Heather's Quinoa Recipe ...p61

Though I've had quinoa many times, I've never added this grain known as the "gold of the Incas"  to my own pantry.  My gluten-intolerant son-in-law introduced me to quinoa (keen-wah) a while back as a substitute to wheat grains.

It turns out that quinoa is higher in protein (16%) than any other grains and contains more iron.  It's also a good source of B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and folate, and is abundant in an amino acid lacking in other grains - lysine.  And quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids.  Perhaps this is due to the fact, quinoa is a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and that nutritious vegetable that evokes a snicker out of the critic - swiss chard!  You can check out all its other health benefits at WHfoods.


You can eat this grain instead of rice at any meal - it's even easier to cook than rice.  You can eat it plain, or doctor it up as in this recipe.

"Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain and it is tender with a bit of "pop" to each bite."

   

Basil fresh from my garden went into this pesto.  I was disappointed that I couldn't can my own pesto....turns out home-style pressure cookers don't reach the necessary temperatures to kill the bad bacterial invaders.  So, my freezer is full of little bags of pesto.  Sorry I can't share them with you!

To quote the recipe contributor, "If you don't have the time or inclination to roast cherry tomatoes, substitute some chopped, moist, sun-dried tomatoes."  I did just that,  though I if I had planned better, I would have roasted my own - her method sounds delicious; be sure to check it out in the recipe section.

Hardy Appetit!

Mumsy's Curried Pumpkin Soup ...p24

Pumpkin soup?  We've come a long and creative way from chicken noodle, beef vegetable and tomato soups and fall is warmer for it.  If you haven't tried some of the exotic soup recipes, be daring.  Carrot soup, avocado soup, butternut squash - they're all terrific.  I recently tried a black bean soup off the internet that was amazing - its secret ingredient - orange juice.  I added my own secret ingredient of a roasted poblano pepper which really made it pop! 

But back to pumpkin soup.  If you don't like curry, don't worry (sung to the tune of don't worry, be happy) - the flavor is very subtle.  This is the perfect fall soup.  Complete it with a flavorful roll like sourdough or dark whole wheat and a salad.

Hardy Appetit!

Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps ...p56

You're gonna have to trust the veggie lady on this one.  Our critic is once again off sampling the culinary delights of siblings elsewhere, so it is left up to her to critique what I cook.

I thought this recipe would be similar to P. F. Chang's famous lettuce wraps - I can't really recall what goes in theirs - rice sticks and chicken - but I've always loved them.  This recipe doesn't call for the rice sticks, and without those, it seems more like stir-fry atop a lettuce leaf.  That being said, this recipe will please any palate desiring the contradicting crisp-cool lettuce wrapped around soft-spicy chicken.  Dress it up with more soy (or gluten-free tamari) and Sambal Oelek, and be sure to have washed and chilled your lettuce leaves (wrap in foil and refrigerate for at least one hour for the best chill!).  You might even add rice sticks to your wrap, though I found you really don't need them after all!

Hardy Appetit!

Potato Casserole ...p66

We've all gone to church pot-lucks where three to four other people besides yourself brought a potato casserole....  This one caught my eye because it didn't use frozen hash browns, but fresh, real potatoes that made me feel like it could accompany my dinner and not just be a cheap crowd-pleaser at a pot-luck (and though everyone complains about the potato casseroles at pot-lucks, notice that you will find them gone by the end!)

Simple to make yet tasty enough to accompany your dinner!  I love the green onions in this recipe.

Hardy Appetit!

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Chasens Chili ...p27

At the end of the day, it boils down to this.  The critic doesn't really like chili.  Oh, I know we all think she loves chili, but she really only likes one kind of chili - the one her mother taught her how to make.  All said and done, that is my favorite too.  Just the crunch of crisp celery, combined with the other flavors and textures of mom's chili spells "home".  The kind of texture reminiscent of eating a handful of peanuts with dad, then taking that first swig of Pepsi out of the bottle to swish around the remains.  I know all my siblings can relate!  Remember, we never wanted another drink out of the bottle after that first one!

The critic's initial reaction was a half-hearted snicker, though when queried as to "why? we all loved it!" she admitted it's just...not...like...hers.   The rest of us did love it.

The flavors are well-blended, with just enough kick.  In fact, I was afraid when adding 1/3 cup of chili powder it would be too much, but Bill actually asked if it had any chili powder in it.  I also left out the MSG.


As far as the instructions go, I had to fish out my handy scale to weigh in what one pound of green peppers translated to,

and one & a half pounds of onion...

 I'm not used to measuring those in that manner.  I've saved you the trouble.


There are five chili recipes in our cookbook.  Try 'em all.  See which is your favorite and let Nana know *wink wink.
 Why, we might just have ourselves a ..... CHILI COOK OFF!

Hardy Appetit!

Three Bean Salad ...p31

Memories of dinners at Grandma Alma's and Aunt Bernice's flooded in as I made this cold, colorful salad.  And as a kid, I remember not liking it.  My, how we change.  Now I find it so refreshing, I can't imagine turning my nose up to it.  Though if your kids do, it may be in their GENES.

Truly, they may have two bitter alleles opposed to just one.  CHECK IT OUT !

Might make a nice science experiment in your multiple-kid households, especially for my home-schooled friends.  Who's got the extra bitter allele? 

Hardy Appetit!

Mango Salsa ...p15

Superb.  Make it a day ahead and the flavors will develop even more.  This salsa is the perfect accompaniment for fish, fish tacos or pork dishes.

I didn't have any pineapple, but I had a lot of overripe plums, so I substituted plums.  Probably changed the flavor a lot as pineapple is so distinct, but the plum just kind of extended the mango adopting its flavor.  And if you don't know how to cut a mango - it's easy....just watch this video.

Could bottle this one!

Hardy Appetit!

Monkey Bread ...p85

You can see by the photo, this bread wasn't monkeying around.  It rose beautifully and the texture was amazing.  I don't know if it was the mashed potatoes, but I haven't had a better monkey bread before.  Since I didn't have leftover mashed potatoes, I actually used *gasp* boxed! Oh, please don't let that be the secret!

Usually, I think of monkey bread as taking canned biscuits, pinching off pieces and rolling them in sugar and cinnamon.  Or perhaps making a brown sugar syrup.  Since the recipe didn't include directions for doing either - leaving us a little short after "dip into melted butter" - I just did my own doctoring.  I also added a lot of walnuts between the layers - delicious!

Kimber, are instructions for sweetening this missing?  Let us know - add a comment!

Make this for a fancy breakfast - everyone will love it.

Hardy Appetit!