Quinoa Fiesta Enchilada Bake

I have run a half-marathon and two 5Ks (in that order). And I will assert, based on admittedly scant evidence/experience, that 5Ks are THE worst.

Enchiladas, however, are great. (Better than half-marathons too!) This recipe adds a twist and expands on the NCC's existing repertoire for this dish.
 
 

Only two dogs beat me in the 5K this past weekend.
This dog was not one of them, though in fairness,
I only passed him in the last 1/4 mile because he stopped to sniff.
Photo via: Worcester Telegram

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 10 oz enchilada sauce*
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen thawed corn 
• If you don't like corn, you can double the beans and/or substitute diced tomatoes. In fact, I'd recommend adding 3/4 cup of the latter anyway.
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 1/3 Tbsp dried)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided 
• Guacamole and sour cream (option), for serving

* The original recipe called for making your own enchilada sauce, but I did not find the effort to be worth the result.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking pan.
2. Prepare the quinoa, using the chicken/vegetable broth as the liquid, per package instructions. 
3. Combine the quinoa, green chiles, corn, beans, diced tomatoes (if desired), and cilantro in a large bowl.
4.  Mix in 1/2 cup of the cheese.
5.  Transfer mixture to the baking dish, spreading evenly.
6. Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.
7. Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes.

Recipe via skinnytaste

Cucumber Pineapple Salad

A refreshing --- and easy --- twist for a summer side dish. You can probably substitute basil or mint for the cilantro (~mojito/other summer drinks) if you like and omit the red onion, depending on your preferences.

Photo Credit: Cooks Joy

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups cucumber, diced
• An English (or seedless/small seeds) cucumber is recommended 
• 2 cups pineapple, diced
• 4 Tbsp (fresh) cilantro, diced
• Many stores sell small packets of fresh herbs, which is easier and less wasteful than buying the whole bunch.
• 2 Tbsp red onion, chopped
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• A pinch/sprinkle of chili powder (if desired)
• Salt to taste (I didn't add any)

DIRECTIONS

• Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
• To ensure an even mixture, I combined the cucumber and pineapple, then added the cilantro and mixed, followed by the red onion. I then drizzled and mixed the lemon juice, and then sprinkled the chili powder before one final stir.
• Chill and serve.

Recipe via Cooks Joy

Scottish Baked Courgettes

I left Mike with a lot of leftover food when I left Scotland on Sunday. We had just had company for a couple of days and also had his mum and sister down and John and Hazel from down the street. I was worried that all that food would get wasted (you know how I hate wasting food). But Mike proved me wrong with this dish that he told me he made tonight that he just made up as he went along. I filled in the numbers for him. Let us know if any of them need to be corrected, Mike.

Ingredients:

3 courgettes (zucchini) halved, with pulp scooped out and chopped
1 small shallot finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup chopped ham
grated or crumbled cheese

Cook shallot and garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped zucchini and cook for a couple of more minutes until the zucchini is cooked through and tender. Add the ham just long enough to warm it up.

Fill the empty zucchini shells with the mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Bunger it (stick it) in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tomato, Cucumber and Corn Salad

This was really delicious and really light. We served it over couscous. I went back for seconds.

INGREDIENTS

• 1to 1 1/4 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in small dice
• ½european cucumber, 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 regular cucumber, peeled if waxy, seeded if the seeds are large, and cut in small dice
• 2ears corn, steamed for 4 minutes and kernels removed from the cob ( we used a tin of corn)
• 1to 2 serranos or jalapeño pepper, minced (seeded for a milder salad), or 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (we used one medium green chile and it was perfect!)
• Salt to taste
• ¼cup chopped cilantro ( must have!)
• 2tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1tablespoon fresh lime juice or lemon juice
• 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1optional: 1 ounce feta, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Salad Nicoise (sort of )

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Bearing in mind that we are headed to Prague in just a few days, I have tried to keep the menu low-cal and healthy. I don't want to have to say to no to schnitzel or streudel because my pants are too tight. This was a nice way to use vegetables, but don't neglect the herbs. You'll need those for a bit of kick.

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:

• 2tablespoons good-quality red or white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1garlic clove, small or large to taste, green shoot removed, puréed with a garlic press or in a mortar and pestle
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt (you can omit this and use a total of 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil)

FOR THE SALAD:

• ¾pound medium Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes, cut in 3/4-inch dice
• 1can light (not albacore) tuna packed in water, drained
• 6ounces green beans, trimmed, and cut in half if long
• 1small red or green pepper, thinly sliced or diced
• 1small cucumber (preferably Persian), cut in half lengthwise and then sliced in half-moons
• 2hard-cooked eggs, preferably free range, peeled and cut in wedges
• 1small head of Boston lettuce, 1 romaine heart, or 4 to 5 cups mixed baby salad greens, washed and dried
• 2to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, basil, tarragon, chives and marjoram
• 3or 4 tomatoes, cut in wedges, or 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Shrimp and Asparagus Salad

Wait for it . . . tonight I totally made something up. I am digging this cooking shiz. Tonight I opened my refrigerator and had asparagus that had been just cooked last night. Not cooked a lot. It was still crisp. And there was a tomato from the market. So I thawed about 9 cooked shrimp (always keep this in your freezer) and put the three ingredients together with a dressing inspired from earlier this week - 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and a splash of vegetable broth. To that I added about a quarter teaspoon of dried basil leaves. I would have preferred it to be dill, but I didn't have that. Turned out to be scrumptious. It will be tomorrow's lunch. Beautiful and virtuous. Kind of like my own good self.

Spring Asparagus Salad

Springtime in Michigan means fresh asparagus. I had a lovely bunch and thought about using the recipe that Meredith posted with fusilli and asparagus but pasta is on my bad list these days so I hunted around for something else. As I like to do, I've blended a couple of recipes and here is the outcome.
ingredients:

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil (I used the stuff that comes in a tube)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small bunch asparagus, about 15 spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup frozen peas
1 avocado, chopped
1 tomato, chopped                                                                                                                                         1/4 cup goat cheese

Several cups of mixed greens

directions:

1. In a small bowl or medium jar, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine or shake with the jar lid on tight. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus and fresh lemon juice. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, combine salad greens, asparagus, peas, and avocado. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and serve.