C & C in the Kitchen: Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake

I was browsing Pinterest recently and pinned a recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod (if you don't know this site, it's worth visiting - she has great recipes). When it was time to plan our dinner for the week, I remembered the Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake and thought I'd give it a go.



 

This recipe is so easy AND delicious! Especially with some tortilla chips on the side. This would be a great Super Bowl dish or for casual entertaining for a large group. I'll definitely be making it again soon. 

Yield: Serves 8-10

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed,diced
1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 orange pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 cup corn frozen kernels
Juice of 1 small lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Toppings: Sliced green onions, avocado slices, sour cream, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
5.Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with toppings, if desired. Serve warm.

C & C in the Kitchen: Easy Weeknight Sweet Potato Carrot Curry Soup

Last night I modified a recipe from Dietitian on a Mission's reboot recipes for an easy weeknight meal. Both Dr. B and I loved it, and it's a quick fix for those nights when you just want to get something healthy on the table. And the bonus, there's leftovers for lunch the next day.

Sweet Potato Carrot Curry Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 bag organic carrots chopped (I used the multicolor organic carrots from Trader Joe's)
1 sweet potato chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 Tbsp curry powder
Pinch of cayenne (if you don't like spice, leave this out)
8 cloves garlic chopped
1 small piece ginger chopped (I used one frozen Trader Joe's cube)
1 can light coconut milk
4 cups (1 qt) veggie or chicken broth
salt and pepper

Instructions:
Saute all by the liquid ingredients in the coconut oil until soft, including curry. Add brother. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then put in blender until smooth. Add the coconut milk. Bring to a slight simmer for 10 minutes (add water if it's too thick). Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.

Enjoy!

C & C in the Kitchen: Easy Weeknight Frittata

Weeknight cooking is my least favorite thing. And I don't say that lightly. Thank the Lord for Blue Apron which has truly added years back onto my life in the last 10 months. But…they only provide us with three meals, leaving four days to either cook, eat out, or order take out. Last week we'd made all of our Blue Apron meals but were home for the night. I needed to use up some eggs that were at their prime along with some veggies. Enter the frittata. The frittata is an Italian egg-based dish that similar to an omelet or quiche (but without the crust). It roughly translates to "egg-cake." And you can pretty much put anything in it. Here's how to make a frittata. 

Ingredients

8 eggs (beat the eggs in a small bowl)

1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese (roughly)

1 cup diced peppers (roughly)

1 corn on the cob (cut off)

Handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half

2 tsp of basil (I used the frozen cubes from Trader Joe's)

1 tsp of Oregano

1 clove of garlic

*I wish I'd also had some onion and spinach to add

* You can add any ingredients you want - veggies, sausage, etc. - although I'd stick with a max of 3-4. 

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Heat olive oil in a pan until hot (I used my Le Creuset).

Add garlic and sauté until fragrant

Add the peppers (vegetables that take longer to cook) and sauté until soft

Add the corn and continue to cook

Add the tomatoes last (I don't' like mine too cooked)

Add in herbs and stir for 30 seconds

Evenly spread vegetables on the bottom of the pan, and cover with grated cheese until it melts slightly. Pour the eggs over top of the vegetables - continue cooking on the stove top until the egg cooks slightly around the edges

Transfer pan to oven for 10 minutes (you'll know when it's done by sticking a knife in the middle without having any egg run)

I stuck mine under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to slightly brown the top

Let cool for 5 minutes, cut, and serve!