Quinoa Tabouli

My brother and sister-in-law were in town and my aunt was going to have them over for dinner. I wanted to bring a side or salad of some kind so I started looking through my pins on Pinterest. I found this recipe and thought it would be perfect since it can be served room temp or chilled. We ate outside and it was so much fun. My aunt made some really good food and my salad complimented everything. It was perfect. And it was easy to make. I added the zest of 1 of my lemons to give it more of a lemony taste and yum!

Quinoa Tabouli (6 servings):

1 c dry quinoa, rinsed, drained and cooked according to pkg directions
2 c chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 c chopped cucumbers
1/2 c chopped onion
1 c fresh mint, finely chopped
2 c fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

*Dressing
3 tbsp olive oil
1/3 scant c freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Zest of 1 lemon, optional
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine quinoa and water in med saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl to cool while you prep the other ingredients.

Add chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and fresh herbs to cooked, cooled quinoa. In small bowl, whisk together ingredients for dressing. Pour over quinoa salad and toss to combine. Refrigerate for a couple hours to chill slightly. Serve room temp or chilled. Enjoy!




Dressing...






Enjoy!...

Cheeseburger Cauliflower

Another recipe I found on Pinterest. This was a complete meal so I knew I needed to try this. This had a lot of really good flavor and I'd definitely make this again. I had a small head of cauliflower so I only used 1/2 lb of ground beef. The recipe says to cook the cauliflower anyway you want so I roasted mine with chopped garlic, olive oil and a little veggie pepper, in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Cheeseburger Cauliflower:

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 lb cauliflower
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp garlic salt (I used regular garlic instead of the seasoning)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook cauliflower as you wish. While cauliflower is cooking, brown hamburger. Drain off grease. Add cauliflower, seasonings and cheese. Mix until cheese is melted.




Everything mixed together...






Enjoy!...

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest yet again. I had been craving soup and every time I go to a Greek place around here, they have a lemon soup that I've been wanting to try and just haven't. So I decided to try my own and looked around until I found one that looked decent to try. This soup was really really good! I froze part of it and ended up finishing it up a couple weeks ago. So good! The rosemary sprig really gave it an extra oomph of flavor! I found some heirloom carrots-carrots of different colors so I used those in this soup. I also added some lemon zest to enhance the flavors a little more.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup:

2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
5 c chicken stock
2 bay leaves
3/4 c uncooked orzo pasta
1 sprig rosemary
Juice of 1 lemon (zest too if you'd like)
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat 1 tbsp oil in Dutch oven over medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken to pot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.

Add remaining oil to pot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaves and 1 c water; bring to boil. Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.




Ready to eat!...






Enjoy!...

Lemon Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

Another recipe I found on Pinterest. There's a place called Carson Kitchen here in Vegas that I absolutely love. We went there about a month ago for my second time to introduce it to my mom and aunt who where in town. It's kind of like a tapas place-smaller dishes to share. One of the dishes I ordered was the rainbow cauliflower and oh my god I was in heaven!!! It was a lemon roasted garlic cauliflower and I would have licked the bowl if I wasn't in public! We found out that the chef cooked the cauliflower over high heat on the stove, which I'm not entirely comfortable doing in my small apartment with not the best ventilation. So I tried to roast it in the oven. It was good but not as flavorful as Carson Kitchen's...guess I'll just have to go back there soon to eat it there!

Lemon Garlic Roasted Cauliflower (4 servings):

1 med head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1/2 large lemon, cut into 8 pieces
3-4 large garlic clove, cut into quarters
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Couple grinds of pepper

Heat oven to 400. Pile cauliflower, lemon and garlic into middle of heavy baking shee (I used tinfoil for easier cleanup). Drizzle olive oil over and stir to get everything coated. Spread veggies and lemon in an even layer on pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place pan in oven for 10 minutes, stir veggies and spread back out on pan. Return pan to the oven and roast another 10 minutes. Scrape everything into a serving bowl and stir to blend the flavors and get the lemon flavor on every piece of cauliflower. Enjoy!




Ready to bake...






Enjoy!

Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is soooo good! I didn't use cubed cheese-just some shredded cheddar cheese and it worked out really well. The recipe says to shape the loaves into mounds and place on a cookie sheet to bake but I bought some mini loaf pans only because they hold the shape a lot better. I froze 2 of the loaves and ate the other 2 over the next several days. I'll definitely make these again!

Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves (4 servings):

1 large sweet onion, cut in half, then each half cut into thin slices
1 tbsp butter
Salt
1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 egg, whisked
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c + 2 tbsp bbq sauce, divided
1/4 c panko
Pepper
2 oz low-fat cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 cubes

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat, then add onion and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring every couple minutes, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Turn heat down if onions start to burn. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 425. In large bowl combine ground beef, egg, Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp bbq sauce, panko bread crumbs, dash of pepper, cheese cubes and caramelized onions. Mix until combined. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions on a foil-lined baking sheet (or place in 4 mini loaf pans on a baking sheet). Spread 1 tbsp bbq sauce over each loaf. Bake 20 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.




Packed into the mini loaf pans...






BBQ Sauce spread on top...






Fresh from the oven...