Southwest Quinoa!

Quinoa (Pronounced "ki-nwa") has become my new favourite super food!

Why is it super?

It is high in protein
It contains a balanced set of Amino Acids
It is high in Fiber
It is high in Iron
And its Gluten-free...so super easy to digest (great for runners like me!)

I have no idea why it took me so long to try this...it is absolutely delicious and really easy to prepare, sort of like rice.

I have made a couple different variations and this one was a crowd pleaser on the weekend. Enjoy!

Southwest Quinoa

Before you start, get some chicken broth boiling on your stove, you want it to be hot when you add it in. Follow the package directions for the amount of Liquid that you will need. For the brand I was using, I used 2 Cups Quinoa and 4 cups Chicken Broth.

 Chop 1 Large Onion, 2 Cloves of Garlic, 1 Red Pepper and 1 Orange Pepper into small bite size pieces. Set aside.

 Rinse 1 Can of Black Beans and 1 Can of Corn...set this aside as well.

 In a medium sized pot, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and heat to medium high. Add the onion and saute.

 Give the onions a couple of minutes to turn a little translucent and add the peppers. Keep on stirring for about 3 minutes.

 Turn the heat down to low and add the quinoa, Garlic, 1 tsp Cumin, 1 tsp Chili Powder, 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder, 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder and salt and pepper to taste. I didn't add any salt because I did not use low sodium chicken broth. Stir quickly so the quinoa does not burn but starts to toast a little bit and the spices start to become very fragrant.

 Very carefully add your chicken broth. If your broth is not hot you will just get a lot of steam and splattering. Hot broth is essential!

 Stir to combine everything and cover pot for about 15 minutes on a low simmer. After 15 minutes add the corn and beans. Continue to simmer until all the liquid is gone and the quinoa has become clear with a small white fiber visible.

 Transfer to a casserole dish and garnish with sliced green onions

An excellent side dish or perfectly fine on its own!

Shrimp tacos!

Thanks for the Comments (well...comment! lol!) I really enjoy reading the feedback on my blog posts and totally encourage you all to leave me a note! I love it! You will also notice on today's blog that i was fiddling around with some photo editing software on my iphone. Let me know what you think of the new photos!

So on to the recipe, while at the cottage this weekend i wanted to try a flavour combination that i have been seeing a lot of lately. Sweet, savoury and spicy. Now i did get mixed reviews for this recipe, my husband thought it was weird, my friend thought it was too spicy and i loved it (of course!). I would mess around with the spiciness to your liking on this one.

Fish Tacos with Pineapple salsa

The first step is marinating your shrimp. In a bowl combine some extra large tiger shrimp (peeled and de-veined) chopped jalapeno, splash of Olive oil, chopped garlic, fresh lime juice from 1/2 a lime, fresh chopped cilantro. 1/2 Chopped Green Onion and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Next, chop up your veggies for the salsa. Everything will be grilled so make sure you slice your veggies thick. Take 1 red onion, 1 jalapeno, and a large slice of pineapple. Season the onion and jalapeno.

Heat up your grill to medium high and add the onion and jalapeno first. While it is grilling skewer your shrimps on some soaked wooden skewers. Flip the onions and jalapeno and add the pineapple.

It is very important that while you are grilling at the cottage that you have some lovely cold refreshments.

 Once you flip the pineapple its time to add the shrimp to the grill. The shrimp will take about 2 minutes per side to cook. You don't want overcooked shrimp.

Remove everything from the grill once the shrimps are cooked.

Now take your onion, jalapeno and pineapple and roughly chop it. In a bowl add some Green Onion and the chopped grilled veggies.

Toss to combine and set aside!

Get all your taco fillings ready. We used fresh lettuce, guacamole, and the pineapple salsa.

Assemble!

Can you tell that we love food in taco form? I think this is the 3rd recipe I have posted that goes in a tortilla.  My obsession of the summer!

Enjoy!



Fish Tacos with Baja Sauce

Once in a while I like to try something new and adventurous. However, my husband is not like me in that aspect at all. So I just make the new weird foods anyways and MAKE him try them. Very rarely has he ever complained and now I think he has a little bit of an adventurous side to him too when it comes to food.

 Last week when the weather started to get nice and summery I felt like we needed something light for dinner. So I sat down at my computer and started googling summer eats. One thing that kept on popping up was Fish tacos. I am so not turned on by the thought of fish in taco form. But if so many people are claiming that this is such an amazing combination then I had to try it myself (and make my husband try it too!).

I will tell you this much. I was NOT disappointed ;)

First you need to make the fish batter. Take 1 Cup of whole wheat flour.

Add 1 teaspoon baking powder

And your spices. I added, dried parsley, oregano, cayenne, garlic and onion powder and paprika.

Now add about 1/2 cup beer and 1 egg to the dry ingredients

Whisk until combined. Add a little more beer if the mixture is too thick. Set aside while you prepare the Baja sauce.

For the baja sauce you will need a handful of cilantro, 1 chopped jalapeno, 1 avocado, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 Lime and salt and pepper to taste. Put the cilantro and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until minced.

Now add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

I know, this looks totally strange and you are probably and little worried about me right now. But trust me...this stuff is so yummy.

Put the sauce in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the tacos

Now for the fish! I decided to use fresh Haddock because that was what was available at my local fish market that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Cod, Tilapia, Halibut or Snapper would also do, just make sure it is fresh and not frozen.

Fresh = Good

Frozen = Bad

Got it? 

Good!

Slice the fish into small filet's. Makes it easier to stuff the tacos with smaller pieces~

 

Dunk your fish in the batter (I missed taking a picture of the step where I coated the fish in flour first. This will help keep the batter on the fish while frying it)

Place the fish in frying pan with about 1/2 inch vegetable oil heated to medium high. Fry fish on both sides until batter turns a golden brown. It should only take a couple minutes per side.

This is the first batch that I didn't coat with flour first...see how the batter is flaking off?? Don't make my mistake!

Still turned out pretty damn good though! I didn't complain!

Assemble your taco! On warmed flour tortillas add some cabbage mix, a couple pieces of fish, and drizzle some of that baja sauce over the whole thing.

So crispy, light and delicious!

Enjoy!

Huevos Rancheros!

So what is with this weather lately? Rain for 5 days straight? This weather does not motivate me to do anything...include cook anything complicated! Hence the eggs for dinner last night! However, I did jazz these babies up with my rendition of Huevos Rancheros! Following the step by step instructions I also included my recipes for Black beans and Mexican Rice. I didn't make them for this...mostly because I was lazy, so I bought...GASP...Prepacked Mexican, sodium filled rice and canned re-fried black beans. Not my best work!

In a large sauce pan, drizzle some canola oil and pop a few eggs in there. I bought these Extra large eggs the other day and they all have 2 yolks in them...hello cholesterol!

After a few minutes flip the eggs

And pour a little of your favourite salsa over the eggs

Top with cheddar cheese, or monteray jack..whatever floats your boat!

While the cheese is melting on the eggs prepare your tortillas. Spread some Mexican rice on them

Then add some refried beans...or black beans like I did

And top it with the eggs

Throw the eggs under the broiler to melt the cheese a little more and to crisp up the tortilla

Top with Green onion, sour cream and chopped avocado.

So Good!

Mexican Black Bean Recipe:

In a sauce pan add 1 can RINSED black beans with 1/2 chopped onion, 1 chopped seeded jalapeno, 1 tsp Cumin and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Once it is up to a boil mash the beans with a potato masher and continue to cook until all the liquid is absorbed stirring occasionally. Voila!

Mexican Rice Recipe:

In a cast iron pan saute1/2 cup long grain rice with 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 minced onion  on high. Once the rice is starting to release its starches (starts crackling) add 1 large can crushed tomato's. Be careful not to splatter the tomato everywhere...i usually take the pan off the heat to add this. Season with Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Cumin and 1 tbsp Brown Sugar. Cook stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes or until Rice is al dente. You can add some water if the rice isn't cooked once all the tomato juices are absorbed.

Enchiladas!

This year I hosted Easter for my parents and the in-laws. And because it was at my house, and I get to choose what we are eating I decided to go against the grain and cook something completely not Easter related but equally as delicious as chocolate. That's right...as good as chocolate! Here is my take on Pork Enchiladas!

Take 1 or 2 pork shoulders and place them in a dish or pan.

Now add some spice to them! I usually add about a Tbsp each of the following: Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Cumin, Paprika, Dried Oregano. Then 2 Tbsp chopped garlic, 1 Onion chopped and 4 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar. Rub it all into the pork getting into every crevice and fold of the meat.

Now place the shoulders in your slow cooker. Well..I tried to anyways...my slow cooker was wayyyyy too small for these suckers.

See? Almost fit..but not quite. I removed them from the slow cooker and placed them back in the pan and in the oven at 300F for 6-8 hours. If using the slow cooker, cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When the pork is about 1/2 to complete..start your red sauce. You will need about 4 cans of Enchilada sauce.

But first..make your roux. To make a roux, on medium heat combine 2 Tbsp flour with some olive oil and whisk until combined. The roux will help thicken your sauce since you will be adding some chicken stock to it.

It should start to bubble up and look like this. Keep on whisking for a couple of minutes. It should start to give off a slightly nutty scent..do not burn!

Now add the sauce. Keep on whisking and reduce the heat to low. .

Add about 1 Quart of chicken stock to the sauce and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes. I like to add some chopped cilantro to the sauce at this point too!

By now the pork should be cooked. Let cool for about 20 minutes or until you are able to handle the meat.

Shred the pork by hand or with forks and place in a deep dish.

Now add some colour!! I like to add a can of black beans, some corn, and 2 cans green chili's! I have also added black olives in the past too!

Combine the ingredients and you are ready to start assembly!

In a large lasagna pan ladle some sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Dip your corn tortilla in the sauce

And fill with your pork topping, grated cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese, and some green onion.

Roll up the tortilla and place in the pan. Once you are finished filling and rolling the tortillas ladle the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas.

Top with more cheddar and Monterrey jack. Garnish with more cilantro and green onion and bake in a 350F oven for 30minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered.

There you have it...an Easter feast!