Cranberry Quinoa Squares

Call me a princess but I don't like to eat the same thing for dinner two nights in a row.  Leftovers for lunch the following day are totally cool though.  I know some people who have a severe aversion to leftovers. They cannot fathom eating something that has to be re-heated.  Not me.  I would prefer leftovers in my lunch sac (I sound like I am in grade 3:) over a salad or sandwich any day.

The other day I made a double batch of quinoa thinking I would use it the next night in a different way...didn't happen.  The following day I realized this quinoa was going to get tossed if I didn't use it up.  I came across a recipe for dark chocolate quinoa bars and decided to use that as a starting point.  This recipe turned out really well.  Not only are these bars Kevin approved (have the icon ready but need to figure out how to post it) they are also endorsed by his bike team.  The majority of this batch got sent along with the team on a road trip to a race. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Energy Bars

Another variation of the "Energy Bars" here.  I bring two of these bars everyday in my lunch and have been doing so for 3 months now!  I have surprisingly not gotten tired of them.  Quite the opposite, I look forward to eating them.  That is how much a love them.  My original version was Mocha Macadamia Madness .   This variation is Oatmeal Rasian Cookie.  I have included cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in the recipe but you can vary that depening of which spices you like/dislike.  I know many people aren't into nutmeg.

Leek and Mushroom Frittata

Eggs...Most people always have them on hand.
Random veggies that need to get eaten ...got a few of those in the fridge.

This is such a super easy and really healthy recipe. There is one pan to clean and you can literally add any vegetable you have on hand. I think what I grew up calling an omelette was actually a frittata. We never folded ours and put the veggies in the middle. We would sautéed potatoes and veggies, pour the egg over top and then use a really funky method for flipping that bugger. I find this baking method a bit better especially when you are using a lot of eggs and making a big frittata.

Gnocchi with Savory Mushroom Sauce

This recipe sparked a new Boysenberries category of "Kevin Approved" recipes. Kevin rarely comments with any vigor about how delicious something is. Well, this recipe elicited some serious compliments..."flavour packed, rich, savory". 

Since January we have made an effort to eat more whole food. I tend to stick to the "if I don't know what the ingredients are, I don't really want to eat it" rule.  One thing I have noticed from reading labels is that many sauces and dressings have the ingredient "spice" listed.  So sketchy.  I must note here that the Worcestershite sauce in this recipe does have "spice"...whatever that is!   I have been reading "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan and his message is eat food, not too much, mostly plants. So simple! 

Citrus Avocado Potato Salad

We had a bunch of friends over for a BBQ on Friday.  We were at a bike race earlier in the day and I wasn't sure when we'd be home so I wanted to have an "easy dinner" planned.  Hamburgers and homemade, not by me,  Honey Garlic and Asiago Fig sausages on the grill.  I was shameless about the potluck format and took friends up on offers to bring apps, salads, and dessert :)  All I was planning on doing was making these crispy horseradish potatoes.

I don't know about you, but when I have people over that I want to hang out with (I guess if you don't want to hang with them it is a different story), I don't want to be in the kitchen!  So, the potatoes turned into straight up roasted potatoes and the smashing and brushing steps were omitted.  I also made WAY too many.  The next day we had our family Easter dinner and I took  said roast potatoes to my aunts only to find an over abundance of potatoes there as well. So, the potatoes come back home with me. Honestly!

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

Company's Coming .  My mom had practically the entire cookbook collection from Cookies to Casseroles.  I remember making recipes from those books when I was 10.  My specialty at that time were these no bake peanut butter balls (might have to re-visit those).  In the days before "googling" a recipe was an option, most of my muffin and cookie recipes came from these books.  On a nerdy note, the author, Jean Pare, is from Alberta.  Now, I don't know what channel I was watching while stretching post run in my basement but there was a circa late 80's documentary on about her and the rise of her cookbook empire.  It is actually a pretty interesting story that kept me stretching for a full 30 minutes (otherwise unheard of for me).

Mexi-Quinoa Salad

I'm going to credit this recipe with the fact that this is the first time I have actually enjoyed eating quinoa. I make it every now and then because I know it is healthy but have never REALLY loved it.  I also tried a new method of rinsing the quinoa. When you forget the rinse step, you know it!  The quinoa tastes nasty and soapy in my opinion.   In the past I rinsed uncooked quinoa in a strainer.  I would run water over it and mix it up with my fingers.  This time, I soaked the uncooked quinoa in cold water for 3 minutes and then strained it. 

I served this quinoa salad as a side dish to some grilled chicken and sautéed rapini but it could easy be a main. It also makes a great lunch to take to work. I think the key with this recipe (and why I loved this quinoa) is that: