Apple, pomegranate,quinoa, kale salad with curried maple dressing.

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 head finely sliced kale
1 apple, diced
arils from 1 pomegranate
1/4 cup seeds or nuts (used toasted chopped pitsachios)
1/4 cup your favorite cheese (used roquefort)
Dressing
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper as needed

Shake up dressing ingredients and toss with the salad, adding cheese last, just to keep it from breaking apart.  The dressing is really very tasty and complements the tang of the cheese with the sweet of the pomegranate.  BTW am easy way to get the arils out is to cut the pomegranate in half and hold the cut side in your hand over a bowl then pound on the top side with a heavy item.  They come out in a flash.

Brussel Sprout Slaw

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

To make the spiced pecans:1/2 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of cayenne pepper

To make the slaw:1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed
1 small radicchio head, quartered and cored

Directions

1. Start by making the spiced pecans. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Add pecan halves to a small bowl and drizzle with 11/2 teaspoons olive oil. Sprinkle pecans evenly with the kosher salt, sugar, and cayenne.
3. Spread pecans out over a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in the oven until browned and fragrant (10 – 12 minutes). Definitely check the pecans at 9 or 10 minutes to make sure they aren’t burning. Let cool.
4. Next, prepare the slaw dressing. Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and maple syrup in a mason jar. Season with 3 pinches of salt and several turns of black pepper. Cap the jar, and shake until combined. Taste for seasoning. I like to season my vinaigrettes aggressively, so I don’t have to add any additional seasoning later. This means that the vinaigrette should taste a bit too salty on its own.
5. Using the grater attachment of a food processor, shred the brussels sprouts and radicchio. You can certainly do this by hand if you don’t have a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl, and drizzle with half of the vinaigrette, tossing to combine. Add more vinaigrette if needed. You want to coat the shreds, not drown them (no dressing pooling at the bottom).
6. Let stand for 15 minutes to “cook” the sprouts. Top with spiced pecans and serve immediately.

- See more at: http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2013/11/brussels-sprout-slaw#sthash.MqLgNbIK.dpuf

Balsamic Glazed Roast Beef

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Total Time: 6-8 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the roast:
1 (3-4 pound boneless) chuck or round roast
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper


For the glaze*:
1 1/2 cups cooking liquid (from the roast, strained)
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Place roast beef in a lightly greased slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl, combine beef broth, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes and pepper. Pour over roast beef.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beef is tender.
4. Remove roast from slow cooker and slice or shred. Cover and keep warm.
5. Remove 1 1/2 cups of liquid from the slow cooker and pour through a mesh strainer into a medium saucepan.
6. Stir together cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk into saucepan, along with 3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
7. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If desired, add additional water or cooking liquid for a thinner glaze.
8. *Pour glaze over beef and serve. I put the glaze in a gravy boat instead of pouring it over the beef. 

Bourbon Brownie Balls from Cooking Light

Ingredients

1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tablespoon water
1 (16.7-ounce) package brownie mix
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons bourbon
1/3 cup finely chopped Walnut, Almonds, or Pecan pieces, toasted

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients (including fudge packet from mix if applicable), stirring well. Spread into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near edge of pan comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
3. Crumble brownies; place in a food processor. Add bourbon; process until mixture forms a ball (about 30 seconds).
4. Shape brownie mixture into 24 balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Place nuts in a shallow bowl. Roll balls in nuts, pressing gently to coat.
5. Note: Store balls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Greek Stuffed Peppers

http://www.edibleperspective.com/home/2013/10/8/greek-stuffed-peppers.html

I was looking for something different to cook and made these for a side. The were great. You can add steak or chicken to them and eat them for a main entree as well. The original recipe has been changed. You can find it here.


Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa (can cook in water or veggie stock)
1 cup water
3-4 red bell peppers,  halved + de-seeded
3/4 cup chopped red onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups chickpeas, rinsed + drained
1/2 cup halved kalamata olives, pitted
scant 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
6 handfuls baby spinach
4-6oz feta cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
salt to taste
olive oil, for cooking

Directions

1. In a sauce pot, cook the quinoa. You can boil it in a broth/stock or water.
2. Heat another large pot or sauce pan with a swirl of oil over medium.
3. Preheat your oven to broil and lightly oil, salt, and pepper the halved peppers and place on a baking sheet.
4. Just as you remove the quinoa from the burner, heat another large pan over medium and add 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil.
5. Once hot, add the onion and stir occasionally until translucent and soft.  About 5-8 minutes.
6. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and black pepper for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add in the chickpeas and cook for about 6-8 minutes until starting to brown.
7. While cooking, place peppers under the broiler for a 2-4 minutes, then flip and broil for another 2-4 minutes.  You want them slightly tender, not limp.  Set aside.
8. To your pan add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and 2 cups of quinoa and stir together.
9. Add in your spinach and incorporate until just starting to wilt, another 3-4 minutes.
10. Add half the feta, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then give it one more stir and taste.  Add more salt if desired. The olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese have a hefty amount of sodium so taste and add as desired.
11. Lightly pack into peppers, top with remaining feta, and place under the broiler until the mixture starts to brown.  About 2-3 minutes.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

http://damndelicious.net/2013/11/02/slow-cooker-crockpot-honey-sesame-chicken/

I made this and served over jasmine rice. It can be served with any grain you want. It was very good. I made a second batch of the sauce and froze it in a ziploc bag so the next time, I just have to add chicken to the crock pot and walk away. 

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish


Instructions

1. 
   
2. In a large bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil and red pepper.
3. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken thighs into a slow cooker. Add honey mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes.
4. Remove chicken thighs from the slow cooker and shred the chicken before returning to the pot with the juices. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites

These are intended to be made into appetizers by using a mini-cupcake pan which I have done. On another occasion, I used the normal size cupcake pan and have eaten them for lunch. They freeze well. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 large egg****
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup Frank's buffalo sauce (I used about 1/3 cup for more spice)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• **** I added Flax Seed & Water as an egg substitute****
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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all ingredients.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top, and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Notes:

Nutritional Information for 4 bites (mini cupcake size) per My Fitness Pal: Calories - 109, Fiber - 1, Fat - 4, Protein - 8, Calcium - 6, Carbs - 11