Kathleen's Quinoa and Black Beans

I made this a while back but forgot to finish up this post! I used red quinoa, only one can of beans (thanks for the tip, Jennifer!) and added an orange bell pepper. Other than that, I followed the recipe. I wrapped it in tortillas and had it for lunch and felt very healthy =)

Jennifer's Quinoa and Black Beans

I actually made this a couple weeks ago but am only posting now... I actually followed the recipe and added 2 whole cans of beans but shouldn't have! It was very bean-y (and I love black beans). Next time, I'd use only one can. I also took out the corn but should've added another veggie (maybe red bell pepper like Kathleen suggested). The other change I made was to use EVOO instead of vegetable oil. I've really gotten to love quinoa (so easy, healthy, and tasty) and will definitely make this again (with some small changes).

Kathleen's Quick Pasta Bolognese

I love pasta and I love meat so I love pasta bolognese. This was the first time I'd ever made it though. It was really tasty but really wine-y, which believe me, is fine with me. But I'm assuming that when they call for "dry white wine" they aren't talking about chardonnay, right? But what was I going to do with a 3/4 full bottle of icky dry white wine when I finished this? No, it was chardonnay all the way. I also reduced the amount of cream to 1/4 cup. And I used half and half instead of cream. So I'm sure these factors led to my wine-y pasta. Other changes: I used half ground beef and half ground pork, since my Publix didn't carry true meatloaf mix. And now I'm seeing that the recipe called for 12 ounces of meat but I'm pretty sure I used 16 ounces. I also used garlic powder instead of real garlic because I didn't realize I was out of it until it was too late. Overall, I really liked this pasta. It was quick, easy, and made a ton!

January Recipes

Happy New Year!

Quinoa and Black Beans

from allrecipes.com

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.

2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Serves 10

Chosen by Jennifer

Quick Pasta Bolognese

from The Best Simple Recipes, page 238

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped fine

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

12 ounces meatloaf mix

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pound fusilli

salt and pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook onion and carrot until softened, about 5 minutes. Add meat and cook, mashing with potato masher, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add cream and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add fusilli and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, drain pasta, and return to pot. Add sauce and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Serves 4

Chosen by Kathleen

Sloppy Joe Di Maggios

from foodnetwork.com

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds lean ground sirloin or ground turkey

1 package beef or pork hot dogs, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon steak seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 tablespoon dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce

9 soft burger rolls, like at the ballpark

Heat the extra virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add meat and crumble as it browns. Add chopped hot dogs after 3 to 4 minutes then cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Add the onions to the pan and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes more. In a bowl mix the spices, sugar, Worcestershire and tomato sauce. Pour sauce over the meat and simmer a few minutes to combine flavors. Slop onto buns and serve.

Serves 8

Chosen by Judy