Browsing Tag

quinoa

Tasty

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Pomegranate Cranberry Salsa

November 17, 2014

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With the weather cooling down, I’m excited to jump into some more seasonally appropriate meals.  First up? This gorgeous recipe I scored on Pinterest that I can’t stop looking at.

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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Pomegranate Cranberry Salsa 

Recipe via The Half Baked Harvest

Tacos

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 canned chipotle chilies, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo (from the chipotle chili can)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 small bunch cilantro
  • Tortillas (flour, corn or hard shell)
  • 1 avocado, sliced or diced
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • cotija cheese, crumbled, for topping

Roasted Cranberry Pomegranate Salsa

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar (I used a little less)
  • 1 canned chipotle chili, chopped
  • 1 lime, zested + juiced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 jalapeno, chopped and seeds removed
  • the seeds from 1 pomegranate
  1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease.
  2. Place the cranberries, brown sugar, chipotle chili, lime zest and juice, garlic, jalapeño and a pinch of salt and pepper on baking sheet.
  3. Use your hands to toss everything together until the cranberries are evenly coated.  Roast in the oven until the cranberries burst and release their juices, about 15 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and and let cool (about 10 minutes).
  5. Add the pomegranate arils and toss well. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
  6. While the cranberries are roasting, start on the tacos… Heat the olive oil over a large skillet set over medium heat.
  7. Add the onions and sweet potatoes and toss to coat.
  8. Cover the skillet and let cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, but not mushy, stirring once or twice for about 10-15 minutes.
  9. Once the sweet potatoes are tender (easily pierced with a fork), add the garlic and saute 30 seconds.
  10. Turn heat to medium-high (adding more oil if needed) and add the quinoa.
  11. Let the quinoa get crispy and cook for about 5 minutes.
  12. Add 3/4 cup water, the chili powder, chipotle chilies, adobo sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, brown sugar and cayenne, stir to thoroughly combine and bring the mixture to a boil.
  13. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the water has completely evaporated.
  14. Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and the lime juice.
  15. To assemble the tacos, place some of the quinoa in a tortilla or shell. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, avocado, a large dollop the the roasted cranberry salsa, crumbled catija cheese and fresh chopped cilantro.

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Cranberry Salsa

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By the way, if you haven’t checked out Half Baked Harvest before… you definitely need to do so! Her photography is amazing, and her recipes are next level.  I’ve been eating off solely off of her site for the last week and I couldn’t have been more excited to stumble across her gem of a site.  Enjoy!

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Tasty

Chipotle Chicken with Avocado Salsa

July 21, 2014

Chipotle Chicken

I love the foodie blog – How Sweet It Is… the majority of my recipe pins are from her site and I honestly have never been disappointed with her creations.  When I came across her Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls, I knew I HAD to give them a try.   While the original is DELICIOUS, I wanted to put my own spin on it… so here is what I did:

Qunioa Tower

 

AvocadoTomatoSalsa

Chipotle Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Chicken:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon honey mustard
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 large handful of fresh chopped cilantro
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  1. Salt and pepper chicken and transfer to a Ziplock bag or baking dish.
  2. Combine remaining ingredients (oil, adobo sauce, honey, mustards, cilantro and garlic) in a jar and shake until mixed.
  3. Pour over chicken and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2-12 hours.
  4. Preheat oven to 425.
  5. Transfer chicken to a baking dish (if you haven’t already) and let chicken sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.
  6. Bake chicken for 20 minutes, then flip chicken breasts and bake for 20 more minutes.
  7. Top with salsa and serve with lime quinoa.

*I love to prep the chicken in the morning and let marinate for the day, for an easy dinner to whip up dinner!

Cilantro Chipotle Chicken

Salsa:

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, leaves torn from stem
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  1. Combine tomatoes, avocado, green onion and cilantro in a bowl.
  2. Add lime juice, olive oil and honey to a jar and shake until combined.
  3. Pour over salsa and toss before serving.

*I make the salsa ahead of time (and depending on how early just let sit out at room temperature) and toss with the dressing 30 minutes before serving.

Lime Honey Dressing

Quinoa:

  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • zest of 1 lime
  • juice of 1 lime
  1. Rinse quinoa and combine with chicken stock in a medium sized saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Make sure most of the liquid has evaporated and then stir in coconut oil, lime juice and lime zest.

Qunioa Tower

Tasty

Quinoa & Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

December 9, 2013

Quinoa Sausage Squash

Most Sunday’s result in me being over the whole “cooking thing,” despite the fact I love a great Sunday dinner.  But this past weekend I sucked it up and got to the kitchen and tried a recipe that has been on my mind for awhile.  The best part(s)?  It was quick, beautiful AND delicious.  And guess what – even J ate it (he usually see’s quinoa and runs).

It also was the perfect recipe to take for leftovers the next day!

Filled Acorn Squash

Quinoa & Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Adapted from Bite by Michelle

  • 2 acorn squash, halved & seeded
  • 3/4 cup quinoa, cooked according to box’s directions (I used tricolor)
  • 4 links hot Italian turkey sausage, meat removed from links
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • 1 Granny Apple, unpeeled & seeded & chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried Bing cherries
  • Freshly grated Parmesan
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt/Pepper
  1. Line baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment and drizzle with olive oil.
  2. Place squash halves cut side down (I rubbed them around in the olive oil to make sure they were coated well) and roast for 25 minutes until tender.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium high heat (this is the first time I used my cast iron pan… eeeekkk!!) and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
  4. Once warm, add onion, bell pepper, garlic, sage and pecans. Saute for 10 minutes.
  5. Add sausage and break up with a spoon (I kept the veggies on one side of the pan and uncooked meat on the other). Once the pinkness is gone, stir the mixture together and remove from heat.
  6. Fold in cooked quinoa, apples and cherries and fill cooked squash halves with mixture.  Top with freshly grated Parmesan and be prepared to have your taste buds become EXTRA happy!

Cranberry Apple Quinoa filled Acorn Squash

*My tip is to chop everything finely and evenly.  It makes it look beautiful and makes the flavors really develop when you truly are getting a taste of each ingredient in every bite!

Bon appetit!