The most amazing healthy dish ever!!

AMAAAAZZZZING!!!  This is seriously soooo good. I got the recipe from Nourished By Nature's facebook page & copied their picture as well because I am too lazy to download my pics from my camera..some blogger huh? Besides I need to figure out out to get the pink beet stain off my fingers!!  That was the only unenjoyable part.. roasting & peeling the beets.. wonder if it would compromise the flavor much to use canned? This picture looks like she used barley or something, which would prob be just as good but just as a forewarning my quinoa turned pink from the beets.. Im not sure if this is because they were still warm or what.. but none the less it seriously was delish warm but is now chilling in the fridge for quick salads for lunch.

Quinoa, Greens and Feta

Ingredients:
2 medium or 3 small beets (any color) roasted
1 cup kale or green of your choice(collards, chard, beet greens)
1 cup quinoa
...

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (may substitute 1 to 2 tablespoons walnut oil for 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1/2 cup broken walnut pieces
2 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (more if desired for garnish)
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, marjoram, chives, mint

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and the greens. Blanch for two minutes, and transfer to the ice water. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.

2. Bring the water back to a boil, and add the quinoaand cook as directed.

3. While the quinoa is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the vinegars, salt, garlic and mustard. Whisk in the oil(s). Add to the quinoa. Peel and dice the beets and add, along with the greens, feta or goat cheese, herbs and walnuts. Toss together, and serve warm or room temperature

Oven Roasted Bacon/Parm Potatoes

I copied this recipe straight off www.myadventuresinthecountry.com (hence the ridiculously long instructions). But it's worth all the heavy reading b/c it is really good..


1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb hickory smoked, thick sliced bacon
3 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper
fresh parsley

Directions:
Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot. Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered by 2-3 inches of water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. 
Meanwhile, partially freeze bacon for easier cutter. (Ten minutes in the freezer works well.) Slice bacon strips in half, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. I like to cut my bacon prior to cooking. It’s easier to work with in the skillet and easy to drain with slotted spoon.
Cook bacon in a skillet until golden, but still flexible. You don’t want it crunchy. Remove cooked bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the bacon drippings.
Check potatoes and if fork tender, drain and allow to cool. If making this recipe again, I would peel the potatoes before I boiled them or try leaving the skins on all-together. Yukon Golds have a relatively thin skin, so I think this would have added a nice look and texture to the potatoes.
While potatoes are cooling, preheat the oven to 425° and mince the garlic and parsley. Also, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Next, prepare the baking sheet by brushing 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half the bacon drippings on the bottom of the pan. I used a fairly large cookie sheet for this and it worked well.
Once the potatoes are cool, peel and cut in half, or quarter if potatoes are large.Place cut side down on prepared pan and sprinkle with course salt and fresh ground pepper. Place in 425° oven for 35-40 minutes. Rotate potatoes halfway through the baking time to ensure an even color. I did not do this and some of mine were more golden than others.
Reduce temperature to 375°, turn potatoes over and sprinkle with the bacon, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are evenly browned and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Makes 4-6 servings, depending on serving size. Serve immediately!

Chilled Avocado, Corn & Tomato Salad

Ok.. this is seriously HEAVENLY.. I think the word I initially used is sacred..lol.. b/c it is really that good & so very simple.

1 avocado, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 ears of corn, grilled
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Sauce:
1 squeezed lime
3 tbsp canola or olive oil
1 tbsp honey
s & p
1 clove garlic, pressed

Copycat Chili's Black Bean Soup

Well I dont have a pic for this soup b/c it didn't come out very well. The soup is so dark it just looks like a pot of black.. but man is it good. I personally think it was a bit too salty (and I didnt even add the 2 tsp salt) for how much beef bouillons it called for.. next time I will be cutting that amount in half. I also didnt thicken with the cornstarch & it didnt need it. This is great as is but even good served over a bed of jasmine rice :)
 
1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup yellow onion diced 1/4 cup carrots, diced (or buy bag shredded) 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced 4 beef bouillon cubes 1 cup boiling Water 1 1/2 quarts (3 pounds) canned black beans, not drained 2 tablespoons cooking sherry 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons garlic, granulated 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground 2 teaspoons chili powder 8 ounces smoked sausage, small dice 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons water

In a medium stock pot, place the olive oil, onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Saute the vegetables until they are tender. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the bouillon cubes, and allow to dissolve. Add the bouillon, cooked beans, and the remaining ingredients (except cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water) to sauteed vegetables. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook approximately 15 minutes. In a blender, puree 1 quart of the soup, and put back into the pot. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoon water. Add the cornstarch mix to the soup and bring to a boil for 1 minute.

Smashed Potatoes

My husband loves potatoes.. so anytime I can find a potato recipe it is a score because to me a potato is just a potato but not in his opinion! So here goes.. courtesy of Pinterest/Pioneerwomancooks.com

Ingredients

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste (I used fresh tarragon, parsley & basil)

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Best Steak Marinade EVER!!!

 Courtesy of Pinterest/Fit Chicks :

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes    
1 teaspoon ground pepper