Tomato & Red Quinoa Bread

Featured | Posted by Sweet Heat Chefs

The only commentary I am going to try to make up for this recipe is, be sure to make both loafs, as this first one will not last long. Oh and don’t let the title fool you…There were 5 of us for dinner last night and we devoured 1 loaf in its entirety. (finger licking good is not just for chicken!)

Apparently we are carb loving fiends!! All is good, I am happy being one. This bread is good next morning for toast and then for lunch as an open faced sammy! It is not just about the bread and butter here.

INGREDIENTS #1

1/2 cup Red Quinoa
1 cup V8 juice

DIRECTIONS #1

Rinse quinoa in a strainer and add to pot with V8 juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside with lid off to cool. You need it cool for the next step.

INGREDIENTS #2

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 cups warm V8 juice
1 tablespoon salt
2 tbs dried basil
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour

DIRECTIONS #2

To the bread machine, add the yeast to the warm water and stir, let sit for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients plus the cooled quinoa and mix thoroughly. Let run through the dough cycle and sit for 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS #3

1/4 cup olive oil
3 to 4 cups white bread flour

DIRECTIONS #3

Add the dough that has been sitting for one hour into an oiled bowl and mix the above ingredients into the dough, start with 2 cups of flour first. Place dough on a clean surface, along with 1 more cup of flour and knead that into the bread. Continue to knead bread for about 5-10 minutes or until smooth consistency. Dough is relatively sticky, but if it is too sticky, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time. Once ready, place back into the oiled bowl, cover and let sit for another 1.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. After the 1.5 hours punch dough down and re-cover while oven is heating up.

When oven is ready, take 2 loaf pans, buttered and divide dough in half and place in pans

INGREDIENTS #4

3 tbs butter, melted
2 tsp flax seeds

DIRECTIONS #4

Slice down the middle of the dough and drizzle half of the butter over the top of loaf. Sprinkle with half flax seeds, continue with second loaf.

Bake for about 50 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes (if you can stand it) and then repeat after me:

SLICE BUTTER SCARF, REPEAT!

Mexican Red Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Featured | Posted by Sweet Heat Chefs

Using leftovers in my house is ALWAYS a chore. 1: My kids and hubby hate leftovers, 2: it is hard to make only myself leftovers while they eat crap (aka boxed mac-n-cheese or cup of soups which my kids would live on if I’d let them) So today I decided I wouldn’t tell them I was using leftovers to create this dish, and see how that went over.

I had leftover ground turkey and some sweet peppers. I am rummaging through my fridge to see what I can make to go along with it. I always turn everything into a Mexican type meal so I was determined NOT to make this dish that way. Now I see your brow furrowing and your mind racing saying…wait the name of the dish begins with Mexican.

And…You are right, because there is simply no way for me to NOT make a Mexican based dish, I simply love it way too much. My favorite quote of the night was from my daughter, who upon returning home from the mall, ate dinner and stated: “It tastes like a party in my mouth” I do not know 1 chef who would not like that type of review! #missionaccomplished!

Now, this dish is packed full of flavor and guess what? FULL of nutrients too! How awesome is that?! Common, get your shopping list ready and get this dish done!

INGREDIENTS

18 sweet peppers, cleaned, top off and de-seeded
1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 can diced green chilis
1 clove garlic, minced (I use microplane)
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp onion powder
salt/pepper, to taste
olive oil, as needed
2 tbs fresh cilantro chopped & washed
1/2 cup Red Quinoa
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup jack cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

Line a sheet pan with foil and drizzle olive oil over it, about 2 tsp.
In a skillet brown ground turkey
Add garlic, onion powder, and salt/pepper.
Once almost browned, add lime juice and green chilis.
Continue to cook over medium high until thoroughly cooked.
While cooking stuffing mixture, rinse 1/2 cup red quinoa in a strainer
Add to pot with beef broth.
Bring to boil and reduce heat cooking on low simmer for about 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
Once stuffing mixture is finished remove from heat and let cool.
Once quinoa is finished add 1/4 cup to stuffing mix, combine well and add 1 tbs chopped cilantro.
Using a teaspoon measure stuff the peppers until filled to the top.
Roll in olive oil on sheet pan and continue until all peppers are stuffed.
Top all peppers with shredded jack cheese evenly. (I push them all together to cheese is not wasted on pan, but ooey gooey goodness all over peppers)
Bake for 10 minutes on 375 degrees, then broil for 5-7 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes. Serve peppers on top of remaining red quinoa and remaining cilantro, and prepare to lick your plate clean!

Additional Hint:

IF your kids are anti-peppers (I have 2) whether they are sweet or otherwise, wrap the filling into a corn or flour tortilla and heat up and roll like a burrito. They will be just as pleased with the dish as you. You still are getting that quinoa in them and a healthy meal!

Crunchy Quinoa Chicken Strips

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Sweet Heat Chefs

Quin, who? Quinoa! I know, it’s a weird word, but a delicious whole grain which is really considered a SEED! At any rate, I try to get my family to eat different foods to heighten their pallets, if they know about it, likely they won’t try it! If I tell them about it AFTER they have tried it sometimes the result is better. But most importantly if I disguise it or hide it, they never know and I know they are getting good nutrition and their pallets are being exposed to new foods. Quinoa is a bland grain which is good because you can add to it whatever you want sweet or savory. It is very versatile this way. In order to disguise it using my trickery methods for my family I decide to encrust in on some chicken strips. Yet, that wasn’t enough nutrition for me in this meal. I had to take it 1 step further. Normally when you make any type of cutlets you dip in flour dip in egg, then dip in breading. I decided to add some pureed veggies to my egg mixture instead of just using an egg. Remember the ends of asparagus you throw away? I keep them in the freezer for experimentation… experimentation’s such as this! I used them to create a pesto that will go on top of the finished dish and can be used in helping the quinoa stick to the chicken. Getting those extra nutrients into my kids bellahs! Yes it is doable…and here is how!

PESTO INGREDIENTS
½ c fresh basil
2 cloves minced garlic cloves
¼ c olive oil, good quality (may require more depending on consistency, add more or less as needed)
2 asparagus stem bundles
Juice of ½ a lime plus zest
1 handful frozen peas
¼ c parmesan cheese
¼ c. toasted whole pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste

PESTO DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together in a food processor until a smooth consistency. Taste test before continuing, you may need to add more olive oil or salt and pepper.

CHICKEN INGREDIENTS
4 chicken breast halves, sliced into strips and pounded thin
1 1/4 cups quinoa
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
¼ c Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
2 T garlic powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon paprika
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste

CHICKEN DIRECTIONS
1. Place quinoa in a sauce pan with the chicken stock, salt/pepper, and cumin, and bring to a boil.

2. Cover and simmer over medium low for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Cook 1-2 more minutes uncovered, stirring, until quinoa starts to stick to the pan.

3. Remove quinoa from heat and spread out in a thin coat on a plate to cool.

4. Place the flour, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, s/p (if using), and paprika in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle over cooled quinoa 4 T at a time as you coat the chicken pieces adding more to the dish. I do it this way so I can reserve the flour mixture for later use. Once it touches the raw chicken, you cannot reuse it.

5. Beat 1 egg and add ½ cup pesto mixture and place in another shallow bowl together.

6. Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

7. Season the chicken pieces lightly with s/p. Dredge each piece of chicken first in the pesto/egg mixture, then in the flour/quinoa mixture patting the quinoa onto the chicken to coat. NOTE: this is a bit of an acquired technique. If quinoa falls off, you are not alone. I find it best to hole the chicken tender in my left hand and press the quinoa firmly onto it. Add it immediately to the heated oiled pan. Once it is in place, LEAVE it until time to turn.

8. Place as many chicken pieces that will fit into the skillet and cook, turning once carefully with a spatula, about 4 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. NOTE: You need to use a spatula, the quinoa tends to stick and if you use a different utensil, you will take the coating off the chicken.

9. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding a little more olive oil to the skillet as necessary.

10. Serve warm and drizzle with additional pesto on top