Triple Power Grain Cereal

I am a cereal person — this is just something you should know about me, okay? When I first moved out on my own years ago, I was a firm believer that a bowl of cereal could make a balanced weeknight dinner or a perfect late night study snack. But, I must confess, it has been ages since I've bought any sort of cereal.  Since being more conscious about the food I buy and put into my body, I quickly realized the majority of cereals are mainly made of corn and not much else. Sure, there are great organic cereal options, but even a great deal of those have far too much sugar than I am comfortable with. Not to mention they can cost way too much to justify buying just to satisfy a simple cereal craving.

Well, I found myself a homemade cereal solution. I'd been contemplating different cereal recipes to make for a few weeks; I've been wanting something simple and quick to cook up in advance on the weekends to have for breakfast several times throughout the week. I paired some of my favorite flavors and foods together for this cereal. I don't really enjoy things that are really really sweet, so this cereal shies a bit there. Instead it is hearty and cinnamon spicy (but still a bit sweet from honey and coconut!) I then stumbled upon this simple recipe on The Beauty Department and I couldn't help throwing in some quinoa to mine too. This cereal features three awesome grains: oats, quinoa, and chia seeds. Your body and belly should love it! See the recipe below.



TRIPLE POWER GRAIN CEREAL | yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients                                           

+ 1 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
+ 1/2 cup quinoa
+ 1/4 cup chia seeds
+ 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
+ 1/4 cup shredded coconut
+ 2 tablespoons honey
+ 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
+ 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
+ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions                                         

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl combine the chia seeds and quinoa. Rinse the grains thoroughly and drain. Fill the bowl up with water to completely cover the grains and let the chia and quinoa soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain again after soaking. In a large bowl mix the oats, almonds, coconut, honey, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Fold in the drained quinoa chia mix with the other combined ingredients. Spread the cereal evenly into a greased baking pan and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.



My favorite part about this cereal is how much crunch it has. The almond bits, to me, are especially delicious. Because we soaked the quinoa and chia a bit before baking, everything clumps together nicely and this cereal makes a fantastic granola with some greek yogurt. It is equally delicious with some almond milk and fresh fruit. And, it never gets soggy! The chia seeds will soak up excess milk and leave the cereal super crunchy the entire time you're eating. Homemade cereal success.

Enjoy! Cheers to healthy, yummy cereal!
xx Emorie

Homemade Magic Shell 3 Ways

You can certainly tell that everyone around here is really enjoying this warm, spring weather. It must be written somewhere that the way to celebrate this changing season is to grill. Patios are getting their fair use, that's for sure. And I've smelt various forms of barbecue every night for days. For good reason to; the weather has been so kind to us. I had my windows open all day yesterday! I even got a little too warm just sitting a my desk in the afternoon, because it is back in a corner under a skylight. The high today is suppose to be 78 degrees! How did this happen?

Now, I enjoy a good old fashion barbecue (maybe just fish and veggie burgers, though) — don't get me wrong — I just choose to celebrate the settling of spring a little differently. With ice cream, of course! You can find me out on the patio every afternoon lately enjoying an affogato or some frozen greek yogurt. I do love ice cream season, but I sure hope spring drags out long this year; I'm certainly not looking forward to the summer heat. But, ice cream, you'll pull me through.

As I'll likely be eating this sweet treat daily for the next several months (you think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not) I like to have variety with ice cream or frozen yogurt. An obvious and simple way to get some variety with this dessert, when you've got a whole tub of the same flavor to enjoy, is to add different toppings and flavor combinations. I've always been a huge fan of shell toppings, probably because it nostalgically reminds me of getting dipped cones at DQ as a kid. Well, making a magic shell topping at home is a lot easier than you'd think! All you need is your topping choice and some coconut oil. You can even mix up a whole jar of topping and keep it in your pantry. But, I switch up what I want to top my ice cream with so often that I just make a bit every time I have a bowl.

See a few of my favorite magic shell creations/combinations below!



COCOA AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE | yield: one serving

Ingredients                                                         

+ a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt (I used Umpqua's Greek Blueberry)
+ a chocolate chip cookie (optional)
+ 2 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
+ 1 teaspoon coconut oil
+ a pinch of cinnamon

Method                                                              

In a microwave safe bowl, place the measured chocolate chips, coconut oil, and cinnamon. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, or until chocolate chips are completely melted. With a spoon, stir the melted mixture to thoroughly combine the oil with the other ingredients. Scoop out the ice cream into a bowl and spoon the magic shell topping over the top. Serve with a chocolate chip cookie.



VANILLA AND BLUEBERRIES | yield: one serving

Ingredients                                                         

+ a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt (I used Umpqua's Greek Blueberry)
+ a few frozen blueberries
+ 2 tablespoons vanilla chips
+ 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Method                                                              

This one is my absolute favorite! In a microwave safe bowl, place the measured vanilla chips, and coconut oil. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, or until vanilla chips are completely melted. With a spoon, stir the melted mixture to thoroughly combine the oil with the other ingredients. Scoop out the ice cream into a bowl and spoon the magic shell topping over the top. Serve with frozen blueberries.

CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER WITH FROZEN BANANA | yield: one serving

Ingredients                                                         

+ a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt (I used Umpqua's Chocolate Frozen Yogurt)
+ a few frozen banana slices (optional, slice before freezing)
+ 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
+ 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
+ 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Method                                                              

In a microwave safe bowl, place the measured chocolate chips, peanut butter, and coconut oil. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, or until chocolate chips are completely melted. With a spoon, stir the melted mixture to thoroughly combine the oil with the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Scoop out the ice cream into a bowl and spoon the magic shell topping over the top. Serve with frozen banana slices.

Yum. ALL HAIL ICE CREAM SEASON.
xx Emorie

Fiesta Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

This is one of those types of kitchen creations that comes about out of necessity. You know, like you look into your fridge and see big, red, very ripe bell peppers sitting there — they maybe are starting to wrinkle up a bit. And then you feel guilt, because you bought all those peppers with so many meals planned. Instead, the past weeks' dinners have consisted of a lot of frozen pizza and really simple pasta and salads topped with other dying produce. So, instead, you grab a cheese stick and shut the refrigerator door and forget about the sad peppers until you have to open it again.

By the middle of the week, I finally accepted the reality that I needed to use all of these peppers up before they went bad (and no one wants that to happen). I'd been thinking of using them for stuffed peppers ever since I saw that they were going to rot soon, but I kept telling myself that is was going to be a lot of work. Well, these quinoa stuffed peppers are super easy to make and even more delicious. They are a combination of almost all of my favorite things: quinoa, black beans, a hint of spicy, avocado, cilantro. Yes please. Despite what the poor lighting in these pictures might tell you (hey sometimes making dinner at 2:00 to have good lighting to photograph your meal just doesn't work with your schedule, you know?), these peppers will have your mouth watering the entire time they are baking.



FIESTA QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS | yield: 3 stuffed peppers

Ingredients                                            

3 bell peppers
2/3 cup of cooked quinoa (I cook mine in veggie broth for more flavor)
1/2 a can of black beans
1/2 a can of corn
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
fresh cilantro
avocado, sour cream, salsa, sriracha (optional)

Instructions                                           

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with foil.
2. Cut the tops of the peppers off and clean out any seeds.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, tomato, and onion.
4. Add to the mixture the chili powder, cumin, 1/2 of the grated cheese, some fresh cilantro, and a few squirts of sriracha (optional). Stir to thoroughly combine.
5. Place the peppers into the lined baking pan and fill each pepper full with the quinoa mixture. Stuff them as full as possible.
6. Top each pepper with some more cheddar cheese.
7. Place the peppers in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is pipping hot and the cheese in golden brown and crispy.
8. Top each pepper with some avocado slices, more fresh cilantro, sour cream, salsa, sriracha, etc.

Enjoy these stuffed peppers with a side salad and some chips and salsa. Yum!

 xx Emorie

Double Berry Smoothie

Something you should know about me: I am a habitual smoothie drinker. Smoothies, to me, are the perfect afternoon snack, quick breakfast, or even (gasp!) dessert. It is easy to combine simple ingredients that you likely have lying around needing to be used up, to create healthy and tasty drinks. Smoothies are my personal go-to for when that afternoon hunger hits. They're usually light enough that I'll still be hungry for dinner, yet substantial enough that I feel satisfied (and can wait a few more hours to start dinner). I'm just a smoothie kind of gal. The thicker and chunkier the better, am I right?

I thought it'd be fun to share my favorite smoothie with you. I think it is an utterly perfect and simple combination, and I have one almost daily. Is that sad and boring? Maybe. But delicious. Raspberries and blueberries go wonderfully together, balancing out eachothers' tartness and sweetness. Like a happy berry romance. Oats and greek yogurt give it some substance and protein, while the orange juice and cinnamon spice it all up, just a bit.

If sounds right up your alley, see the recipe below.



DOUBLE BERRY SMOOTHIE | yield: 2 servings

For the Smoothie                                                    

1 ripe banana
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup oats
2 heaping tablespoons honey greek yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk (more if needed)
a splash of orange juice
a dash of cinnamon

Instructions                                                             

+ Mash the banana a bit and place it in the blender first.
+ Measure out all other ingredients and place in the blender.
+ Blend until smooth.
+ Add more almond milk, if needed, little by little.



Enjoy!

xx Emorie

Balsamic Veggie and Couscous Salad

I can easily say that this salad is one of my all time favorite concoctions (and I have made quite a lot of yummy concoctions before). I thought of it/made it for the first time last week, and I've been craving it since. Warm salads are such a treat this time of year; they're a great way to get some fresh veggies and greens into your diet without sacrificing the comfort-food craving that has become oh so strong nearing the end of winter.

It may very well be one of my favorite concoctions because couscous is one of my favorite foods. Couscous is a great grain that is fluffy, delicious, and super simple and fast to make. I eat it often as a side, to fish and tofu, but this is the first time I have made it the center of a meal. While hunting for lunch ideas after an afternoon workout, I saw we had a few boxes of couscous in the pantry. I wasn't much in the mood to cook much of a full meal and was craving something more light and fresh; couscous salad it was! I kept things really simple by using the box mix of couscous to add instant flavor to salad. I paired the Near East wild mushroom & herb couscous mix with some grilled balsamic veggies and lots of spinach, which made a perfect combination. Feta cheese crumbles and fresh slices of tomato really set everything together.

See the full recipe below and give this warm, filling salad a try!



Balsamic Veggie and Couscous Salad
yield: 3 large servings or 5-6 starters/sides | adapted from this recipe

Ingredients                                                                                            

1 box couscous mix or 1 cup uncooked couscous
1 zucchini, sliced
2-3 large mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a small red onion, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions                                                                                           

1. Cook couscous according to instructions on the back of the box; cover and set aside. If not using a couscous box mix, bring two cups vegetable broth to boil, remove from heat stirring in one cup of couscous; cover and set aside.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the zucchini and red onion. Cook until vegetables are tender, then add in the mushroom.
3. Cook until all veggies are tender and start to turn golden. Add in the balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for another few minutes, until all flavors seem combined. Set aside.
4. Fluff the couscous thoroughly with a fork. Toss in a large bowl with the spinach leaves. Stir in the grilled balsamic vegetables and the feta cheese. Serve warm, topping each serving with a few fresh slices of tomato.



Simple and savory. Enjoy!
xx Emorie

Roasted Pepper and Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

When I contacted Gabrielle of Hippie Go Lucky about being apart of my new feature series, she also expressed the desire to put together a little recipe swap. And I, of course, immediately said yes please please please. We picked a theme: fall-type food (a pretty open and delicious theme selection), rounded up a few of our favorites, and sent them off to one another to try and then share on our blogs. I was most excited about this Sweet Potato Quinoa recipe she sent me and got right around to making it this weekend, and making it my own.

I made this Saturday for dinner and it was a big hit. Mostly, I'm just fairly proud of myself that I was even capable of functioning enough to make dinner on Saturday, let alone a pretty involved salad with numerous steps, because I was having one rather mighty Dr Who hang-over. The Day of the Doctor was like early Christmas, mostly because David Tennant. P.S. Did anyone else watch the Graham Norton show later (with Matt Smith & David Tennant as guests) and see his braid!? OHMYGOD. Anyway, it worked out in my favor because I could walk away from the kitchen a lot while things were roasting, and take a break while things were cooling, to catch more of the all day Dr Who madness.

I think this salad snapped me out of my craze (even if I watched more Who while eating it, shhh) because it was so good. Surprisingly delicious. Way better than I was anticipating. It is a little involved, but still easy, great for a Saturday dinner. The combination of flavors is completely perfect, the spicy honey lime dressing contrasting the smoky roasted peppers and the sweet potato. The feta and avocado are what really make this salad though, so try not to leave them out.



Roasted Pepper and Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
yield: serves 4 to 5 | adapted from this recipe

For the Salad                                                           

1 cup uncooked quinoa (will make 2 cups cooked)
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 large sweet potato, cubed
      + olive oil and a bit of salt for roasting
1 orange bell pepper
1 jalapeño pepper
1/4 of a large sweet onion, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 to 3 cups fresh spinach
a handful of chopped cilantro
avocado, sliced for topping

For the Dressing                                                     

1/4 cup olive oil
The juice from one lime
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons honey
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions                                                            

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Begin with roasting the peppers; they will take the longest (about 45 minutes). Place the jalapeño and bell pepper whole on a small foil lined baking sheet. Rotate the peppers (put a different side down on the pan) using a pair of tongs about every 10 minutes to insure even roasting.
3. In the mean time, chop the sweet potato into small cubes and toss them in a bowl with some olive oil and a few pinches of salt until all pieces are evenly coated. Place these on a separate foil-lined pan and throw them in the oven to roast when the peppers have about 20 minutes left.
4. Roast until the sweet potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes) and the peppers' skins have started to blacken, shrivel, and blister (about 45 minutes).
5. While the vegetables are roasting, cook the quinoa in the vegetable broth. When done, pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
6. While waiting for the peppers, potatoes, and quinoa to cool, whisk all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
7. When the peppers are cool to the touch, peel off the skin and remove the ribbing and seeds and chop into small pieces.
8. Toss the chopped onion, roasted potato cubes, the peppers, spinach, and the feta in the bowl with the quinoa. Pour in the dressing and give everything a good toss.
9. Top each serving with a garnish of cilantro and fresh avocado slices.



Enjoy!
xx Emorie