Quinoa Salad

This is a tasty salad twangy salad that I make quite often. The measurements here are truly just guidelines. I really tend to fiddle with the amounts in this recipe quite a bit.


Ingredients:
1 bell pepper (pick your favorite color)
1-2 large carrots
3 tomatoes
1 cup raw Red Quinoa

Ingredients for the Rice Wine Vinaigrette:

1 tsp. finely grated ginger or 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
6 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sesame oil

Directions:
Cook quinoa (takes about 15 minutes)
Chop veggies
mix quinoa and veggies

Make the rice wine vinaigrette in a separate bowl (modifying measurements to taste)

pour vinaigrette over veggies.

Serve or cool in fridge and eat at your leisure

Source: Modified by me from this recipe: http://www.notderbypie.com/quinoa-salad-with-tofu-beets-and-avocado/

Cherry Salad

This recipe comes from my mother and was at EVERY family gathering while growing up...still good!

Ingredients: 
1 Quart Cherries (if you can them) or 2 cans pitted tart red cherries in water
1 egg
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C cream (whipping or 1/2 and 1/2)
mini marshmallows
banana

Directions: 
Drain cherries, saving juice. Add ½ C sugar to cherry juice and heat. Drop in cherries and let stand 1 hour.

Mix egg, sugar and cream. Heat in heavy pan over medium heat until thick and boiling. Stir continuously. Cool (so marshmallows don’t melt).

Drain cherries, add marshmallows and dressing. Cover and chill. Add sliced banana when ready to serve.

(Sauce can be doubled..)

Serves: 6-8
Source: Gram

Cauliflower Cashew Salad

This is a great tasting and very pretty salad.

Preparation Time: About 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
4 medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 bottle (8 ounces) ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup cashews

Directions:
In a serving bowl, combine the cauliflower, carrots and peas. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, stir in cashews.

Source: Taste of Home
Servings: 10 servings

Overnight French Toast

This has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember... always requested

Preparation Time: 20 minutes, then overnight to rest, another

Ingredients:
16 slices white bread, trimmed of crusts, cut into cubes
2 pkgs (8oz) cream cheese, cubed
2 C milk
12 eggs
1 C maple syrup
2-3 peeled, thinly sliced apples
2 T sugar mixed with 2 T cinnamon

Directions:
Place half of bread in a greased 9 X 12 pan. Add cream cheese, then add rest of bread. Add mixture of milk, beaten eggs & syrup. Cover and refrigerate over night.

Top with sliced apples and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar.

Bake at 375º for 60-90 minutes…until set. Serve with syrup.

Source: Carmen
Servings: 8

This Week's Topic: Salads

Sorry for the delay!

Chocolate Chip & Banana Muffins

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. These muffins are so quick and easy to make, and are SO yummy! It's a simple recipe that is very easy to include kids in the mixing process. They are so good that you don't even need to put butter on them when they're done, but are even more delicious if you choose to do so! I also freeze them like the recipe recommends. Obviously they are not as tasty as just out of the oven, but I still enjoy them. A different recipe you can use to get rid of those overripe bananas!

Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes prep - approx. 30 minutes to bake.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 6)
3 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips (6 ounces)

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350° and line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper or foil liners. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, bananas and eggs; mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.

-Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 28 minutes*, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.

*I cook mine for almost 5 minutes less because I've found that 28 minutes in my oven makes the muffins too dry. Be sure to check them with a toothpick about 5 minutes before to see how your oven bakes them.

Make Ahead
The banana muffins can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Let thaw and toast in a 350° oven.

Source: Food and Wine
Servings: 24 muffins

Overnight Aspargus Strata

Preparation Time:
Prep: 15 min. + chilling Bake: 40 min. + standing

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 English muffins, split and toasted
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
8 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.

Arrange six English muffin halves, cut side up, in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Fill in spaces with remaining muffin halves. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese, asparagus, ham and red pepper.   In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, mustard and pepper; pour over muffins. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Source: Taste of Home
Servings: 6-8