Cranberry Quinoa "Stuffing"

So, this isn't really stuffing as most people think of it, but it has all the same flavors, and is delicious on it's own, or as a side dish to something else. Plus side? Super easy to turn vegan, just swap the chicken broth for veggie broth and you got it ;)

Cranberry Quinoa "Stuffing"

2 T Butter, Oil, or what have you
1/2 c diced Onion
1/2 c diced Celery
1/3 c diced Bell Peppers
8 Button Mushrooms, diced
1 Apple, diced
1/4 c diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 T Garlic, minced
2 c Chicken Broth
1 c Quinoa (I used rainbow, you can use whatever)
1 t Salt
1 T Poultry Seasoning ( or 1 t oregano, 1 t ground sage, 1 t parsley)
1/2 t Fine Chili Powder (add more or less depending on your preference
1/3 c Dried Cranberries (aka Craisins)

Melt butter in 4 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, celery and bell peppers. Stir occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 min.

Add salt, mushrooms, apple, fire roasted tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 min.

Add in chicken broth, poultry seasoning, and chili powder. Bring to a boil over high heat. After it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium.

Rinse quinoa in water. Add to pot. Cover and let simmer for 15 min.

Remove lid. Add cranberries, stir, and let cook for 5 more minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

Serve hot, or room temp. Keep leftovers in fridge.

--
Fred
ps, here's the rainbow quinoa. It makes me happy :), but then again, so do buckets full of sprinkles and mini chocolate chips.

Recipe time! Bacon Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

Super simple and easy, this is the perfect size for 2 people. Or for one hungry person.

Ingredients:
2 c Red Cabbage, shredded
1/2 c Carrots, shredded
4 Slices Peppered Bacon
1/2 c Greek Yogurt (or mayo)
1 t Emeril's Essence (or your favorite spicy seasoning mix)
2 T Blue Cheese Crumbles

Cook the bacon until crispy. Crumble and set aside, reserving the bacon drippings.
Combine the Greek Yogurt, Emeril's Essence, Blue Cheese, and 1 T of bacon drippings.
Toss in the rest of the ingredients.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

-Fred

Sammiches

With the school year starting, many people are making their own sandwiches to take to school or work. I love sandwiches, but eating the same filling day after day gets really tiring.

Easy ones for breakfast or lunch
1) peanut butter and jelly
2) cream cheese and jam or jelly
3) peanut butter and honey and banana (optional)

To mix these up so they aren't just the same old thing, use cookie cutters to cut the bread into shapes. You could get one of these, or any of these, but I would totally go with the dinos. You can also use cookie cutters to cut out a window to show off the pretty colored jam or the like, like how the cookies are in this blog post.

Meat filling sandwiches
The essential part of these are to not overfill them. Overfilled sandwiches explode all over when you try to eat them.

1. Pick your bread (french, white, wheat, bagel, pita, flatbread, tortilla, etc)
2. Pick one or more meats, not more than 4 (chicken, turkey, ham, roast beef, bacon, sausages, etc)
3. Pick one or two cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, swiss, munster, etc)
4. Veggies (lettuce, tomato, pickles, olives, onions, sprouts, banana peppers, cucumbers, etc) Just don't overdo it.
5. Pick a moisture barrier(s) (butter, mayo, miracle whip, creamy salad dressing, butter, etc)
6. Correct assemblage to avoid filling spillage and soggy bread, because nobody really likes either of those. Spread your moisture barrier(s) thinly onto both slices of bread. Place meat and cheese onto the bottom slice. Put on veggies that hold their shape and are wet (like pickles). Follow with squishy veggies that don't hold their shape. Wrap the whole thing tightly in plastic wrap. Here's a video by the genius named Alton Brown on sandwiches.

This is Fred, signing off.