Quinoa Stuffing

My cooking club met for our November get-together over the weekend, and it was such a wonderful time, as usual. The wine and the laughter flowed, and we enjoyed a truly delicious meal. This month's theme was Thanksgiving, but not just any Thanksgiving dish; we had to make a new twist on a classic. We had harissa green beans, loaded mashed potato casserole, and salted caramel mascarpone pumpkin cheesecake (OMG), among other delicious dishes. My contribution was this quinoa stuffing, which was universally enjoyed.

I'm a huge fan of stuffing; in fact, I think it's probably my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. And I have to be honest: This particular stuffing would never replace the traditional, all-bread version of stuffing on my Thanksgiving table. But that doesn't mean it wasn't absolutely delicious. It's prepared just like you'd make a traditional stuffing, but quinoa is added to it before baking. The recipe can easily be adapted to make it vegetarian or even completely vegan. The quinoa gives the stuffing a great texture and a nutritional boost that means you can feel good about eating it. And on a holiday when practically everyone overeats on all kinds of fattening yumminess, feeling good about eating even one aspect of the meal is no small thing!

Quinoa Stuffing

adapted from About.com

1 cup quinoa

2 1/4 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

4 ounces sliced button mushrooms

1 rib of celery, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine

6 slices dried (or lightly toasted) bread, cubed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1. In a medium saucepan, simmer quinoa in 2 1/4 cups chicken stock with bay leaves until done, about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and discard, and set the quinoa aside.

2. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic, thyme sprigs, sage, and salt and pepper. Add white wine and simmer until reduced. Discard thyme sprigs.

4. Reduce heat to low and add cubed bread and nuts, stirring to combine well. Add chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time until bread is well moistened. Add reserved quinoa and gently toss to combine well.

5. Transfer to prepared casserole dish and bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

I first tried these scalloped sweet potato stacks at my cooking club's monthly meet-up in August. Our theme was Southern food, and one of my friends brought these since sweet potatoes are so synonymous with the South. They were so delicious that I proceeded to eat more of them than I care to admit, and I couldn't get them out of my head after that. I finally had to ask her for the recipe so I could make them myself.

Sweet potatoes are often paired with sweet ingredients, which is undoubtedly a delicious way to eat them, but I really love them when they're savory as well. In this recipe, sliced sweet potatoes are paired with cheese, garlic, thyme and cream and baked in individual portions in a muffin tin for a simple yet sophisticated side dish. They're endlessly adaptable with whatever cheeses and herbs you like (I used mozzarella for some, and cheddar for some), and they just taste fantastic. They'd be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table -- or just to your dinner table on any day of the year.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

adapted from A Bountiful Kitchen

1 1/2 pounds small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided 

1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese, divided
2/3 cup heavy cream 

1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer half of sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle with a light layer of salt. Then sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme and 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining sweet potatoes. (Potatoes should come slightly above the rim of each cup.)

2. Microwave cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme for 1 minute. Pour cream mixture into muffin cups (about 1 tablespoon per cup).

3. Bake, covered with aluminum foil, 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.

4. Let stand 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around rim of each cup, and lift potato stacks from cups using a spoon or thin spatula. Transfer to a serving platter.

Broccoli with Cajun Garlic Butter

I know I promised you this recipe yesterday, and I didn't deliver. And I know that you kept refreshing the site all day, waiting for this broccoli recipe, getting angrier and angrier when it didn't appear. Because I know that vegetable side dishes are just that important to you.

I'm kidding of course. I doubt broccoli is that important to you. I mean, broccoli is broccoli is broccoli, right? I'm constantly on the look-out for new vegetable recipes, though, because simple steamed veggies can obviously get a bit boring after a while. My boys could eat steamed vegetables with a little bit of butter and salt every single day, but sometimes Joe and I need a little bit more flavor.

I think the method that I used for this broccoli is a real winner, and that it will work with all kinds of seasoning blends and many different vegetables. This method uses basic steamed broccoli, but when the broccoli is finished steaming, it's coated with a combination of melted butter, garlic, and Cajun seasoning. You could change up the seasoning blend by using any dried herb, Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning, lemon pepper...the list goes on and on. It adds a ton of flavor to a simple steamed vegetable, taking it from ordinary to extraordinary!

Broccoli with Cajun Garlic Butter

1 bag frozen steam-in-a-bag broccoli (or 2 heads broccoli, chopped into florets and steamed without salt)

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1. While the broccoli is steaming, heat the butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and continue to cook over low heat until fragrant. Add the Cajun seasoning and stir until it's fully incorporated.

2. Place the broccoli in a large bowl and pour the warm butter mixture over it, tossing gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Three Delicious Mexican Sides

I have three delicious recipes to share with you today. I think it's apparent by now how much I love Mexican food, but I always struggle with what, if any, side dishes to make to go along with my quesadillas/tacos/enchiladas/burritos/etc. My default choice is always this Mexican sour cream rice, which my entire family loves, but I've been wanting to branch out for a while. Here are three side dishes I've tried recently that I think would be perfect with any Mexican-themed meal.

I'm a huge fan of the rice served at Mexican restaurants, but I've never been able to duplicate it successfully at home -- and forget trying the packets from the store, which don't even remotely come close. This recipe for Mexican rice is as close as I've ever come to the flavor of Mexican restaurant rice. It has just the right texture and almost the perfect flavor. I did think the tomato flavor was just a little bit too strong, so I've reflected a reduced amount in the recipe below.

I've seen recipes for elote (Mexican streeet corn) all over the internet for a long time now, so I finally decided to try it. I'm only sorry I waited so long to try it! My family all loved this corn. The salty, pungent cheese was perfect with the sweet corn and the creamy sauce.



And finally, I'm not trying to be bossy, but I'm going to tell you right now to TRY THIS BREAD. You need it in your life. It's basically a Mexican version of garlic bread, kicked up a few notches with some sour cream and cilantro. It's so good, I just...I can't even. There are no words.

The next time you're making a Mexican meal, try one (or some, or all) of these recipes out. I think you'll really like all of them!

Mexican Rice

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 cup of long grain white rice

2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of lime juice, from about 1 lime

2 teaspoons cumin

Salt to taste

1. In a medium-sized pot, add rice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir. Cover the pot, lower the heat to low and simmer for 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep the pot covered for 5 more minutes.

2. While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions in the hot oil for 10 minutes, until translucent and starting to brown. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste and cumin and cook for another minute or two. Mix in hot, cooked rice and lime juice. Mix until well combined. Season to taste with salt. Serve immediately.

Elote
adapted from Our Best Bites

4 ears corn
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese 

1. Cook corn by method of choice. While it’s cooking, combine mayo, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, and pinch of salt. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

2. Grate cotija cheese with a fine-hole cheese grater and place on a plate.

3. When corn is finished cooking, immediately spread sauce all over it and then roll corn cob in grated cheese. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing and extra chili powder or cayenne sprinkled on top if desired.

Mexican Cheesy Bread
Cassie Craves recipe

4 bolillo or hoagie rolls, split
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

1. Slice rolls in half and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Broil until toasted.

2. Combine butter, sour cream, cheese, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and cilantro. Slather the mixture on toasted rolls, edge to edge, and return to broiler until the topping is heated through. Serve immediately.