Pasta, Rice, Grains
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Memorial Day is a day of celebration our military heroes. I am so grateful for the men and women who have sacrificed to maintain our freedom and liberty throughout the ages. Memorial Day is usually the kick-off day for summer barbeques. I love to experiment with different side salads to accompany whatever comes off the BBQ. Here is a fun twist for a yummy side salad, combining quinoa and Mediterranean style flavors.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of quinoa cooked as directed on package (makes about 4 cups of quinoa)
1 English cucumber chopped
20 baby tomatoes cut in half
1 red or orange bell pepper chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
1 (15 oz ) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 4 oz container crumbled feta cheese
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
3 lemons juiced (about 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup olive oil
Cook the quinoa according to package direction. (I used 2 cups quinoa in 4 cups of water. I brought it to a boil, turned to simmer and covered for 15 minutes.) Let quinoa cool and add chopped cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans and basil. Season with salt and pepper and mix in feta cheese. Squeeze lemon juice and add olive oil. Mix dressing into quinoa salad and adjust seasonings. I love the fresh basil and probably used more than 1 cup. You can add kalamata olives if you want more of a Greek flair.
Enjoy with BBQ burgers, chicken, ribs or your favorite meat.
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Fresh Harvest Vegetable Marinara Sauce
This is the FIRST OFFICIAL recipe I have cooked in my new kitchen!!!!
We still have a few little repairs that need to be finished before it is completely done, but I can start creating new recipes and get back into my love of cooking now that I don’t have to cook in my laundry room anymore. It has been a LONG 8 months.
One of my distractions while waiting on the kitchen to be finished has been tending my vegetable garden…..Having a vegetable garden is fun and rewarding. The challenge is to use up the produce as it fills up the kitchen. So I decided to be creative and see how many of the vegetables from our garden I could use up in one recipe. I combined our garden veggies with a few things added from our local farmer’s market and cooked up a batch of vegetarian pasta sauce.
Ingredients
2 Tbs olive oil
2 onions
5 cloves garlic
6 carrots
5 stalks celery
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh parsley
3 cups spinach
10 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs sugar
2 (28 oz) cans organic crushed tomatoes
I washed all the vegetables and starting with the onions, I cut them each into chunks and used my Cuisinart to finely chop each vegetable one type at a time. I put a large pot on medium heat and added 2-3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots and saute until vegetables are soft, 5-10 minutes. Stir regularly so vegetables do not stick. Chop the basil, parsley and spinach and add to the large pot and stir another 5 minutes. Add 2 cans of organic crushed tomatoes and fresh tomatoes that have been chopped into chunks in the cuisinart. …
Read MoreFreekeh Salad-A New Taste in an Easter Picnic or Brunch side dish
Easter Brunch or Picnic Fun—-Freekah Salad
Easter is a fun day to gather with friends and family. There are many traditions that make that day extra special. Being outdoors and celebrating resurrection Sunday with a picnic and time together is part of the way we like to remember the true meaning of Easter. New life, new beginnings and the opportunity to experience God in a fresh new way was made possible when Jesus died on the cross and came to life again on resurrection day!
Here is a new recipe that I tried last week and will make for our Resurrection Sunday/Easter picnic. It is made out of a grain called Freekeh. Freekeh (or farik) is ancient food made from green durum wheat that has been harvested early, while the grains are still tender and green. The kernels are then parched, roasted, dried and rubbed to create its unique flavor. It is a healthy whole grain food, much like bulgur wheat and often mentioned right alongside other superfood heroes like quinoa, spelt, amaranth and farro. 
Technically, the term freekeh is actually the name of a process used to prepare grains, and not the name of a specific grain variety. According to food lore, freekeh’s fiery story dates back thousands of years, possibly as far back as 2,300 BC. Allegedly, a Middle Eastern village came under enemy attack and their crops of young, green wheat caught fire during the siege. The villagers ingeniously found they were able to salvage their food supply by rubbing away the burned chaff to reveal the roasted wheat kernels inside. This is what we know today as freekeh, which means “to rub” or “the rubbed one. However, it typically refers to wheat, and generally to durum wheat. So, although the freekeh process can be applied …
Zucchini Stuffed Quinoa Boats
Summer is here and if you have planted a vegetable garden you may be harvesting the first crop of zucchini, peppers and tomatoes. 
Here is a delicious way to serve zucchini. These stuffed zucchini quinoa boats can be your side dish with turkey burgers or chicken on the grill or you can eat them as your main dish because they are packed with protein and veggies.
Ingredients
6 medium zucchini (3 large zucchini forgotten in the garden for a few days)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic smashed
1 onion finely diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper finely diced
2 roma tomatoes or 1 large tomato chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 sprigs of fresh thyme chopped fine (2 teaspoons dried thyme)
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
4 basil leaves chopped
3 cups cooked quinoa (I used red quinoa)
½ cup grated parmesan
½ cup grated mozzarella
¼ cup pine nuts
Wash and cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center portion of each half zucchini and dice up what you have scooped out.
Saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add peppers, tomatoes and chopped zucchini and stir until all vegetables are soft. Add thyme, salt, pepper, chopped spinach and basil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cooked quinoa and parmesan cheese and stir until blended.
Fill zucchini boats full of the quinoa mixture and sprinkle pine nuts on top. 
Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your zucchini. Sprinkle grated or sliced mozzarella cheese on top and bake for 5 minutes more until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!!!
Stuffed Peppers-Garden Healthy Variety
I have always wanted to find a good stuffed peppers recipe! And, I think I finally did! I took the Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers from “The Recipe Critic” and made a few swaps and changes and created a healthy, tasty meal! Full of protein, very colorful, yummy spices, and a new product from Grain & Simple that can be found at Costco! “2 Minute Grains” is full of red spring wheat berries, quinoa, farrow and barley with tomato, onions, and peppers- It is a perfect side for a night of BBQ turkey burgers or, as I discovered with this recipe, the perfect add-in for stuffed peppers! You will love this recipe! We first published this post about 1 ½ years ago and it was one of our most popular recipes, so we decided to repost. With gardens beginning to produce home grown peppers and tomatoes, this is a fabulous springtime recipe.
INGREDIENTS
6 large bell peppers
Ground Turkey, 1 pound
1 medium onion
2-4 garlic cloves
2 TBS tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes diced
2 packs of Grain & Simple 2 Minute Grains (from Costco) or 3 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Colby Jack cheese, shredded
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add olive oil to pan. Saute the onion and garlic. Set aside.
2. In a large pan, coat with olive oil and cook the ground turkey. Add the onion and garlic once browned. Remove from heat.
3. Add the tomato paste, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and lemon juice. Heat the 2 Minute Grains as directed on package (or cook your quinoa or brown rice according to …
Read MoreClean Eating Mediterranean Style
A perfect start to our Clean Eating challenge is a recipe for Tabooleh. It is delicious and extremely nutritious and it’s my husband’s favorite Mediterranean side salad. Last night we paired it with a big Greek salad and a small portion of garlic sautéed Greek seasoned chicken for a fabulous dinner salad. Since we set our intentions this weekend to join the Clean Eating challenge together, we were both excited to have our first meal. As the base to our Tabooleh, I made a big greek salad with romaine lettuce and heirloom cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a tiny bit of feta cheese. I used a light homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. We piled the Tabooleh on top of the salad, spread the sautéed chicken around the edge and enjoyed some steamed cauliflower, hummus and carrots to dip on the side. A very satisfying meal.
Tabooleh Ingredients
2 cups bulgur wheat (medium grind #2)
3 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 4-5)
1/4 cup chopped mint (fresh is best, but if only dry is available use 2 Tablespoons)
2-3 large tomatoes chopped into small 1/4 inch pieces
1 large cucumber chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 head romaine lettuce
Pour the boiling water over the bulgur wheat and let it sit until the wheat kernels are soft and cooled completely. Add all chopped vegetables except romaine lettuce and stir. Mix the oil, lemon juice and spices and pour over wheat vegetable mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Greek sautéed Chicken
1 large chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces (serves 2)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic smashed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon fine …
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
The weather might not agree, but Fall is officially here and at my house that means PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!!
These perfect pumpkin pancakes are great for any time of day and packed with delicious protein to fuel you and your kids.
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
1 cup coconut flour*
1 TBS honey
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 scoops undenatured whey pumpkin spice protein powder
dash salt
1 tsp pumpkin spice seasoning
1 egg
2 cups almond milk**
3 TBS melted butter
Combine all ingredients with a whisk until smooth. Heat pancakes over medium-low heat. The pancakes will take a very long time to cook enough so that you can flip them over.
*I don’t usually like to use coconut flour. I think it made the pancakes really hard to flip. Although tasty, next time I will use a different gluten free flour. Here is a helpful article about replacing coconut flour in a recipe.
**If you do use coconut flour you may need to add more almond milk. I just added more almond milk until I reached my desired consistency for the pancakes.
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Tabooleh
Mediterranean cuisine is our newest family favorite. This summer, our Footsteps of Paul journey was memorable and incredibly satisfying except for one tiny thing…….we were very surprised to have a hard time finding restaurants that served Tabooleh. The very last night that we spent in Capadoccia, Turkey we found a restaurant that served it and WOW what a treat. Here is our family’s rendition of Tabooleh.
Ingredients
2 cups bulgur wheat (medium grind #2)
3 cups boiling water
112 cups chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 4-5)
1/4 cup chopped mint (fresh is best, but if only dry is available use 2 Tablespoons)
2-3 large tomatoes chopped into small 1/4 inch pieces
1 large cucumber chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 head romaine lettuce
Pour the boiling water over the bulgur wheat and let it sit until the wheat kernels are soft and cooled completely. Add all chopped vegetables except romaine lettuce and stir. Mix the oil, lemon juice and spices and pour over wheat vegetable mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Place a bed of chopped romain on a serving platter and pile Tabooleh on top. Place on your table and enjoy. Tabooleh makes a great side dish for any BBQ especially Shish kebabs or grilled meat or fish.…
Read MoreTortilla Casserole-with a Healthy Flair
When your family feels like Mexican food and you have a busy day ahead of you…this casserole can be made ahead of time (even a day ahead)and baked right before dinner. This recipe is low fat and really delicious. Serve it with a green salad and some guacamole and salsa.
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 large onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 can black beans, drained (optional for added protein)
- 2 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 can or bottle (12-14 0z) enchilada sauce
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups cheddar or colby jack cheese shredded
- Begin to brown the ground turkey in a large skillet.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic and red pepper and continue to cook until onion and pepper are soft and ground meat is cooked.
- Add the seasonings, corn and black beans and stir until blended.
- Mix the tomato sauce and enchilada sauce and add half of this sauce mixture to the browned meat and vegetables.
- Reserve remaining sauce to pour over top of casserole.
- In a PAM sprayed 9 by 13 pan, layer 6 corn tortillas, half the meat mixture, half the cheese. then layer the other 6 tortillas, half of the meat mixture, half of the cheese.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top.
- Cook in a 350 degree oven for 20-25
Pasta in a Pot
We have a family tradition of letting each person in our family at specific times pick the celebration dinner meal, whether it be a birthday dinner, a significant guest coming for a visit or other special occasions to honor someone we love! One month ago we had the awesome privilege of hosting missionaries from Rwanda. Pasta in a Pot was their special request for their first night meal. Pasta is a Pot is a favorite of all my girls and I consider this missionary couple family because the wife is one of my “girls”. She lived with us for most of the year before she began her missionary career with YWAM and she has now transitioned to running her own missionary organization called “Do Something”. So here is our favorite pasta dish that was used all throughout our girls high school sports careers.
Ingredients
1 package (16 oz) large shell macaroni
8 oz provolone cheese grated
8 oz mozzarella cheese grated
2 cups Greek yogurt
1-2 lbs ground turkey
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped fine
2 quarts spaghetti sauce homemade or your favorite store brand
Brown the ground turkey in a large pan with the garlic and spices. When brown, add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the shell noodles as directed. Drain and mix in a bowl with the greek yogurt. Grate the cheeses. In a large casserole, layer the creamy shell noodles, the sauce and the cheese, repeat. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve with a big green salad and crusty french bread.
What is one of your favorite family meals-one that has become a traditional special request dish?
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