easy to handle. Other than that, it is not time consuming and you need not fuss over it.  Just enjoy it and it will blend in with the other flavors on the plate. Of course, you probably do not want your quinoa to be quiet and unassuming.  You want it to have a little heat or lots of...