Rosemary Chicken

*EASY*QUICK*

• chicken breasts
• fresh rosemary
• thyme

Place chicken in a baking dish. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary and thyme. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.

I paired this with a fresh salad, Italian asiago & garlic dressing, and artisan jalapeno flat bread.

Everyone else had salad and cheesy chive mashed potatoes.

This one is perfect for a VERY BUSY night!

cheesy stuffed sweet mini peppers

Are you looking for the perfect appetizer to take along to all those upcoming holiday parties? This one is healthy, quick, and sure to be a hit!

ingredients:

• low fat cream cheese
• 1 - 2 tbls fresh chives (I like chives so I probably added more than needed)
• 1 tbls fat free milk
• 1 low fat mozzarella cheese stick (or mozzarella cheese - I just had the sticks handy)
• about 20 sweet mini peppers

1. Cut the tops off the peppers. Set aside.
2. In a food processor combine cream cheese, chives, milk, cheese stick.
3. Fill a Ziploc baggie with the cheese mixture.
4. Cut the corner off of the baggie and squeeze mixture into each pepper.
5. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

I tried these 3 different ways and liked all 3. So, if taking them to a party, here are different ways you can try.

1. Fill with cheese and serve without cooking.
2. Serve immediately after cooking or heat up in microwave just before serving.
3. Cook. Let cool. Take to party and serve after cooled.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Tonight is a winner for ME!!! No one in my household likes stuffed peppers so I don't usually make them. However, I went to this AWESOME farmer's market last weekend and the veggies were so cheap. I purchased several large sweet peppers - red, yellow, & orange. I wasn't sure what I wanted to stuff them with so I started scouring over many stuffed pepper recipes on the Internet. Each recipe had either something I'm not allowed to eat, or something I didn't like, or something I didn't have in the kitchen (and I didn't want to make a trip to the store). So I began to search the kitchen and create my own stuffed peppers. Here's what I did...

• Pre heat oven to 350
• Sauteed 1 medium red onion & 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
• added in 1 cup quinoa & 1 1/2 cups water until it boiled
• covered and simmered for 20 minutes
• added 1 can white chicken breast and mixed it all up
• cut & gutted 6 sweet peppers
• filled the peppers with the quinoa/chicken mixture
• Put tops of peppers back on top of each pepper. Then put peppers in a baking dish.
• Cooked them for about 45 minutes
• I sprinkled the top of each with fiesta cheese just because every recipe I looked at added a LOT of cheese to the quinoa mixture, but I didn't want to add the calories. The cheese didn't even make a difference. I wouldn't add it again. But if you love cheese, throw a cup in the mix!

The peppers not only tasted tremendous, they were gorgeous!!!! I will definitely have to make them again. (maybe when guests are here so I'm not eating them by myself) :)

How to Cook Quinoa

By now you have probably noticed that I eat a LOT of quinoa or shiritake noodles. Well, this is because I have a "disease" known as Candida. Therefore, I can't eat the normal carbs that everyone else does without getting sick, tired, achy, or gaining a million pounds from one meal. I can't even eat the healthy carbs in multi-grain foods! I will admit that I have some here and there, but I know which ones will trigger sickness and which one I can have a little bit of - once in a while! So....since I get sick I need some kind of carbs or I would be hungry all of the time. Quinoa is one grain that is very healthy for me (and everyone else)! Here's why:

• Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy
  green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. It is a recently rediscovered
  ancient "grain" once considered "the gold of the Incas."
• Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete
  protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids.

1. In a pan combine 1 cup quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Place tight fitting lid on pan.
4. Simmer for about 15 - 20 min.

Another GREAT thing about quinoa --- You can add anything to it to change it's flavor. Here are some ideas.

• Throw a beef bouillon cube in while it's cooking.
• saute onions - then add the water and grains.
• add tomatoes and peppers or jalapenos
• cook plain - add unsweetened almond milk, berries, & (if needed) a packet of splenda

Twisted Stew

So, here is a twist on the traditional stew. A bit healthier - A bit lighter - and A bit more filling!

I made a batch of quinoa and baked chicken breasts in the oven. While baking I heated black beans on the stove and made a quick batch of salsa in the food processor. When the chicken was done I shred it apart and then combined all ingredients. MMMMMmmmmmm...it was so good! I guess you could also throw everything in the crock pot and slow cook it all day -- maybe I'll have to try that next time!

Fill Warning -- Don't go back for your second helping until you sit for a few minutes. You will be very surprised how filling this dish is!!! :)

Enjoy!

Grilled steak & veggies

During the summer we often like to hang out on the pool deck in the evenings. We try to bring all the food outside & grill everything! Tonight we grilled steak, sliced zucchini, peppers & onions, jalapenos, and potatoes. We topped the potatoes with some feta & cheddar. Again--super easy, super quick, & super delicious!!!

Crusted Grouper

SUPER EASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, I put panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, and parm cheese in a bowl and mixed. Next, I brushed EVOO on each piece of grouper. Then I dipped the grouper into my mixture bowl to coat. Place in a baking pan and cooked. While cooking I put together a salad and boiled some tri-colored pasta noodles.

We LOVE grouper...although, I've been told recently that we have fish way too often! :)

Stuffed Flounder

Ok - I used a real reciped for this one - and....it actually turned out!!!! The family even liked it. I was afraid they wouldn't like the quinoa, but I told them it was stuffing so they would put it in their mouths. They knew first bite that it wasn't stuffing, but they liked it. They didn't believe me that it was quinoa though because they had both tasted that before and didn't like. That's because quinoa will take on the flavor of what you cook it with! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup quinoa
2. 1/2 cup water
3. 1 tbls fresh parsley
4. 1 tbls fresh basil
5. 1 tsp lemon zest
6. 4 flounder fillets
7. 2 tbls Parmesan cheese
8. 4 lemon slices
9. 2 tbls red wine vinegar
10. ground black pepper
11. 1/2 cup water

Directions:

• Stir together the quinoa, 1/2 cup water, parsley, basil, and lemon zest in a small sauce pan over high heat. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender (about 20 minutes - or something to do the night before you make the entire recipe)
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Lightly grease a small baking dish.
• Spoon a quarter of the quinoa mixture onto each flounder fillet. Fold the other side of the flounder over mixture, sprinkle with pepper, and top with a lemon slice. (I had to insert a toothpick to hold them together while cooking).
• Put stuffed fillets in the baking dish. Add vinegar and remaining water.
• Broil in the preheated oven until the flounder flakes easily with a fork, and the flesh is opaque -- about 3 - 4 minutes.

Paired this with some homemade coleslaw and sauteed asparagus.