Warm Quinoa Cereal

1 cup 1% milk
1 cup water
1 quinoa (rinsed)
2 cups fresh berries
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup toasted nuts
4 tsp honey

Combine mile, water & quinoa in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Once boiling reduce to medium low heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Stir in berries and cinnamon. Top with nuts and drizzle with honey.

Pear Bread

This bread is really yummy! If you want to be a little healthier, it's good with whole wheat flour, too.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup butter, softened (may substitute 3/4 cup vegetable oil)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups peeled and finely grated ripe, firm pears
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or two 9″x 5″loaf pans.Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of this mixture and combine it with nuts to coat. Stir back into the flour mixture.In a separate bowl, combine butter, eggs, sugar, pears, and vanilla. Add the pear mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until flour disappears and batter is evenly moistened.Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until bread is browned and firm on top. A pick inserted into the center should come out clean.Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, remove from pan and place top side up on a plate or wire rack to cool completely

Grilled Veggie Paninis

In an effort to not use the oven during the heat, we're looking for anything and everything to grill these days. I came across this yummy vegetarian recipe that I modified a little bit. I made these for Chad and I and used some of the bread and cheese to make a "sandwich on a stick" (skewer) for Mia.

Ciabatta Bread or rolls
Zucchini - in 1/4" lengthwise slices
Yellow Squash - in 1/4" lengthwise slices
Eggplant - in 1/4" lengthwise slices
roasted red peppers
artichoke hearts
mozerella cheese
1/4 C pesto
1/4 C tepenade
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Either grill or pan fry the zucchini, squash & eggplant until al dente. Spread pesto, tepenade (we actually didn't use this), and a splash of olive oil & vinegar on the bread. Layer the zucchini, peppers, squash (again didn't use), eggplant (didn't use), artichoke & cheese on the bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the sandwiches tightly in tin foil that has been sprayed with Pam. BBQ for 10 or so minutes on each side. These are good hot but will stay together better if you let them cool for a bit. Yum!

Giant Whole Wheat Banana- Strawberrry Muffins

I came across this recipe, and it's really yummy. It's a perfect way to use up some ripe bananas and those fresh strawberries that you just picked.

2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I like to use Walnut Oil in my baking, just for a little healthier version)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup sliced frozen strawberries (fresh, frozen from the berry patch are the best!)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 large muffin cups, or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and bananas. Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; Stir into the banana mixture until moistened. Stir in the strawberries until evenly distributed. Spoon batter into muffin cups until completely filled.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed lightly. Cool before removing from the muffin tins.

Squash Souffle

This is much easier than the title would suggest and a wonderful way to use winter squash. I always buy a few in the fall to roast and puree, then I have them in convenient 2c blocks in my freezer for whenever I feel like a pie a souffle. You might be able to use a 15oz can of pumpkin for this, but I've never tried it. This is very popular with both my husband and daughter. If you want a light dinner for a small family, serve this with a salad, for a larger group it is a tasty and unexpected vegetable side dish.

1/2c butter
1/2c flour
1 1/2c half and half OR 12oz evaporated milk
2c cooked and pureed squash
6 eggs, separated
1/2t salt

In a saucepan, whisk butter and flour constantly over medium heat. Gradually whisk in half and half or evaporated milk. When thick and bubbly, remove from heat and whisk into squash, egg yolks and salt.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into squash mixture. (Or if you have a kitchen aid with a whisk beater, beat whites in kitchen aid, and then beat in the squash just until everything is mixed)

Pour batter into a buttered 2qt souffle dish or casserole.

Bake at 350 for 1hr and serve promptly. The top will be golden brown and nicely puffed.

"Noodle Nests" with Peanut Sauce

This is a great way to use up leftover spaghetti (but fresh works well too). Mia even ate it. I haven't tried it, but I hear you can also do a similar thing with noodles and fresh basil and do a marinara-type dipping sauce...

Noodle Nests (I found the name is a good sell to kids)
1 to 3 t curry paste (depending on your feelings for curry)
4 eggs
6 oz (2/3 C) tofu diced in small cubes
1/4 to 1/2 C cilantro
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 t salt
4 C spaghetti noodles, cold

1 T sesame oil or olive oil in a pan

Turn on a frying pan to med high heat. Mix the eggs and curry paste together in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with your hands so the noodles don't break. Put small circular piles of the noodle mixture in the pan (they keep their shape better if you use a circle shaped biscuit cutter as a mold). Make sure you get the tofu on there too because sometimes it sinks to the bottom of the bowl. Cook until golden brown on each side. Top with Peanut sauce or use sauce for dipping.

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 C honey (although you could probably leave this out if you use the PB w/sugar in it already)
1/4 C peanut butter
2 T rice vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 T sesame oil
2 t garlic
1 T ginger
1 t red pepper flakes (if you want a little kick)

White Chili

1 or 2 chicken breasts (boil for 20 min for short method or allow extra time for crockpot cooking)
4 cans great northern beans (white)
1 small can green chilis (chopped peeled)
1 can white sweet corn
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated monteray jack cheese
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)

For crockpot method: combine chicken broth, onion, and chicken in crockpot. Cook on high for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until chicken is done. Add remaining ingredients except sour cream and cheese. You can add 2 tsp corn starch with 1 T cold water to thicken chili if you want it to be thicker. Continue cooking for one hour. Turn heat to low. Stir in sour cream. Serve with breadsticks and garnish with grated cheese and additional sour cream. Yum!