Quinoa Asian Stir Fry

So I'm to slowly phasing out cheese and most grains as well as am significantly limiting meat consumption.  In order to not starve, I have to find other sources of protein and carbs, 1 great one being, Quinoa.  Yes it is  often considered a grain, but is technically a grass and is a good one at that.  Here it is!

Time
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Ready in: 10 min


Servings
Dos 


Ingredients
1 handful of mushrooms
1/3 a red bell pepper
1/4 of an onion
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
1 chopped tomato
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
2 sheets of Nori (the one's used for sushi)
1/2 cup of Quinoa
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Orange Ginger sauce

Procedures
1. Put Quinoa in 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.  Follow directions on package for standard cooking.
2. Saute mushrooms, pepper, onion, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
3. After a few add the spinach and Nori.
4. After a minute add tomato.
5. Add Quinoa to mix.

6. Add sauce and mix around then eat!

Mmmm.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Pizza

A little more of the traditional type, this pizza has no red or white sauce, simply olive oil and toppings.  Very delicious and on the lighter side.

Time
Prep Time: 15 min
Bake Time: 10 min
Ready in: 25 min


Servings
1 small pizza.  About 2-3 people.


Ingredients
1 roll of pizza dough
Your favorite spices
1 handful of mushrooms
1/4 of an onion
Couple handfuls of spinach leaves, about 8-10 leaves
6 cloves of garlic roughly minced
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Procedures
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Knead spices of choice into dough.
3. Cover dough and let rise for 10 min.
4. Stretch out dough on flat surface and slide onto heated pizza stone covered in cornmeal or greased pan.
5. Bake dough for 10 min.
6. While dough is baking saute onions, mushrooms, and spinach (add spinach towards end.

My beautiful helpers!

7. Remove dough from oven with pizza peel.
8. Brush dough with Olive Oil.

Oh yeah. Brush that dough. Brush it!

9. Lay out sauteed vegetables and sprinkle cheese on dough.

10. Slide pizza back onto stone or pan and bake for 10 more minutes.

11. Be gluttonous.

Food time face: The face of ecstasy 

Winter Pasta

Why do I call this winter pasta? -Good question.  Does it use winter ingredients? -No, not really.  Is it because it's white? -Do you call all white people winter people? -No you don't you racist.  Well then WHY THE %$^# IS IT CALLED WINTER PASTA!!? 

Don't hold your breath.  I'll tell you.

It's because this pasta will fortify you like no other.  What does fortify mean?  Well in this case I equate fortify to extra packing and added heartiness.  So basically this pasta is crazy thick and creamy and if you eat too much you will be well insulated that is for sure, but wonderful for a cold winter ;-)

Time
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes

Servings
6-8 servings, but you might want to make this last a lil further than normal

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (I sweat this is the last of it!)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup chopped parsley
12 large sage leaves chopped
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
7 cloves of garlic
1/2 large sweet onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
5 crimini mushrooms
4 stalks of Bok Choy
1 Tablespoon of cumin
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon cajun seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
However many noodles you want.  For this I did about 12 oz of garlic parsley noodles

*The cream makes this dish good, but super heavy.  If that is not your style I would advise just using 2%-whole milk with a McCormick four cheese alfredo packet.  If you use this keep everything the same, except use however much milk the packet says and don't add the cheese.*

Procedures
Get ready to be fortified.
1. Chop all ingredients  For this recipe, I prefer the peppers and onions to be cut into long slivers as opposed to diced.  Make sure to get the water boiling as well.
2. Saute onions, peppers, and 4 cloves of garlic together for a few minutes. Add some salt and pepper.

See long slivers

3. Add the mushrooms and Bok Choy.  Saute until desired tenderness.

This is the healthy part of the recipe

4.  Let be.  Turn heat to low and start working on the sauce.

*Before you start the sauce, make sure the pasta has just begun cooking*

For the sauce

1. Mix heavy cream and pumpkin puree.  Slowly heat to medium low heat. 

2. Add 3 cloves of garlic and butter.

3. Lightly, LIGHTLY saute parsley and sage leaves, then add to sauce.  

4. Add cumin, crushed red pepper, and cajun seasoning.  

Look at all that lovin right there

5. Pour sauce immediately over vegetables, and then pour immediately over pasta!

Yummy calories

You fortified now. Are you ready for winter? Are you prepared? CAN YOU TAKE IT? 

*Goes well with more carbs (bread) and a good wine*

Pumpkin Seed Pine Nut Pesto

This pesto is very good and full of health benefits from the pumpkin seeds.  Two key minerals and compounds in pumpkin seeds are magnesium and phytosterols.  1/2 a cup of pumpkin seeds (what is used in this recipe) contains roughly 90% of your daily magnesium.  Phytosterols have been linked to lowered LDL cholesterol and may even prevent prostate cancer for all you men looking to protect your junk out there.  This recipe uses half pumpkin seeds, half pine nuts, but if you have it, just use all pumpkin seeds.

Time
Prep Time: 10 min
Blend Time: A few minutes
Ready In: 15ish minutes


Servings
Approximately 1 1/2- 2 cups

Ingredients
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1 cup fresh basil
3/4 cup fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Procedures 
1. Combine nuts, garlic and cheese in food processor.  Pulse for about 30 seconds.  If you have a crappy processor like I do, I would advice pre-mashing the nuts with a mortar and pestle.

2. Add basil, parsley, and lemon.  Pulse for about 30 seconds.

3. Add 1/4 cup of oil and lightly pulse.  

4. And then make a monster sandwich or something crazy good.

My delightful sandwich! 

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Well this seems to be following the pumpkin trend!  If you have a large pumpkin still to use and want to opt for the non-healthy option, this recipe is for you.

Time
Prep Time: 5 min
Freeze Time: Until frozen, depends, on ice cream maker, but roughly 25min


Servings
Roughly 1 quart of ice cream

Ingredients
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
1/2 Tbs ground allspice

Procedures
1. In medium bowl, mix pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and allspice.
2. In larger bowl, mix half and half, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.
3. Pour liquid mixture into puree mixture and whisk.
4. After majority of bumps disappear, pour into ice cream mixture and follow manufacture instructions.

*Goes well with a white wine and over gingerbread cookies*

Squash Medley Sage Soup

If you guys haven't noticed, there seems to be a bit of a Thanksgiving theme here.  Yes, I know it's not the holidays anymore and, sigh, I can't relive the past.  I just have a lot of pumpkin and squash that need to be used to make something delicious.  I also need something to distract me from impending academic doom.  This recipe will not only teach you something about squash, but also about psychology.  Ever heard of the phenomenon "The Snowball effect?" also known as the "What the hell effect?"  Essentially this phenomena is when people face a set back/fail to adhere to guidelines laid out by the self and instead of striving to make it back to baseline, just say what the hell.  Prime example: Binge eating.  You are on a diet and impulsively eat 1/2 bag of potato chips during the super bowl.  After you finally notice the atrocity that you have committed, you decide "what the hell" and, instead of giving the bag to your friend to eat, you impulsively eat the whole thing.  I've decided to indulge in the what the hell effect and instead of thinking about my overcommitting, underachieving academic habits, I'm just not think about it, and instead, make delicious food with the aid of my lovely sous chef, Pegasus. This soup is a spicy savory soup with a rich blend of squashes.

Time
If you need to cook the squashes add an hr and a half to this time and cook squashes in a little bit of chicken broth at 375 for an hr and a half.

Prep Time: 20min
Cook Time: 25min
Ready In: 40min


Servings
8-10 servings

Ingredients
1/2 a medium onion
2 medium carrots
4 diced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of fresh shopped parsley 
3 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
2 bay leaves
1 butternut squash
1 acorn squash
1 cup hubbard squash puree 
1 cup pumpkin puree 
1 tbs of butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper 
1/4 cumin
1 carton of 32 oz of beef broth
2 cups of water
1/2 cup of half and half

Procedures 
1. Chop ingredients.
2. Mash/puree squashes together with butter and spices.

Last of the Hubbard!

3. Saute onions, garlic, carrots with 1 bay leaf.
4. Add chopped parsley and sage.

Team America f*#% yeah!

5. After a few minutes, remove from heat.
6. In a different pot mix broth, water and squash.  Add second bay leaf. Slowly bring to a boil.

The beginning of the end

Action shot

MMM!

7. Add skillet mixture and turn to low.

8. Mix in half and half.  Remove from heat.

10.  Remove bay leaves and puree soup in blender.

11.  Enjoy! 

Pumpkin Pomegranate Risotto

This Risotto is a lovely balance between sweet and savory.  Sweet enough to be interesting but savory enough to  serve as an entire meal.  Is delicious served over or in a pumpernickel  bowl.  Definitely use a short grain rice: see previous risotto recipes.  For this recipe I actually used a white short grained rice used to make sushi.  Remember the basic principle is to make a very saturated rice that sticks together.  This is done by continually adding liquids to the rice as it cooks for about 40-45min.

Time
Prep Time: 10min
Cook Time: 40 min
Ready In: 50 min


Servings
The recipe that I did makes A LOT.  I would recommend cutting it down.  But roughly the recipe below will make about 8-10 large servings.

Ingredients 
1/2 medium sweet onion
2 handfuls of cramini mushrooms (roughly 8 mushrooms)
3 cups of rice
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 red pear
Seeds from half a pomegranate
2 large handfuls of cherries (15 cherries) halved
1/2 of 32oz carton of chicken broth
2 cups sweet white cooking wine
1 cup lemonade
water as necessary
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
2 Tbs of butter
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 grated Piave cheese

Procedures
1. Chop all ingredients.
2. Saute onions and mushrooms.
3. Add 3 cups of rice and lightly brown.
4. Add 2 cups of warmed wine.  You want it to be warm rather than straight out of the fridge because if it's cold, it kinda shocks the rice and makes it more flaky, not turning out as well.

5. Add pumpkin puree and butter and mix around.
6. Continually add small increments (roughly 1 cup) of chicken broth and/or water as needed throughout the process as the rice absorbs liquid and as all other ingredients are added.
7. Add spices, chopped pear and pomegranate.
8. Add cherries.
9. Add cup of lemonade.
10. Add cheeses and remove from heat.

11.  Serve with bread and enjoy!

The lovely meal I had with my wonderful sous chef/photographer  Pegasus Moser

*Goes well with a full bodied red wine like Pinot Noir as well as pumpernickel bread*