Ole Quinoa Salad

Olay, not Old! Don't know where the accent is!

1 c. dry quinoa, cooked to directions you use. Fluff and refrigerate.

Saute in a bit of olive oil, 1 chopped onion. When about halfway to tender, add 1 chopped green pepper and 1 chopped red or orange pepper. Saute about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add to your taste: cumin, chili powder, garlic pwd., cayenne pepper. I chill briefly in freezer to remove warmth.

When cool, add to quinoa, along with:
1 diced avocado
1-2 diced tomatoes (about 1 cup)
1 drained can of black beans
juice of 1 lime
chopped cilantro, about a cup

Add about 1/3 c. shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese. Toss and serve.

It has no dressing but didn’t taste dry. You could easily add other things, salsa, sour cream, other vegies, olives, whatever! The recipe called for baby spinach leaves, cut up, but we had none. Low fat, vegetarian.

Sweet Bread that Works!

I looked for a Brioche or Hawaiian type sweet bread for Easter supper. I found Portuguese sweet bread. I have tweaked it and now it isn't gooey in the middle! Really light and fluffy.

2t. yeast
2 c. ww spelt flour
1 c. unbleached white flour
1 T. potato flakes
1 t. gluten flour
1/3 c. brown sugar (try other sweeteners)
1 t. salt

1/3 c. milk-heated
¼ c. hot water
2 eggs
1 t. orange extract
1 T. vanilla
3 T. butter, melted

Try adding dried fruits or zests. Fruit after mixing, zest can be added early.

Do on manual on bread machine. When done, put out on floured board. Dried fruit would have to be added here. Flour and pat out dough. Sprinkle with fruit, fold a few times, pat out and add more fruit. Re fold. Cut in half, repeat until into 16 fairly even pieces. Flour each cut edge for handling ease. Wrap each chunk around itself to make a nice bun shape. Space out in glass dish, it took 2 for me, 13x9 and a smaller one. Let rise for 1 hour in oven that is slightly heated or not. Leave in and start heat to 350.

Dualing Pizzas

Thai Chicken and BBQ Chicken

Crust:
2 t. yeast
1 c. unbleached white flour
1 c. ww flour
1 ½ c. whole grain spelt flour
1 t. salt
¼ c. olive oil
1 1/3 c. hot water

Load into bread machine, as per your method. Of course it can be done by hand, however that is done. Manual cycle.
When ready, divide in half and make 2 pizzas, in a large baking sheet.

To split between them:
1 pkg. chicken strips
1 bunch green onions

Thai: in order:
Peanut sauce, from the jar, don’t be skimpy or the pizza will be dry, spread on the crust
Cooked chicken breast
Lightly sprinkle with cheese, mozzarella preferred
Chopped green onions, the green part only
After baking, sprinkle with raw shredded carrots, chopped cilantro, and mung bean sprouts. We used extra peanut sauce when it was too dry for our taste.

Or, chop whole bunch of green onion for thai. Put carrots on before baking. Best sauce so far, House of Tsang, Bangkok Padang peanut sauce, from Safeway. Easy to find. Used almost a whole bottle on one pizza.

BBQ :
BBQ sauce (we like Masterpiece or mixed with Longhorn), spread over the crust
Cooked chicken breast
Chunks of pineapple
The white ends of the green onions from above or chopped red onion
Top generously with cheese

Burrito Pie

This one isn't truly a recipe, more a method. I use this to recycle odds and ends from the fridge so as not to waste them.

I usually make it in a large glass pie pan. Lay down a 1/4 inch layer of salsa or other Mexican type sauce you have handy. Rip a flour tortilla to fit or place 2 overlapping to cover the bottom. Then layer whatever you have: refried beans, beans, taco meat, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes (although I prefer these added after cooking) add a layer of cheese, as much or less than you waistline dictates. Add another layer of tortillas and make layers until your dish is full. I usually end up with 3 or 4 layers of tortillas. I top with tortillas and a solid covering of salsa. Sprinkle with cheese, cover with foil, and bake. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, should be boiling on edges. Uncover and bake until GBD (Golden Brown Delicious!)

I let it cool for at least 15 minutes to set up like lasagna. I cut smallish wedges, top with sour cream (fat free, of course), tomatoes, salsa, lettuce, and guacamole. I make a big salad on the top!