Premeditated Leftovers
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Qunioa and Avocado Salad

We are going to be moving in a couple of months. We aren’t going far; we are buying a house a mile down the road from us. Whether moving a mile or moving across country, it is still a lot of work. Actually, some of our cross-country moves have been easier since my husband’s work has moved us.

I’ve decided to start thining the pantry ahead of our move. When I was digging around the pantry looking for inspiration, I found a couple of boxes of quinoa. I don’t know why I hadn’t used it. We all love the nutty flavor and it cooks in the same time it takes to cook pasta.

I made use of the avocados and tomatoes that I picked up on sale, some pantry staples (beans and olives), and lime juice and zest that I froze when limes were on sale.

Qunioa and Avocado Salad
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Recipe type: Salad
Author: Alea
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa (I used red quinoa)
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 1 3/4 cups cooked beans (or 15 oz. can – I used white beans)
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup olives, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • Dressing Ingredients:
  • juice and zest of two limes
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro ( or 1 tablespoon dried)
Directions
  1. Add quinoa and water to a large pot. Cook over a medium-high flame until it reaches a boil. Lower flame, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Place quinoa in the refrigerator to cool.
  3. Once the quinoa had cooled, add avocados, tomatoes, olives, and onions.
  4. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  5. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and veggies. Toss to coat.
  6. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator to keep cool until you do serve it.
Notes

Add time to let let the quinoa cool.

I serve this over a bed of greens.

For the next couple of months, I will be emphasizing fast and easy recipes because after packing, cleaning, and painting that is all I am up for cooking.

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Hearth and Soul Hop.

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Alea April 16, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips , 7 Comments

Chunky Pizza Sauce

Some pizzas require a sauce with a little pizzazz. A plain pizza sauce is fine when you are making a pepperoni pizza or a cheese pizza. But when you make something a little fancier like Chicken and Artichoke Pizza, you need a sauce that can hold its own against the other flavors. That is when I make a chunky pizza sauce.

Making your own pizza sauce is quick and easy. I usually make the pizza sauce while I’m baking the pizza crust.

If you are looking for a really flavorful sauce, but dont’ want it to be chunky, blend it to create a thick, but smoother pizza sauce. This recipe makes enough for one large pizza, double or triple the recipe if you are making several pizzas.

Chunky Pizza Sauce
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Recipe type: Sauce
Author: Alea
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Ingredients
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • dash pepper
Directions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot.
  2. Cook over a medium-high flame until it reaches a boil.
  3. Lower the flame and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Spread on pizza crust and prepare pizza according to directions.
Notes

For a smoother pizza sauce blend in a blender or with an immersion blender before spreading on pizza.

Related Posts:

Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Homemade Fresh Salsa

Frugal Diced Tomatoes without the Can or BPA

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Alea April 12, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips 2 Comments

Recipes Ideas to Use Up Leftover Chicken

Tonight I am sharing my Chicken Fricassee at $5 Dinners. It makes use of leftover chicken to create a fast and easy dinner for a busy night.

I like to roast a chicken on the weekend. It makes for an easy, delicious, and somewhat fancy family dinner. It also provides me with bones to make chicken broth and leftover meat to use in recipes through out the week. I rarely just reheat leftovers, instead I use them as a base to speed up dinner prep. Then I add layers of flavor to create a whole new meal. You won’t recognize Sunday’s chicken dinner when you use leftover chicken in these recipes:

Chicken and Artichoke Pizza

Asian Chicken and Rice Soup

Southwest Pasta Salad

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Curried Chicken Pasta Salad

Chicken and Mango Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

You will find more recipe ideas in this post that I wrote last year on Repurposing Leftover Chicken.

What is your favorite recipe for using up leftover chicken? Feel free to leave a link or recipe in the comments.

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Alea April 10, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips , 3 Comments

Chicken and Artichoke Pizza

For those of you who have picky children, take heart! Most of the ingredients, including the mushrooms and olives, were suggested by formerly picky eaters. I’m talking seriously picky eaters! So picky, I could count the foods they would eat on my hands. So picky that I packed a cooler of food they would eat whenever we visited friends or family. So picky that I seriously wondered what I had done wrong to create such picky eaters.

I had one rule that I stuck to during those trying years: I asked my children to taste the food I cooked, even the food they were sure they tried a month before and hated. By try, I don’t mean eat. I realized that taking a whole bite might have been too much for them, so I let them just stick their tongue to it and taste it. Tastes led to bites often enough that I didn’t escalate my food trying rules. Occasionally, I let a sniff satisfy the taste test if the child was convinced that the item was too horrid to taste. Slowly, they added more food to their diet. And at some point they started acquiring new foods at an exponential rate. I still remember the day I was in the produce section of our store and my oldest son announced everything smelled so good, he wanted me to buy one of everything.

I used my Slightly Healthier Gluten-Free Garlic and Herb Pizza Crust and my Chunky Pizza Sauce recipe. My oldest son’s reaction to dairy has become a lot more extreme, so I sprinkled a little Daiya Dairy-free (and soy-free) Mozzarella on the top, but feel free to smother it if you can. To compensate for the  minimal cheese, I tossed the meat and veggies in Italian dressing to add more flavor.

Even though this has some exotic ingredients, I was able to keep the price down by taking advantage of sales and using small amounts on the pizza. I also saved money by using frozen artichoke hearts.

Chicken and Artichoke Pizza
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Recipe type: Main
Author: Alea
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • enough pizza dough for a large pizza
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 3/4 cup cooked chicken, diced
  • 3/4 cup artichokes hearts
  • 1/4 cup mushrooms, diced
  • 1/4 cup olives, diced
  • 2 tablespoons Italian dressing
  • cheese (optional)
Directions
  1. Prepare pizza dough according to directions.
  2. While pizza crust is cooking, combine chicken and vegetables in a bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat.
  3. Spread pizza sauce over the pizza crust.
  4. Top with chicken and vegetables.
  5. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
  6. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

I only got one piece. :( In the interest of full disclosure I should tell you that my 5 year old took one look at it and said, I’m only eating the sauce and the cheese. One taste at a time and pretty soon he will be begging for seconds or even thirds like his big brother. :)

Related Post:

Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Broccoli

This post is linked to $5 Dinner Challenge, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, and Hearth and Soul Hop.

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Alea April 9, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips 7 Comments

Broiled Catfish with Artichokes and Tomatoes

It has taken me a while to appreciate fish, but I have come to love mild fish like Catfish and Mahi Mahi and I’m learning to enjoy more flavorful fish like Salmon. There is one thing I have always liked about fish:  You can cook it in under 10 minutes in the broiler. Fish is the ultimate fast food; you can’t even prepare pizza out of a box in the time it takes to make fish.

Last week, I had a horrid virus. No matter what I did I just couldn’t shake the fever. At one point I was shivering so violently that I wondered if it qualified as exercise. ;) My husband did most of the cooking, so the kids ate waffles on more than one occasion.

When I started to feel better and ventured back into the kitchen, I kept it simple and prepared Broiled Catfish with Artichokes and Tomatoes. I used frozen artichoke hearts and frozen diced tomatoes, so it cut down on the amount of prep work.

Broiled Catfish with Artichokes and tomatoes
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Main
Author: Alea
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. catfish
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups artichokes heart
  • 1 3/4 cups diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • pinch of salt
  • dash of pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat broiler. Line broiling pan with foil.
  2. Place fish on broiling pan. Broil on each side for 3 -4 minute or until it is cooked through.
  3. While the fish is broiling, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 3 minutes.
  4. Add artichokes, tomatoes, vinegar, honey and spices. cook over medium high heat for 4 -5 minutes or until the veggies are heated through.
  5. Place catfish on dinner plate and top with artichoke and tomato mixture. Serve immediately.

I served this with a garden salad and leftover Roasted Asparagus with Dijon Dressing.

Related Posts:

Lemon Basil Catfish

Pecan Crusted Ruffy

White Ruffy in Ginger Teriyaki Sauce

This recipe is shared with the Hearth and Soul Hop,  Full Plate Thursday, and Foodie Friday.

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Alea April 4, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips , 2 Comments

Menu Plan – Week of April 2nd

 

I will be using leftover spaghetti sauce to make this Spaghetti Squash Pie.

Monday -Spaghetti with Easy Homemade spaghetti Sauce and Garden Salad

Tuesday – Herbed Pork Roast, Roast Carrots with Fennel, Savory Mashed Potatoes with Cauliflower and Celeriac

Wednesday -Cream of Caramelized Onion and Cauliflower Soup and Garden Salad

Thursday -Use leftover spaghetti sauce to make Spaghetti Squash Pie. Serve with a garden salad.

Friday -Salmon Florentine and Roasted Asparagus and Orange Salad

Saturday – Use leftover pork roast to make Pulled Pork. Serve with a  Strawberry and Spinach Salad

What are you serving this week?

Alea April 2, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips , 2 Comments

Roasted Asparagus with Dijon Dressing

This asparagus recipe is “knock your socks off” delicious! Seriously, even people who think they don’t like asparagus, like this roasted asparagus with dijon dressing.

This is also an easy way to cook several pounds of asparagus at once, which is nice for dinner parties. It is also handy to have a recipe that calls for several pounds of asparagus if you went a little crazy when it was on sale for 99 cents a pound. :)

Roasted Asparagus with Dijon Dressing
4.8 from 6 reviews
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Recipe type: Side Dish
Author: Alea
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 2 – 3 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 – 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • Dressing Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place asparagus in a 13×9 baking dish.
  3. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over asparagus, Sprinkle minced garlic over the asparagus and turn asparagus to coat.
  4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender.
  5. While the asparagus is roasting, combine the dressing ingredients.
  6. Once the asparagus is tender, remove from oven. Drizzle dressing over the asparagus and turn to coat.
  7. Serve immediately.

Related Posts:

Pasta Alfredo with Asparagus

Asparagus and Pasta Salad

This recipe is linked to Delicious Dish Tuesday,  Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday.

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Alea March 28, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips 13 Comments

Recipes Using Alfredo Sauce

Today I am sharing my Pasta Alfredo Casserole recipe at $5 Dinners. My daughter requested that I create this casserole because it would be eaier to transport in her lunches and eat at school than my other recipes with Alfredo sauce. Here are a few other delicious recipes that use alfredo sauce:

Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Broccoli

Pasta Alfredo with Vegetables

Pasta Alfredo with Asparagus

What is your favorite way to prepare dishes with Alfredo Sauce?

Disclosure: I am a contributing writer for $5 Dinners.

Alea March 27, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips 1 Comment

Black Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Avocado


This is my fast and easy “oops I forgot to start dinner and now my starving family is looking at me expectantly” recipe. This salad comes together in under 10 minutes. The combination of beans and avocado make it quite filling despite the fact that it is a meatless dish. It is also a very flexible recipe. I used cherry tomatoes and cauliflower in the salad, but fresh diced tomatoes and broccoli would work just as well.

The dressing uses lime juice which have been on sale recently.  I have also used this frugal tip for freezing the juice and zest of the limes so we can enjoy the limes later.

Black Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Avocado
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Salad
Author: Alea
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Serves: 4 – 6
Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans (or 1 – 15 oz. can, drained)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 2 cups cauliflower, chopped
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, shredded (or 2 tablespoons dried)
  • juice and zest of one lime
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons honey (or sugar)
Directions
  1. Place beans, tomatoes, avocado, cauliflower, and onion in a glass bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, combine lime juice and zest, oil, sugar, and cilantro.
  3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir to mix.
  4. Serve immediately or make ahead and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

I like to serve the bean salad over a bed of greens. The dressing from the bean salad seeps down and coats the greens.

Do you have a fast and easy dish that you can put on the table in 10 minutes?

I’m sharing this recipe with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday and the Hearth and Soul Hop.

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Alea March 26, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips , , 8 Comments

Asparagus and Pasta Salad

I live in the high desert where the physical signs of spring do not show up until it is nearly summer. So I look for signs of spring in other places. Seeing asparagus on sale for 99 cents a pound reassures me that spring has arrived for our neighbors to the west in California and will eventually make it to our area.

Since asparagus was on sale for 99 cents a pound, I indulged and bought  6 pounds last week. My mass asparagus purchase came the day before my oven died, so I decided to use some of it in a pasta salad that could be quickly and easily be prepared on the the stove top.

The dressing on this salad is not a traditional dressing that you would want to use on a regular salad. On its own it is somewhat bland. It is intended to subtly enhance the flavors of the vegetables in the salad without over powering them.

Asparagus and Pasta Salad
5.0 from 2 reviews
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Recipe type: Salad
Author: Alea
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 16 oz. pasta (I use brown rice pasta to make this gluten-free)
  • 2 lbs. asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 16 oz. can olives
  • 1 sweet pepper, diced
  • Dressing Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
  • pinch of salt
  • dash pepper
Directions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Steam asparagus in a double boiler for 6 – 8 minutes or until asparagus is tender.
  3. While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
  4. When the pasta is al dente, drain the water and rinse the pasta under cold water until the pasta is cool. When the asparagus is fork tender, remove it from the flame and let it sit to cool.
  5. Place the pasta in a large bowl. Add asparagus, olives, and peppers. Drizzle dressing over the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat thoroughly.
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Toss again before serving.

My daughter arrived home after a long day of school and work and was so hungry she dove into the salad while it was still warm. She was quite effusive in her praise, but starving college students are lavish in their praise of any home-cooked meal. I preferred the salad after it had chilled in the refrigerator and the flavors had time to mingle.

This recipe is shared with $5 Dinner Challenge,  Full Plate Thursday and Delicious Dish Tuesday, hosted by Coping with Frugality, Full Time Mama, and Mama Chocolate.

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Alea March 21, 2012 Featured, recipes and cooking tips , 10 Comments
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