Chicken & Quinoa Casserole

I have started to really like the whole casserole concept. Anything that can come piping hot out of the oven, be considered a complete meal and be delicious really has a lot going for it. Before I was sold on casseroles, I imagined them all to be dated versions of what grandma used to make and not in a good way. I am relishing in the loveliness of left overs and casseroles can be made and eaten over several days. So if they are really delicious, I love how there is something great waiting for me each day for lunch with minimal effort. This recipe broke another stereotype of mine, that anything off a box or container could not possibly be very good. Wrong again. This super healthful and flavorful recipe was first spotted on the side of my chicken stock carton. It is adapted from Prevention magazine and I highly recommend it. It tastes a lot like Thanksgiving, but without the guilt. Which we will save for actual Thanksgiving.

Chicken & Quinoa Casserole 
serves 8

1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cremini (or white) mushrooms, thinly sliced
2/3 cup cup acorn squash, large dice (about one small squash)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups quinoa (look by the grains or pasta in your market)
2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cup reduced fat Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, saute onion in olive oil on medium high heat for 5 minutes or until translucent.

Add mushrooms, squash and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken, breaking into small pieced as it browns, about 5 minutes.

Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, stock and quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer ten minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and 1 cup of the cheese. Transfer ingredients from pan into 9 x 9 casserole dish or baking pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of casserole and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!
xo
Erin

Kale with Feta & Peppers

In an effort to mix up the usual vegetables around here, I bought kale for the first time. It sat in the fridge and stared and me for a few days as I tried to figure out what to do with it. After a long day and a glass of wine, I figured it was time to get after it. The entire recipe came from items I had on hand and although I can say kale is not best tasting vegetable on the planet, it certainly makes up for it by being super nutritious. Cook kale much like you do spinach if you have a favorite recipe. Since I like greens to have tons of flavor I added a lot of spice, but I included substitutes in case you prefer it mild.

Kale with Feta & Peppers
Forks & Amusement 2011
makes 4 sides

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 bunches kale, stems cut out, roughly chopped, washed, patted dry
salt and pepper
2 pickled cherry peppers, deseeded and sliced (use roasted red peppers if you don't like the heat)
1/3 cup crumbled feta

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant (do not burn!). Add the kale and cook, stirring and turning the leaves every minute or so, until cooked down and tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and the peppers. Toss to combine and heated through. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the feta on top.

Enjoy!
xo
Erin

Turkey Burgers with Grilled Avocado, Red Onion & Smoked Mozzarella

In an effort to keep things light in the house, I have been working on a turkey burger recipe since the weather warmed up. Turkey burgers can be unbelievably bland. If you have had one bursting with flavor in a restaurant, there is no doubt they have added some calorie laden ingredients to do so. I put together some simple ingredients to spice it up and decided to try grilling some avocados. Which by the way, are officially my new favorite way to prepare them. You could really use any cheese you like, but the smoked  mozzarella gives the turkey a bit more heft and some more of that BBQ flavor. I served it bun less because I forgot to get them, but feel free to pile it up on a whole wheat bun to keep it healthy.

Turkey Burgers with Grilled Avocado, Red Onion & Smoked Mozzarella
Forks & Amusement 2011
serves 4

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup bread crumbs
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
hot sauce to taste
3 scallions, trimmed and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lb ground turkey (I like to get half white and half dark if available)
1 avocado quartered and peeled
1/2 red onion sliced
olive oil
4 slices smoked mozzarella
8 hearts of romaine lettuce leaves

Heat grill or grill pan to medium high.

In a bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Be generous! Add the turkey and mix to combine well.

Brush avocado and onion with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill burgers until cooked through on both sides, about 15 minutes depending on grill. Place mozzarella slices on top for last 5 minutes.

While the burgers cook, grill the avocado and onion slices on all sides until they are tender and have deep grill marks.

Serve each burger on 2 lettuce leafs, top with an avocado quarter and a slice of onion.

Enjoy!
xo
Erin