Organic Brown Rice Pasta & Sun Dried Tomato Basil Chicken Sausage

So,

Sweet and Easy Pulled Pork

Tonight Rob and I had pulled pork tenderloin. I have to say that I cannot take credit for this recipe... Becca made it once and I was hooked and have made it a few times since. Here is what you need:

Ingredients:

Crockpot (Maxi-Matic MST-800V Elite Gourmet Large 8-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker, Stainless)
About 1 lb. of Pork Tenderloin
1/2-1 cup of Root Beer (Thomas Kemper Root Beer, 6pk)
1/4 cup Water
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce ( Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce - 2/40oz)

Get out your crockpot and turn it to high. Place your pork tenderloin into the crockpot (after washing and drying of course). Pour Root Beer into crock pot, pork tenderloin SHOULD NOT be covered (it will not look like enough liquid but it is). Add a little (1/4 cup max) water. Cover and let this cook on high for about 6 hours (no less than 5.5 hours). After 6 hours remove cover from crockpot and pour out excess Root Beer. Once Root Beer is gone, leave the tenderloin in the crockpot and pull it apart with a fork and knife. Once pulled apart, cover with some BBQ sauce (it should not be sopping wet with BBQ but also not dry... some where in the middle). Mix BBQ sauce so it is evenly combined with meat. That is it, it is that easy to have delicious pulled pork!

I served it in sandwich form on 100 calorie deli-flat bread. I think this is perfect bread for this sandwich because it is just enough bread, almost enough so you don't even notice it.... you can easily focus on the delicious flavor of the pork. We also both had a salad with the sandwich...baby romaine lettuce with red onions and Rob had tomato on his. Yummy yummy!

This is one of the easiest things to make and it comes out with so much flavor for doing so little!

Amazing Yogurt Parfait's

Recently for breakfast I have been obsessed with making homemade yogurt parfaits and bringing them into work for breakfast. Obviously in a yogurt parfait there are endless possibilities of ingredients you can add... fruit, nuts.. whatever you want! However... mine go a little something like this...

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (approx) pineapple, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 kiwi, chopped into bite sized pieces (1 kiwi for me is about 12 pieces)
4-6 blackberries
Low-fat Wallaby Organic Vanilla Yogurt
Granola ( I use either strawberry and cream or vanilla almond, both from Whole Foods), about 1/4 cup (Udi's Granola Sampler (Original, Cranberry, Vanilla, Hawaiian, Au Naturel, Banaberry), 13-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6))

All I do is take a container that has some depth and place half the fruit in the bottom of the container. Then cover the fruit with a little granola, about 1/8 cup. Then, take  6 oz yogurt (give or take 1 or 2 oz) and cover the fruit and granola. Afterwards, place the remaining fruit on top of the yogurt. Top with granola. Refrigerate for at least 15 (preferably 30-60 if you can wait) minutes before eating to let the juices from the fruit soak into the granola and soften it slightly.

Enjoy with a spoon. Most importantly... when you go to dig in, DO NOT mix it all up with the spoon...! Eat it in bites as is... you get the best flavor this way.

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Now, like I said before...you obviously can use any fruit you want. I personally recommend pineapple and kiwi because they are very juicy and pair nicely with the granola (I add the blackberries just for fun and great flavor).

I also recommend using a clear container (like this: GladWare Entree Containers with Lids, 5-Containers) to assemble this in because it looks so pretty! It is nice to be able to see the layers of what you are creating!

Be careful! This is very addicting! Enjoy!

Tuna Burgers with Garlic Olive Oil and Red Onion

Last night I was too tired to post the deliciousness that happened at dinner time so I will write about it now....

Now that the water crisis is behind us I can start cooking again however, yesterday I was still a little skeptical as to whether the water was safe to drink or cook with yet, so I did a semi-homemade kind of dinner and it was so yummy! I served up Tuna burgers with a side of asparagus!

This is what you need for the tuna burgers:

2 frozen tuna burgers ( I get mine from Whole Foods)
4 Slices of gluten free sandwich bread
Red Onion
Garlic Olive Oil (Olave Organic Garlic Olive Oil)
Butter

To cook the burgers:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is preheating, get a cookie sheet and cover it with aluminum foil. On top of the aluminum foil, place a metal rack with slits (like a sheet you use to cool cookies); spray lightly with cooking spray. Place your tuna burgers on top, place in oven-- cook for 6-8 minutes on each side. Once that is complete, remove tuna burgers from oven and finish the cooking process in a skillet (on medium heat with a little cooking spray) cooking approximately 1-2 minutes on each side so the burger brown slightly. Once cooked, remove from heat.

Toast gluten free sandwich bread in toaster oven (Breville BOV800XL The Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ). Once toasted, spread butter on one piece and garlic olive oil on the other. Place tuna burger in between. Serve with a nicely cut (not too thin), circle slice of red onion on the side (it makes the plate look pretty and tastes amazing on the burger!!). Enjoy!
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The gluten free sandwich bread definitely adds to the yummy-ness, the texture of the bread goes so nicely with the burger, I much prefer this over a regular burger bun.

This burger can be served with whatever you want on the side. Becca and I had oven roasted asparagus with a little pepper and sea salt (Alessi Coarse Sea Salt, 2.83-Ounce Grinders (Pack of 6)) and they went very nicely with the meal!

H2O oh no!

Well... since we have this H20 crisis going on here in our area, I probably will not be doing any cooking for the next few days.  Becca and I bought a bunch of premade food from Whole foods so we do not have to worry about cooking or cleaning since we cannot use the water.

Just wanted to give you all a reason as to why there will most likely be no new posts for the next few days. I did not want anyone to think that I had given up on this blog so soon!

Quick and Easy Chicken Chili

Well, it is time for recipe #2...
Tonight I made my quick and easy chicken chili (in a Crockpot), yum yum! This is a recipe me and my boyfriend, Rob, made up one day and it has turned into one of my favorites.. a weekly staple. The best part about this recipe is that it only takes about 15 minutes to get the ingredients mixed together (then it obviously needs to cook for a few hours after that...but at least the prep is easy!) leaving you plenty of time to relax, do chores, or go to the gym like I did... knowing that dinner was being cooked for me while I worked out and I would have delicious chili waiting for me when I got home!

The Ingredients:

1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Lb. Ground Chicken

1 Yellow Onion, diced

3 Cloves fresh minced garlic

1 Can of corn (optional), rinsed and drained
1 Lg. can of stewed tomatoes (with celery and peppers if you want, approx 20-25 oz) DO NOT DRAIN
8 oz Tomato sauce (approx)

All the following ingredients are approximate and to one's personal taste:
Chili Powder
Cumin
Pepper
Oregano
Garlic Powder


The Process:

First, start by getting out your Crockpot (Rival 5025WG 2-1/2-Quart Crockpot) and turning it on to high; add about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the Crockpot to begin heating.

Next, heat a skillet to medium heat, add about 1 Tb of olive oil (Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 51-Ounce Bottle) to the pan; add chicken and cook through. Once you cannot see anymore pink, add onions and sauté for about 3-5 minutes. While chicken and onions are cooking, add about 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp pepper and continue cooking. Just as you think the chicken and onions are done, add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute. Once cooked, add to Crockpot.

Then, add rinsed black beans, corn, tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes to Crockpot. Mix well. Finally, add approximately 2-3 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin (Simply Organic Cumin Seed Ground Certified Organic, 2.31 Ounce Containers (Pack of 3)), 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp oregano (OREGANO FRESHLY PACKED IN LARGE JARS, spices, herbs, seasonings) and 1/2 tsp garlic powder, mix well and cover Crockpot. Cook for at least 1.5 hours on high, best is to cook the chili for about 2 hours on high. After 1.5 hours, if the chili seems to dry, add a little bit more tomato sauce.

Once chili is cooked, serve in a bowl with a little shredded cheddar cheese on top. It can be served with a little rice as well... I tend to go back and forth between rice and no rice. Tonight I just ate the chili as is, with a little shredded cheese on top.

Clarification:

Sorry if this recipe is a little unclear, it is a personal creation and none of the spices are exact. If anyone reads this and thinks it is unclear, please do not hesitate to let me know. Hope you enjoy!

Quinoa with Sautéed Apples and Almonds

Here we go...

This is the first dish I am going to share with you, I have to admit I am pretty excited!! I found this recipe online last week and have to say I'm addicted! Quinoa is fairly new to me and this specific dish has made me fall in love with this fiber-packed grain.

The Ingredients:

1 cup Quinoa

2-4 Tsp. Olive Oil

1-2 small chopped yellow onions (approx 3/4 cup)

2-3 diced carrots (approx 3/4 cup)

1-2 minced garlic cloves ( always use fresh garlic)

2 cups organic vegetable broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon ( a couple dashes is what I did)

1 finely diced, unpeeled granny smith apple

3 TB slivered almonds

1/8 tsp black pepper

Let's Make it Happen:

The recipe says to thoroughly rinse the quinoa twice before using it by placing the quinoa in a fine sieve, then place the sieve in a large bowl. Cover the quinoa with water. Using your hands, rub grains together for 30 seconds; rinse and repeat, drain well. I DID NOT DO THIS! Perhaps it was the type of quinoa I used: Ancient Harvest Organic Quinoa, Traditional, 12-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12) , which comes already washed. 

Anyway...

Next, place about 1 tsp olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and carrots, sauté for about 3-4 minutes. After 3-4 minutes add garlic to the pan. Sauté for an additional 2-4 minutes (until onion and carrots are tender or begin to brown). Stir in the vegetable broth ( Pacific Natural Foods Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth, 32 Ounce Units (Pack of 12)), quinoa, salt and cinnamon (Simply Organic Cinnamon Ground Certified Organic, 2.45 Ounce Containers (Pack of 3)); bring to a boil. Cover it, reduce the heat to low (or medium low, depending on your stove), and simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove the mixture from heat; fluff with a fork; keep warm.

Then, heat approx 1 tsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add sliced apples to pan; sauté for approx 7 minutes or until apple begins to brown. Add apples, almonds and pepper to the quinoa mixture; toss to combine.

Make approximately 4 servings at about 258 calories per serving

NOW-- The recipe says to serve warm.. which when served warm it is delicious! So prepare to awaken your taste buds and dig in. However, if you have not scarfed down this entire mixture do not be alarmed... it tastes fabulous cold as well! What me and my roommate, Becca, do is make the recipe as listed above and portion it out into 4 servings (which is the amount it is intended to make). We each eat one serving with dinner (warm) and then bring the other serving to work the next day (and eat it cold). I make it sound like this is an every day occurrence...I am just saying what we did last week when I made it and what we will being doing tonight and tomorrow when I make it for dinner again in about 2 hours, YUMMY!




Now... What to cook with this as a meal is probably your next question? Last week when I made this delectable dish I cooked steak with it (at this moment I cannot remember what type of steak) and it made a great combo. The recipe suggests cooking it with chicken or pork however, tonight I am going to do a shrimp cocktail with it to keep it light. Delicious!