Pizza Night

Phil and I made pizzas tonight. We were going to make two and have a "Pizza Off" but we decided it's more fun to collaborate and not compete. Well, I just have to say, I won. Fresh, local pork sausage, two whole heads of roasted garlic, mozzarella and a super thin, crunchy whole wheat crust. MMmmmmm. Phil made a mango, tomato, feta, basil pizza which was also awesome. And weird. Did I mention mangos? The basil was really awesome though, and the mango went surprisingly well with the tomato sauce base.

Chicken with Mango Salsa and Quinoa

Yum yum yum! Okay, this one was invented while Phil and I roaming around the co-op looking at fresh ingredients. The final product is incredible and when I was noshing on some this morning, Phil said, "That's good enough to serve in a resturant," which I emphatically agree with!

Investigating the bundle of basil.

Furiously chopping sweet onion.

Preparing the salsa.

Mango Salsa and Qunioa (Meat Optional)

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 1 16 oz can of butter beans (lima beans)
• 1 large mango
• 1 avocado
• Juice of 2 limes
• 6 cloves garlic 
• Bunch of fresh basil (or fresh coriander)
• Spicy peppers
• 2 tbls EVOO
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
• Chicken breast

1. Coarsely chop half of the onion and finely chop the garlic.  In a large skillet, on medium heat, toss onion, garlic and EVOO for 8-10 minutes.
2. Add quinoa and 1 cup water to the skillet.  Cover and let the mixture sit for about ten minutes, then add the tomatoes and butter beans.  Lower heat to low/simmer and cover for another ten to fifteen minutes.
3. Coarsely chop the remaining onion and the mango and avocado.  Finely chop a cup of basil and the peppers.  Toss all the ingredients together with lime juice and set aside.
4. Stir the quinoa mixture and season to taste with cayenne and cumin.  If the quinoa is not quite soft enough, add a couple tablespoons of lime juice and simmer for another five minutes.
5. Dish up the quinoa with mango salsa on top and finish with chicken breast if you like.  We bought a rotisserie chicken from Safeway to go with ours. Haha. 

The best part of this recipe is the leftovers. Chill all the ingredients and serve cold for an amazing lunch.  The flavors hold themselves more independently when chilled. Yum yum!

Spring is FINALLY here

It was warm two days in a row. I think spring is maybe here? Hold your breath, it might plummet below 35 degrees again. Phil and I spent the whole day around the house with the doors and windows wide open. I had a study group meet here this afternoon because it seemed prettier than the library and more comfortable in the living room. Kitty has been napping in the sun on the porch most of the afternoon next to the sweet peas. Hopefully there will be some to eat soon!

Answer to Riddle #1

Well, I never thought anyone would get it, but this morning Josh e.mailed me and said all he could think of was, "Yo-yo." That was the answer!!! Whooo hoooo Joji!!! Buh-gok.

Recipe: Curried Quinoa

Yum yum... Spicy curry quinoa. Super quick side dish or snack. Quinoa is an extremely healthy grain with lots of nutrients and fiber.  Google it!  Choose your curry powder as spicy (not not at all) as you like...

1 cup quinoa

1 cup water

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cloves chopped garlic

frozen veggies, I used corn and peas

1-2 tlbs of curry paste/powder/mixture of tumeric, spices, etc.

1-2 tlbs EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

• In a tight mesh strainer, rinse your quinoa in cold water. If the mesh isn't tight enough, you'll lose the quinoa down the drain!
• Heat up a medium skillet on medium heat with a bit of olive oil to coat the bottom.
• Add chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and toss until onions are soft and translucent.
• Add quinoa, water and curry. Mix well, then raise heat until boiling.
• Add vegetables, turn heat down to low and cover. Simmer for 15-18 minutes until water is absorbed. 
• Serve hot and enjoy! 

This would probably be really yummy with some shaved parmesan on top or maybe a dollop of sour cream.  You can also add some chunks of chicken, beef, tofu, or tempeh for a protein kick.

Riddle #1

Josh got me a really cool webcam for Christmas, and I just pulled it back out to play with it last night.  I made all these creepy videos of animal caricatures of myself telling jokes. Here's my first Riddle of the Week!

Mary Mary, quite contrary....

How does your garden grow?... with little radishes, all in a row!  

I bought a salad pack of mixed baby greens to plant a while back. I've been happily noshing on the greenery and enjoying the spicy mix, when all the sudden this morning, I noticed big red bulges coming out of the soil!!! Apparently some of my luscious greens were radish tops. Phil and I decided to pull 'em and put them with the salad.

Chicken Soup Sunday

This weekend....
Phil and I went to the coast for a beautiful day of beach combing. We had fish and chips in Waldport then took a very long, gravelly, sketch road back home through the Siuslaw Forest. The TT handled it like a champ.

Last night we went to a punk rock show at the Fox and Firkin. The Angries, our neighbor's band was entertaining and highly energetic. We were pleasantly surprised by their talent. Today we're laying low with the kittens next door and Alex, enjoying the 70 degree sunshine.
I threw a couple pounds of vegetables and herbs into my new stock pot (from Christmas!!!) with a chicken, and we're going to enjoy a homegrown, homestewed chicken noodle soup for dinner. Yum!

Beaver Freezer 2008

Hot off the presses, Jake just finished his race about 40 minutes ago and although many of them were too blurry to post, I did get a few good action shots of him. For those of you who don't know, the Beaver Freezer details are here.


Go to www.flickr.com/mollyelliott to see all of his shots!

Oh my...... Leafy greens!

YUM! Phil has been in town for a few weeks, and tonight I wanted to share with him one of my favorite recipes I picked up over the winter, but I couldn't find it on the internet again. That was probably good luck, because I ended up improvising instead and just tossing things in the pan until it wouldn't stir anymore without slopping food all over the stove.

Banzo Bean, Brown Rice Bru-haha:
1 16oz Can Garbanzo Beans
1.5 cups dry brown rice, cooked
1 package of whole grain tempeh
1/2 of a sweet onion chopped coarsly
9 cloves of garlic, finely chopped(maybe you want to use like 1 or 2???)
Greeeeeeens! (we used red kale, green collards, and green cabbage)
3 tbsp tahini
2 lemons
Soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
Extra virgin olive oil
Sesame Oil

Heat a large skillet on med-high and coat with a couple table spoons EVOO. Cut tempeh into bitesize pieces and cook until browned on all sides. Add garbanzo beans and onion to skillet. Toss and cook on medium heat until onions are soft and become translucent. Add cooked rice and toss for a minute or two, then add finely chopped greens and garlic. I put the kale and collards in at this point, but held off on the cabbage because I wanted a little more crunch. Stir frequently and cook for another five minutes. Add the cabbage if you're using it. In a bowl, stir together soy sauce, tamari and lemon juice. Stir until homogeneous. Remove skillet from heat and serve up right away. Add a couple dollops of tamari mixture on top and stir in. The heat will decrease the viscosity of the sauce and spread nicely into the rice and bean dish.

ENJOY!