Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa') Stuffed Peppers - My 23 MONTH OLD ATE IT!

This is another fantastic recipe from Clean Eating Magazine.  Vegetarian, fast and easy to make, flavorful and very good for you with tons of protein and fiber.  It was so good that my daughter, who will be 2 next month, hammered some of the quinoa mixture!

Pesto Preparing to be Chopped



Fresh Red Bell Peppers

Quinoa Mixture Simmering

Mmmm....delicious!

A cheesing it up for the camera...

I love Quinoa!

ENJOY!

(Copied directly from Clean Eating Magazine, February 2011 Issue, page 76)

QUINOA-STUFFED PEPPERS

Serves 2.  Hands-on time: 30 minutes.  Total time: 45 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

STUFFED PEPPERS

• 2 bell peppers (any color), halved and seeded, stems intact
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 7 oz diced tomatoes, no salt added (I took a can of San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes and died them myself)
• 5 oz spinach
• 1 tbsp pine nuts

PESTO

• 2 cups basil or spinach (I used spinach)
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1 1/2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 1/2 tbsp EVOO (I used Light Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 pinch fresh black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• ONE: Prepare peppers: Preheat broiler to high.  Place bell peppers, skin-side-up, on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil.  Broil until bell peppers start to soften, about 10 minutes.
• TWO: Meanwhile, combine quinoa, broth and tomatoes in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.  Add handfuls of spinach to quinoa mixture and stir to combine.  Fill bell pepper halves with quinoa-spinach mixture, dividing evenly.
• THREE: Prepare pesto: add basil (or spinach), garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, oil, salt and pepper to a food processor (I used my blender) and pulse until finely chopped.  Add 2 to 2 tbsp water as needed to thin pesto, if desired.
• FOUR: Top stuffed peppers with pesto, dividing evenly, or serve on the side.  Sprinkle remaining pine nuts over stuffed peppers, dividing evenly.

Nutrients per serving (2 stuffed halves): Calories: 388, Total Fat: 18g, Sat. Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g, Carbs: 43 g, Fiber: 9g, Sugars: 7 g, Protein 14g, Sodium: 327 mg, Cholesterol: 4 mg

Couple of notes from me:

• I tripled this recipe because I wanted to share this with my mom and brother and also to have leftovers.  The leftovers were great.
• I also made extra of the quinoa mixture.  Even though it enlarges when it cooks, you will want extra.  Trust me.
• The quinoa mixture tends to be a tiny little bit bland without the pesto on top of it.  My husband put a little bit of Bragg's Amino Acids (think soy sauce) and it was very tasty.  But, since Bragg's is pure and 100% natural, it is a tad on the salty side, so dash it on with care, please.
• Preparing the peppers was a pain in the a**.  It was the most cumbersome part of the recipe.  I would recommend preparing them the day before if you are short on time.  You could also make the pesto the day before too.  We were dipping tortilla chips into it - it was so incredibly good.
• I will be making this again for sure!

SUPER BOWL 45 PICS

What a bummer.  We had such a good time in Dallas (eventhough it was a major cluster***k) despite the Steelers losing to the Packers.  It was a great football game, Big Ben ***t the bed, Aaron Rodgers played fantastic and we didn't really even deserve to come as close as we did.  Regardless, it was a fun weekend of boozing, playing Whirlyball and NOT eating clean!  Woops.  Was that out loud?

Enjoy the pics...

I Want to be a Recipe Tester for Clean Eating Magazine!

In the pages of CEM there are many, many delicious recipes.  Sometimes there will be a little picture of someone who "tested" the recipe at their home and then write into the magazine and tell them how it turned out, how long it took to make, etc.

I think that is so cool!  So I wrote this email to them last night to see if I could become a tester!  Wouldn't that be fun?!  I was being a little goofy...

Clean eating has changed my life!  Woo-hoo! 

My name is L, I am a 30-something wife to an amazing husband and father and the mother to two adorable and wild little girls (almost 2 and 3 1/2).  I started eating clean almost 1 year ago and have never felt or looked better.  My husband and I are both former college athletes.  We have been "fit" most of our lives.  But not as fit as we are today - that's because of the change to a clean eating lifestyle.

I love, love, love to cook and even started my own blog to keep my recipes in one place.  Also to inspire others, my friends and family, to see the benefits of eating clean.  I also love to inspire moms who think that their kids will only eat "kid" foods.  Such as chicken fingers, french fries, hot dogs, mac & cheese, etc.  NOT TRUE!  There is NO SUCH thing as kid foods!  Kids can and will eat all foods!  It is all about preparation and eating clean!  My friends about lose their $#@! when I tell them my girls eat flax seed on their muesli!  WHAT!?  (Don't get me wrong, my kids still struggle with eating right, but I try my darndest to give them healthy alternatives).

Anyhow - I love Clean Eating Magazine and use the recipes in it almost 2-3x/week.  I would love to be a recipe tester!  Plus I am pretty cute and would look really good on the pages your mag.  ;)  Wink, wink!

Am I hired or what?  :)  Love and clean eating forever and ever,

LM

May I Have Some Chocolate Milk, Please?

So my 3 1/2 year old has come to the realization that chocolate milk is yummy - much to my chagrin.  She is a very picky eater/drinker and I have learned to pick my battles.  She has never been a big juice kid.  She always drank milk and water until she decided to become 3 going on 13 and make her own decisions about what she will drink.

I started making her "chocolate milk" lately and she loves it!  Just don't let her or your kid see you making it. 

Try this alternative:

• Organic 2% milk
• 1/2 tbsp chocolate whey protein powder
• 1/2 tbsp sugar free Ovaltine hot chocolate mix
• dollop of agave nectar
• SHAKE WELL!  SERVE COLD!

Spiced Pork Tenderloin - With Lemony Pear and Cranberry Relish

Fresh, Clean Ingredients

Close-up of Relish

Spice Mixture



Browing the Pork



Finished product....so flavorful!


Holy crap.  This was sooooooooo good!  I have been talking about this dish since Tuesday when I first started preparing it.  When the latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine came to my house, I could not put it down.  M thought I was crazy - I kept moaning while I was reading through it.   :)   It is my favorite issue so far.  This dish is so easy, fast and VERY, VERY flavorful!  I served it alone but we did have a huge salad too.  Look at how much protein is in one serving - 26 GRAMS!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

(Copied directly from, Clean Eating Magazine, February 2011 Issue, page 43).  This is NOT an original recipe.

Serves 4.  Hands-on time: 12 minutes.  Total time: 32 minutes

Relishes are the new salsas!  They're a finely chopped blend of intensely flavored ingredients with a little acid (think citrus juices or vinegars) added in along with some heat, thanks to ginger, jalapeno or red pepper flakes.  Combine sweet, spicy and crunchy elements for texture, and you've got a new accompaniment to your favorite meats or seafood.


INGREDIENTS:

RELISH

• 1 firm large pear (8 oz.), halved, cored and diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (I left this out)
• 2 tbsp chopped dried cranberries
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• Zest 1 lemon (2 tsp grated rind)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 packets stevia (I used Agave Nectar instead)

PORK

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp safflower oil
• 1 lb pork tenderloin

INSTRUCTIONS:


ONE: Preheat oven to 425.  Prepare relish: Combine all relish ingredients in a small bowl and set aside to allow flavors to meld.

TWO: Prepare pork: In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, salt and black pepper.  Brush oil evenly over pork and sprinkle with cinnamon mixture.  Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat.  Brown pork for about 4 minutes, flip over and brown for about 3 more minutes.  Place pork on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until barely pink in the center.

THREE: Place pork on cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before thinly slicing.  Serve with relish on top of pork.

Nutrients per serving (3 oz pork and 1/3 cup relish): Calories: 232, Total Fat: 6 g, Carbs: 19 g, Fiber: 6 g, Sugars: 8 g, Protein: 26 g, Sodium: 195 mg, Cholesterol: 73 mg

I've got a feeling.....

PITTSBURGH'S GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!

We are at the airport on the way to Dallas! We are so excited! I will post again with some pictures! Until then...

HERE WE GO STEELERS......HERE WE GO!!!!!