Quinoa Taco Salad

You've probably realized by now that we LOVE Mexican flavours in this house! Jay's famous line when we have quests over for fajitas is..."Did you know both of Steph's parents were born in Mexico!!!???"...I think he just loves to see the shock on their faces since we aren't dark haired and Spanish speaking:) And so begins the whole detailed discussion of what a Mexican Mennonite is!

Anyhow...I love a good taco salad!! Who doesn't?! Truth is though, most of them in restaurants are not on the healthy side, at all! This is one that I promise you can feel good about eating! The first time I made this we literally ate it for dinner 'as-is' in the photo...the beans and quinoa make it a complete and very satisfying meal. Our boys loved it too! Great for beach days as their is no creamy dressings in it that will spoil in the sun! Perfect as a side dish for some grilled meat:)

Hope you enjoy it! Wonderful for entertaining too....of course:) Like most quinoa salads, the flavours will be better on the second day.

*once again...my apologizes for the bad photo...was gonna try to edit it a little but iphoto was down:(


Quinoa Taco Salad

1 cup quinoa (cooked to directions on pkg)
3 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, whichever you favour
1 small red onion, diced fine
1 small red pepper, diced fine
1 cup roasted corn kernels (I use frozen, roasted on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, then cooled)
1 can black beans
1 large handful of spinach or romaine, per person

Dressing ingredients

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 2 juicy limes
1 tsp cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder or good quality taco seasoning
Sea salt & pepper, to taste

Garnish

Gluten-free tortilla chips
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, diced

Take dry quinoa...toast it in a dry skillet until it looks brown and smells nutty (this enhances the flavour of the salad a lot)...then cook like usual. Let quinoa cool. Make dressing and drizzle over quinoa.

Add in everything else. Stir lightly to distribute. Taste test for seasoning adjustments. Add garnishes.

It's that simple:)

Serves 4.

More Options

chopped mango
sliced grape tomatoes
crumbled feta
black olives

Roasted Corn & Chicken Tomato Chowder

This is a great summer soup! The roasted corn and tomatoes taste so good:) We had this the other night...it was kinda a rainy/cloudy day...and I was just anxious to test this idea out! I was optimistic and made a double batch! We were all thankful that I did! Even little Levi gobbled this up for dinner...and lunch again the next day! Even had enough to make a small dish to freeze!

*This could totally be a vegetarian soup simply by omitting the shredded chicken!

Roasted Corn & Chicken Tomato Chowder

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 to 1 tsp curry or chili powder (I used curry but think chili would compliment the other flavours better..not sure? Use what you love best!)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 ears of corn, roasted, kernels removed (or...it's much easier to use frozen corn kernels roasted on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, or until 'roasted'...that's what I do!)
1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced
1 14-oz can Diced Tomatoes (if they were in season I would just use fresh and up my broth to 4 cups)
1/4 cup chopped green chiles (totally optional!...we love heat though)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk (if you are wanting to use dairy, then cream would work too)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken pieces
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Just before serving:

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro (optional...not everyone is a fan)
Fresh lime juice from 2 juicy limes (definitely MAKES the soup!)
*we had a ripe avocado on the counter so we used that for a garnish too...very good!

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and stir in the cumin and curry or chili powder...cook for one minute.

Add the chopped garlic and onion. Stir and cook for five minutes. Add the roasted corn, sweet potato, canned roasted tomatoes, green chiles...stir for a minute. Add in the broth.

Cover and bring to a high simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about twenty minutes or so.

Add the coconut milk and cooked chicken pieces. Stir and season with sea salt and ground pepper. Increase heat without letting the soup boil.

Some people prefer think soup...some prefer thin...feel free to adjust the broth amount to your liking at this point! This soup will thicken as it sits.

Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. The lime juice brightens the taste and spice. If at this point you find it too spicy or hot for your family, you can lessen that by adding a few squirts of raw agave or honey:)

It goes without saying that this soup tastes even better the next day!

Serves 6-8

Banana Chip & Almond Muffin Top Cookies

Ha! Gotta love that title! I promise these only taste like a muffin top...they will not GIVE you a muffin top! If you don't know what I mean....don't worry about it:)

Yes these cookies basically taste like a muffin top. I had a ton of over ripe bananas...and wasn't in the mood for muffins...so I came up with these. They were an instant hit and super easy...definitely will whip them up again!! I was thankful that I made a double batch - must have been feeling optimistic! Super healthy...filling...and simple:)

Banana Chip & Almond Muffin Top Cookies

1 1/4 c almond flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 mashed ripe bananas
1/4 c dark chocolate chips
3 Tbsp almond butter
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt


Mash bananas...cream in the almond butter...add all other ingredients and stir! Dough will be very moist so I recommend lining your pan with parchment. Scoop out dough into little rounded circles. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes...or until centers don't seem doughy any more (the same you would for muffins?). Let cool completely on pan...will be moist and delicate at first.

ENJOY!

Rhubarb Apple Crisp

And we're back! Sorry for the little break in posting there!

Made this yummy, in season dessert TWO times last week....and forgot to take a picture!! Crazy I know, but I guarantee it was a hit each time with every guest:) Rhubarb is in abundance this time of year...so I thought this would make for a useful post! I just planted our first rhubarb plant in the garden this year...and apparently they spread like fire...so in about 5 years I'll likely be begging some of you to take stocks off my hands!

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did! It goes without saying that vanilla ice-cream compliments this dessert well:)

This dessert is so healthy, the leftovers make for a great breakfast the next morning!

Rhubarb Apple Crisp

makes enough for one average size casserole/pyrex pan

Filling:

8 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb
5 cups coarsely chopped apples
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Topping:
6-8 cups of quick cooking oats (depending on how much you like the topping!)
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup slivered almonds (optional...but so good!)

Coat the dish with about 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Add the filling and mix together. In a separate bowl, mix the topping together and sprinkle over the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the fruit is softened. Serve warm from the oven.

ENJOY!

...I think shredded coconut would also be great in the topping...maybe I'll try that next time!

**I'm worried that altitude may be effecting this recipe...a reader had hers turn out very dry...if this is a concern try adding about a cup of unsweetened applesauce to the apple/rhubarb mixture before baking:)

Cinnamon Buns

Alright...seeing as I ate one (okay...two!!) of the last few of these this afternoon...sipping a fresh Americano...sitting in the sun...reading while the boys nap...I figured I better post them!

Sorry for the horrible photos...kinda a messy recipe...equals messy hands...makes taking photos tough! I need a baking partner!

Having mennonite roots we grew up on cinnamon buns...yum yum yum...lucky us! My mom and aunts all have the greatest stand-by recipe that is a favourite to many...this isn't that recipe:) I thought I'd venture out and try something different...and was happy with the results! I will definitely bake these again...although there's nothing better than coming home to my mom's homemade baking:) A friend had given me a bag of oat flour...so I was interested in experimenting with it...hence the cinnamon buns! I will definitely continue to bake these with the oat flour in them...it gave them a very light consistency...didn't leave you feeling heavy and blah...infact it made you want to eat more!! My mom's recipe has oats in it...so this taste is a familiar one to me in cinnamon buns. They were great to have on hand for Easter...and are awesome because this one batch made 7 round pans...they freeze great!

Of course there is nothing better than a little cream cheese frosting on top...that is how I served them on the weekend...but we were raised with a little peanut butter on top...that's my favourite:) Want to go on a little adventure...spread some peanut butter on the dough before rolling it up...with the cinnamon...AMAZING! Even made them once with Nutella in them...wow wow wow!!

Alright...here's the step by step. They take a little time...but are so worth it!!

Cinnamon Buns

Start by making the dough. Mix 4 cups of milk (I used almond), 1 cup of olive oil and 1 cup of cane sugar in a large pot. Heat this mixture until JUST before it reaches boiling point (that's called 'scalding'). Turn off heat and leave to cool for about an hour.


When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in 2 packages Active Dry Yeast.




Let this mixture sit for a minute or two...you'll see the yeast starting to get fizzy and bubbly.




Then add 8 cups of flour of choice. I used 3 cups oat flour, 3 cups spelt and 2 cups whole wheat. Oat flour on it's own wouldn't hold the dough together well...so that's why I added spelt. Spelt also doesn't have as much gluten as other flours, which is what works as a 'glue' for the dough...so that's why I added in the bit of whole wheat.



Stir mixture together. Cover and let sit for at least an hour. I use a tea towel...that's the mennonite way:)




After an hour, the dough will hopefully look like this.




Now add 1 more cup of flour…



1 heaping teaspoon baking powder…




And just under a teaspoon of baking soda and 1 heaping tablespoon of salt. At this point I wondered why you don't put cinnamon right into the dough...you know, add flavour to it??!! So I tried it...and REALLY liked the results! I sprinkled probably about 3 tablespoons full on top and then mixed everything in.

At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it—overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to splurge out of the pan, just punch it down. Or, of course, you can just go ahead and make the rolls...that's what I did!

Sprinkle surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle.



Now drizzle about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of butter over the dough. I know for sure my mom skips this step! Organic pure butter actually has some health benefits...so if you're using the real stuff, then go ahead and indulge yourself!



Now sprinkle about 1 cup of cane sugar over the butter…I know you're wondering if honey or maple syrup would work instead! Both of those options would just run out of the rolls while baking and leave a burnt edge...not good...if there's ever a time for cane sugar, this is it!

…followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.



Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Some of the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture may ooze out toward the end, but that’s no big deal.

Next, pinch the seam to the roll to seal it.



Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in seven round, foil cake or pie pans. Then begin cutting rolls approximately 3/4 to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. This recipe makes approximately seven pans of rolls. I use the disposable aluminum tins purely so I can give them as a gift and not need to worry about the dish!



Let the rolls sit for 20 to 30 minutes to rise (covered again with your lovely clean tea towel), then bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown, about 20-22 minutes.





Ingredients

4 cups Almond milk (or milk of choice)
1 cup olive oil
1 cup cane sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (plus 1 cup extra, separated) flour of choice
1 tsp (heaping) baking powder
1 tsp (scant) baking soda
1 tbsp(heaping) salt
3 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup (or more) of melted butter
2 cups cane sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon


Instructions

Mix the milk, oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool forq 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise, covered for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown, about 20-22 minutes.

Freeze amazing!

ENJOY!!!!...with friends:)

Chicken Pot Pie

We had the honour of hosting the Wiebe family...minus Darren...at our house this year for Easter! Lots of fun times and LOTS of food!! Mom and Dad Wiebe brought amazing chicken...organic/free range/hormone free/antibiotic free...for us to roast on Sunday for dinner. It was SO good! Take one bite of this quality of chicken and you know it's the real deal...nothing beats it! And...like all good parents...they brought enough chicken to feed a small village! We did our best to work through it as a family...then tucked the leftovers in the fridge. Well...I soon realized after two meals of left-over chicken...that we had barely made a dent it in!! Then I saw parsnips in my fridge and knew right away what I would turn the left-overs into...chicken pot pie! Chicken that is roasted has such amazing flavour...so it adds an element to dishes like this that other meat doesn't.

This recipe of course could be made with any type of chicken...roasted, grilled, boiled...it's all the same!

Also...after shredding all the meat off the bones to prep it for the pie (I made 3...one for dinner and 2 for our freezer!!)...I realized that there was still enough to place into a medium size ziploc and keep on hand in the freezer to throw on pizza or add to any last minute supper...LOVE having that on hand!

This recipe, including the topping, should make an equivalent to two pie plates or one larger baking dish. Freezes VERY well!


Chicken Pot Pie

4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour (I use spelt)
1/2 cup white wine (optional...but really compliments the flavours)
1 cup milk (I use almond)
2 cup chicken stock
5-6 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves picked and chopped (2 Tbsp dried)
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 375.

Heat olive oil in large pan or dutch oven. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery and parsnips to the pan, then season with salt and pepper and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7-8 minutes

When the veggies are tender, push them over to the side of the pan and add the butter to the center of the pot. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the white wine, if using, milk, chicken stock. Bring up to a simmer, then add the tarragon, Dijon mustard, peas and shredded chicken. Bring back up to a simmer, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Pastry Topping

Of course you can just buy some puffed pastry and add it on top...sometimes I even just use a few layers phyllo pastry on top to give it a light crispy finish. This time I tried something new...and it was awesome...here it is...

1 1/2 cups spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup milk (I used almond)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add all remaining ingredients. Mix just until a soft dough forms. Dot the biscuit dough over the chicken mixture. (I do a little layer of fresh ground pepper on top at this point!)

Bake 25 minutes, uncovered, until the biscuit is cooked through and golden on top. Serve & enjoy!

Breakfast Cookies

I don't know about you...but I love the fact that I could eat these for breakfast everyday, and still feel great! I'm always tempted by those other 'Breakfast Cookies' that you see for sale in coffee shops...but I also know that they aren't actually good for me, so I stay away:)

So that's what the inspiration for these was. These are amazing...they feel like a treat...and can really be eaten anytime of day. They freeze amazingly...and even taste best straight from the freezer!

It's possible to make a ton of variations on this recipe, depending on your taste buds. Today I used a mix of dried blueberries, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips. I wanted to add pecans, but forgot! I cut back on the almond flour, and add in oats...we like oats and it saves a little on the almond flour...but you can feel free to make them only with the flour (just add the extra 1/2 cup) and they will turn out great!

Enjoy!...I hope our house guests this weekend will!!!

Breakfast Cookies

2 cups of almond flour
1/2 cup oats
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of coconut oil or melted butter
1/2 cup of maple syrup or honey
1 egg
1 tablespoon of vanilla
2 cups of nuts, dried fruit, seeds (or anything else your heart desires)

Directions

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add the wet ingredients and blend it well with a spoon.
3. Drop a golf ball size portion onto the cookie sheet, flatten slightly.
4. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes depending on the size. I make these quite large so that they are a complete breakfast!