Because Showing Up is More Fun...

This week was another exhausting week on the job search rollercoaster.  Tuesday felt like Friday and more waiting ensued.  By Wednesday night, Steve and I found ourselves unintentionally cashed out in the boy's bunk beds.

At 9:30, Steve did his best to get me out of the top bunk and reminded me that I was making some meals for a friend the next day.

In a stupor, I made it upstairs and began to start the meals in a haze. Thankful, I noticed Steve was going to join me as he began mincing garlic, chopping carrots and slicing leeks.

For the next two hours Steve and I made two new recipes and one family favorite.  Mumford was playing in the background, and we sipped on wine as we delighted in cooking with real, whole foods.  We tasted our creations, added a little bit of this and some more of that, and were pleasantly surprised at how much fun we were having.

A night I had planned on spending cooking alone had turned into a lovely sort of date night.  Steve decided to show up....and I am thankful.

Recipes

Creamy Chipotle Pumpkin Soup

Broccoli Curry Soup

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Clean Cooking #3: Quinoa Bites

After a brief hiatus, I am pulling up my boot straps and gettin' after #18 on my Year 32 List. 

For my first clean meal I made fried rice which has become a staple and has found its way to our dinner table once a week.

My second clean cooking attempt led me to whip up some quinoa burgers.  Although, they have not made a regular appearance on our plates, I do make them occasionally.

And, for my third clean cooking attempt these cute cheesy quinoa bites kept calling my name.

After a trip to the store to collect any missing ingredients, I was ready to roll.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 large eggs

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese {I substituted dairy free}

2 stalks green onion {diced}

2 cloves garlic {I used garlic powder}

1 c. fresh chopped cilantro

1 c. shredded carrot

2 Tbs almond meal

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl,

and simply mix.

When all of the ingredients are mixed well, spray mini muffin tin with

non-stick cooking spray, and fill muffin cup to the brim.

 Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees and enjoy.

I am linking to...

Delightful Order

Year 32 {Clean Cooking #2: Quinoa Burgers}

Have I mentioned how much I love Pinterest?  I just can't seem to get enough and find new ideas each hour day, including the first two recipes for my clean cooking challenge.

For clean meal #1, we enjoyed fried rice,  and now that it is time to take another swing at a clean cooking I decided to try my hand at quinoa burgers.


The best part about this meal was that I already had most of the ingredients in the house and decided to be adventurous and substitute for the ingredients I didn't have, take that perfectionism!


 Here is the recipe I came up with: 


Quinoa Burgers

1/2 cup quinoa, well-rinsed under cold water
1 cup cooked corn
1 dash of minced onion
1 15-ounce can white beans {great northern beans},  drained and rinsed
1 slice of bread torn to bits
1 large egg
1 tablespoon red cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Toppings

Hummus
Roasted red peppers
Lettuce
Tomatoes

Directions:

Rinse quinoa. {Essential step for removing bitter taste}

Add rinsed quinoa with 1 cup water to rice cooker. {boiling is an option too}

While the rice is cooking, chop all veggies.

In a food processor, combine corn,

 

cooked quinoa,

egg,

bread crumbs,

red cayenne pepper,

and beans + olive oil

until they are mixed well.

Next, make into patties {note: I put mine in the freezer for 15 minutes to make
for less sticky patty making}

 

and cook approximately 10 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.

Finally, serve on a warm toasted, whole wheat bun, topped with hummus, 
roasted red pepper, tomato and a side of sweet potato chips

 
 and enjoy a delicious burger with a perfect blend of crunchy, sweet, and spice.

Mmmmm...so yummy that even our pickiest eater gave it two thumbs up. 



I linked to a bowl full of lemons.

Clean Cooking

According to the list, my goal is to to make one clean meal a month. 

Tonight, I crossed the first month off list with great success. 

Thanks to my great pinning friends, I found my first recipe on Pinterest.

All it took was organic rice, edamame, and broccoli

mixed with some soy sauce, rice vinegar, & garlic to create

the most delicious clean meal that got two thumbs-up all around.

{Recipe}