Tag: Quick

Dinners, Side Dishes

Recipe—Quinoa and Cheese

Diva di Cucina

I am a huge fan of macaroni and cheese; I mean come on, who isn’t? It has to be one of my all time favorite comfort foods. Problem for me is that it is not the healthiest item to be consuming on a regular basis. I thought to myself, there has to be a way to enjoy a healthier version of this classic comfort food. So here it is, quinoa and cheese!

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a super grain comparable to couscous or rice and has been around since ancient times. The Incas called it “The Mother Grain.” It contains more protein and fewer carbohydrates than any other grain. It’s also an awesome source of calcium, iron, phosphorous, and vitamins B and E. Quinoa is a great ingredient to work with if you are watching carbs or are on a gluten free diet.

This recipe has all the great qualities a person loves about macaroni and cheese, the rich creaminess, the cheesiness, the crunchy topping, except it makes it healthier. (Shhh don’t tell the kids!) You can even spruce it up by adding in some steamed broccoli or fresh chopped jalapeños. While I wouldn’t call this an equal to macaroni and cheese, it certainly is a great alternative.

Note: If you are only feeding a couple of mouths divvy it up into two 8″ x 8″ dishes and freeze one for later. I love the disposable foil containers you can get at the grocery store. 

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked
1/2 c milk
1/2 c sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c crushed croutons (optional)

STEPS

  • Cook quinoa according to the package instructions.
  • Preheat oven to 350º.
  • Grease a 7” x 11” baking dish.
  • Whisk together milk, sour cream, eggs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  • Stir in cheese and then the cooked quinoa.
  • Transfer the quinoa and cheese mixture to the prepared baking dish.
  • Top with the crushed croutons if you are using them.
  • Bake for 30–35 minutes or until it is a nice golden brown on top.
Dinners, Side Dishes

Recipe—Baked Acorn Squash

Diva di Cucina

I have a confession to make, I know this will make me sound like a total blonde but I want to be sure you all know I’m human and that I don’t know everything about cooking. I am still learning every day. So here I go… until I got my first acorn squash in my organic produce box a few weeks back I thought they were a decorative item. Seriously. Okay, go ahead and laugh now.  I remember seeing them in the grocery stores with all the gourds and pumpkins every fall but I was oblivious to the fact that people actually ate them. I am so glad I discovered that these were in fact edible because they are delicious and I now love cooking with them. I am sharing a recipe for a classic oven baked acorn squash. This is a really sweet treat and a fun way to enjoy the veggie. These squash remind me of my favorite Thanksgiving side dish, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and pecans. Yum! Depending on how many people I have over for turkey day this year I may just even make these instead. Why not mix it up and break out of tradition?

INGREDIENTS
1 acorn squash
1 tbsp butter, softened
salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp maple syrup

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Carefully cut acorn squash in half and using a spoon clean out the seeds and stringy pulp.
  • Coat the inside of each squash half with the softened butter and sprinkle with salt.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar to the cavity of each half.
  • Drizzle a teaspoon of maple sugar over each half.
  • Put a 1/4” of water in a baking dish (This keeps the squash from drying out.)
  • Place the prepared acorn squash in the water cut side up.
  • Bake squash for 1 hour or until they are soft and easily pierced with a fork.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Brunch

Recipe—Blueberry Cream Cheese Danishes

Diva di Cucina

I have posted a few recipes now that call for puff pastry. As I have said before it is a great ingredient! I always keep it on hand in the freezer because it is incredibly easy to whip up some quick breakfast pastries. Here is a fabulous recipe for blueberry cream cheese danishes. One thing I love about these is that you can prep the rolls the night before, refrigerate them and then when you wake up in the morning all you have to do is slice and bake. Perfect for all the company you will be having over around the holidays!

Note: You can substitute the blueberries and jam for any flavored fruit jam you have on hand. I’m really fond of apricot too.

INGREDIENTS
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp sugar, divided
2 tbsp blueberry jam
1/4 c fresh blueberries, chopped
1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets, room temperature
flour for work surface
1 egg
1 tbsp water

STEPS

  • In a small mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese, butter and 1 tbsp sugar until smooth and creamy.
  • Fold in blueberry jam and blueberries making sure not to over stir.
  • Sprinkle flour on the work surface and unfold puff pastry.
  • Evenly spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over the pastry leaving one edge exposed about an inch back.
  • Starting at the edge opposite from the exposed edge roll up like a jelly roll.
  • Wrap your roll in saran wrap and chill in freezer for an hour or fridge for a couple of hours. (This will make it easier to slice through.)
  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.
  • Remove the saran wrap and cut roll into 1/2” slices.
  • Place the slices cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • Brush the top of each spiral with the egg wash and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
  • Bake for 14–16 minutes or until just starting to turn a golden brown.
  • Remove the spirals from the baking sheet and allow to cool.
Appetizers

Recipe—Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Diva di Cucina

I am a girl who loves her boneless buffalo wings, just not all the calories that come with the batter fried chicken. This is a fabulous adaptation of the classic American appetizer. My husband isn’t really a fan of buffalo chicken but he really enjoyed these to my surprise. To be honest, the two of us finished off the entire batch over some Sunday football and I was guilt free! This is a really great appetizer that is not only quick but incredibly easy. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c flour
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 c buffalo sauce (I love Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce!)
1 tbsp butter, melted

GARNISHES
bleu cheese dressing
celery and/or carrots

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 350º.
  • In a large bowl whisk together buttermilk, flour, and garlic salt until smooth. (If the batter seems too thick add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. You want it to be slightly thick so that it sticks to the cauliflower. If it is too runny the batter will all drip off while baking.)
  • Place the cauliflower into the bowl of batter and gently toss to coat.
  • Spread the battered cauliflower out on a greased baking dish making sure to shake off any excess batter.
  • Bake for 20–25 minutes turning once until some of the edges turn a nice golden color.
  • While the cauliflower is baking combine the buffalo sauce and melted butter in a small bowl.
  • Remove the cauliflower from the oven and drizzle the buffalo sauce mixture over the top and toss to coat.
  • Return the cauliflower to the oven and bake for an additional 5–10 minutes.
  • Remove the finished cauliflower from the oven and plate with some fresh veggies and a side of bleu cheese dressing.

 

Note (added 01/13/14): Many people have asked about the texture. The batter becomes more like a soft breading on the outside rather than crispy. To get a crispy texture try frying the battered cauliflower. And be sure to shake of excess batter as you place it on the baking sheet so that the cauliflower is lightly coated.

Beverages

Recipe—Grapefruit Margarita on the Rocks

Diva di Cucina

Happy Friday folks! What better day to share a margarita recipe than on a Friday. Now that my organic produce deliveries are shifting more towards winter crops I have been seeing lots of great citrus. While I certainly love to eat my fruit, it is fun coming up with fabulous drinkable concoctions too. Last weekend I used fresh squeezed orange juice to make mimosas. They were superb! This week I had some extra grapefruit and limes on hand so I came up with this grapefruit margarita recipe. It was the perfect refreshing beverage after my long day at work. If you like the tartness of fresh grapefruit give this a try. I loved that this margarita was nothing like the syrupy, too sweet, premade margarita mixes you get at the store. These ones are actually good for you! Grapefruits are low in calories and are a great source of inositol, which helps the body to maintain a healthy metabolism. They are also a member of the vitamin B complex and are an excellent source of vitamin C, which everyone needs more of during the cold and flu season. So next time you are craving a refreshing adult beverage give these a try. Cheers!

Note: If you don’t have fresh grapefruit on hand you can substitute the hand squeezed grapefruit juice for some store bought. Just be sure to leave out the added sugar.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (I used 3 medium Ruby Red grapefruits)
juice from half a lime
5 oz silver tequila
1 oz triple sec
1 tsp sugar (optional)
margarita salt
grapefruit slice or lime wedge for garnish

STEPS

  • Pour your margarita salt onto a small plate.
  • Moisten the rim of a margarita glass with a lime wedge and dip the glass into the salt until it coats the rim.
  • Fill the glass with ice.
  • In a large cocktail shaker combine the grapefruit juice, juice from lime, tequila, triple sec, and sugar.
  • Fill up the rest of the shaker with ice.
  • Holding the lid firmly in place, shake the margarita until the outside of the shaker has condensation.
  • Strain the margarita into the glass and garnish with a slice of grapefruit or a lime.
Sweet Treats

Recipe—Lemon Crackle Cookies

Diva di Cucina

The other day when I dropped my son off at daycare there was a signup sheet for a bake sale. I signed up because, well… I love doing that sort of thing! I didn’t even pay attention to the date until I got to work and went to write it on my calendar. Holy smokes! It was the next day! That meant that after I got off working a long day I had to pick up my husband from work, go get my car from the shop (this is why I had to pick up the husband from work that day), go to the grocery store, swing by daycare to get the munchkin, cook dinner, bathe the little rascal, and THEN bake something for the bake sale! And being a mom there is always dishes and laundry in the mix too. What had I gotten myself into?!? I am not one to flake out so I just decided I had to come up with one heck of a quick and easy item to make. That’s when I had remembered seeing easy chocolate cake cookies. Basically you use boxed cake mix as the base for the cookies.

There always seems to be plenty of chocolate at bake sales so I mixed it up and made what I am calling Lemon Crackle Cookies. These were so incredibly quick and easy to make. They were super cheap and they turned out really good! Think of a fluffy version of a lemon bar. This recipe makes between 3 and 4 dozen cookies so they are perfect for a bake sale or even a cookie exchange. I recommend you give them a shot whether or not you are strapped for time.

INGREDIENTS
2-18.25 oz boxes Duncan Hines lemon cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 c vegetable oil
grated rind from one lemon
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 c powdered sugar

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 375º.
  • In a large bowl mix together dry cake mix, eggs, oil, lemon rind, and lemon juice.
  • Put the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl or plate.
  • Form small balls with the dough and then roll them in the powdered sugar. Be sure the cookies have a really thick coating of the sugar if you want them to have that crackle look.
  • Place at least 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 7–9 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
  • Allow cookies to sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cutting board or cooling rack.
Dinners, Sandwiches

Recipe—Chicken Pesto Panini

Diva di Cucina

I am on a total pesto kick after making my own. Just love the stuff! Especially when I can use it on one of my favorite paninis made with chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and of course some delicious pesto. The flavors of this sandwich all go together so perfectly! It’s crunchy, melty, flavorful goodness all in one simple sandwich. Make it for lunch or dinner and serve with an Italian green salad for one heck of an awesome meal.

Note: The recipe calls for grilled chicken breasts but you can also just go pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store to save some time.

INGREDIENTS
4 large slices sourdough bread
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 c pesto
1 tomato, sliced
2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
6–8 slices fresh mozzarella (I recommend getting the good stuff from the deli)

STEPS

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Spread one side of each piece of the bread with butter and spread the opposite sides with pesto.
  • Place two of the slices of bread butter side down in the skillet.
  • Top the bread in the pan with the tomatoes, chicken, and mozzarella.
  • Add the last two slices of bread to the top of the sandwiches, butter side out.
  • Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until the bread is a toasty brown.
  • Flip and cook for another 3 minutes until cheese is melted and the other side is a nice toasty brown.
Dinners

Recipe—Mummy Dogs

Diva di Cucina

I love it when I find a fun themed meal for the different holidays. I got the recipe for these mummy dogs from my friend Christa’s blog, which you should totally check out! (www.creativelychrista.wordpress.com) Christa always has lots of great kid friendly recipes as well as awesome craft projects and more.

I thought these were perfect for my little goblin this Halloween not only because they are festive but also because they are incredibly quick and easy to make! Christa’s version is much healthier than mine since she used turkey dogs and whole-wheat pizza dough. On days I work our evenings are already chaotic but when you add in getting dressed up in costumes, setting up the spooky décor, and trick or treating to the mix and it’s just a mad house! What’s not to love about a $5 dinner you can get done in less than 20 minutes and that the kids will love! I have a feeling we will be making this ghoulish recipe every Halloween. Thanks for the recipe Christa!

INGREDIENTS
1 can refrigerated pizza dough (I like Pillsbury)
1 package hotdogs
mustard and ketchup

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 375º.
  • On a large cutting board lay out your pizza dough and cut into 1/2” strips.
  • Cut those strips in half.
  • Use the strips to wrap the hotdogs up like mummies making sure to leave an exposed area at one end for the face.
  • Place the wrapped hot dogs on a greased cookie sheet as you finish them.
  • Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the crust is a nice golden brown.
  • Once removed from the oven, allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
  • Use the mustard to dot some crazy eyes on these bad “dogs.”

Have a happy Halloweenie everyone!

Sweet Treats

Recipe—Pear and Pecan Crisp

Diva di Cucina

I have these fabulous friends who always have loads of fresh fruits and veggies on hand and I am lucky enough to have them share with me. The other day when I was visiting they had palettes of beautiful golden pears and I was fortunate enough to score some. Saweeet! I waited until the pears were perfectly ripe and then I created this delicious pear crisp for an office party. (My coworkers are so lucky to have me!) It was really a hit and super easy to make. Most people expect apple crisp when they see something like this so the pears are a pleasant surprise. They really were so sweet and packed with juice. Rather than an oat topping like many of my crisps, I made this with a streusel topping. This is a perfect fall dessert. I think I may be serving it up come Thanksgiving!

FILLING INGREDIENTS
5 large pears, cored and diced
2/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt

STREUSEL TOPPING INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c pecans, finely chopped
1/2 c butter (1 stick), melted

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 350º.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine all the filling ingredients, pears, sugar, and salt. Set aside
  • In a separate bowl stir together the following topping ingredients flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.
  • Drizzle the melted butter over the dry ingredients stirring while you go until it is evenly combined. The mix should be nice and crumbly.
  • Pour the pears into a large greased baking dish (7″ x 11″ worked great for me) and top with streusel crumbs.
  • Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the topping just begins to turn a golden brown.
  • Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Appetizers, Dinners, Side Dishes, Snacks

Recipe—Butternut Squash Crisps

Diva di Cucina

Over the past couple of weeks I have been getting squash on a regular basis from my produce delivery. I’ve been having fun trying to come up with creative ways to prepare them. These butternut squash crisps are a cross between potato chips and potato wedges, but with squash. They’re a fun way to enjoy this popular fall veggie. My son loves sauce so if you or your kids are the same way serve it with a little side of ranch. Happy dipping!

Note: For a crispier squash cut the slices thin otherwise they may come out soggy.

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 c breadcrumbs
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c parsley, chopped
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Peel the squash using a vegetable peeler.
  • Cut the ends off and slice in half lengthwise.
  • Scoop out all the seeds and stringy pulp.
  • Cut into 1/4” slices or smaller. The thinner they are the crispier they will be.
  • Put the slices of squash in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat evenly.
  • Spread the squash out in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet making sure they don’t overlap. You may need to use two sheets.
  • In a blender pulse together breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle the topping over the squash slices.
  • Bake squash for 25–30 minutes until the tops of the “crisps” are golden brown.