Tag Archives: Black pepper

Quinoa Burrito Bowl(s)

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I’m a pretty big fan of Qdoba and Chipotle’s burrito bowls. Not a big person for the whole burrito thing…but when you put all the yummy insides in a bowl, then you have my attention!

Don’t mind the funky editing..

Burrito bowls are one of the world’s easiest dishes to make. Swear. Like they practically show you how to do it at Chipotle and Qdoba. Not really any secret to it. Just like any other recipe, the ingredients that you put in it are what makes it the way it is.

So here is how I made mine, first I made a pretty big batch of quinoa. I cooked 1 cup raw quinoa in 2 cups of water, according to the package directions. Feel free to use rice or whatever you like in place of the quinoa. Once the quinoa was prepared, I actually put mine in a container in the fridge till I was ready to use it. Once I actually was making the full recipe, I added in a bunch of spices: cilantro, my spice mix, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. What can I say, I like it flavorful!

After I prepared the quinoa, I made sure my lettuce was all clean and chopped up and set that aside.

Then, I heated up about 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil and sautéed 1/4 of a small onion (chopped) and 1/4 bell pepper (cut into small strips) until onions were translucent and tender. Then I added in the corn and black beans and 2 Tablespoons of salsa. I mixed everything all around in the skillet for about a minute or two, then took it all off the heat.

I began the layering by having the quinoa in the bottom of my bowl, layered about 1/3 of the lettuce on top of the quinoa, layered 1/2 of the hot skillet mixture on top of the lettuce, placed another 1/3 of the lettuce on top of that, then the remaining 1/2 of the skillet mixture, the rest of the lettuce, and topped it off with a sprinkle of cheese and plop of salsa. “Plop” is the precise measurement.

I hope you all get the chance to try this soon, I loved it so much I had it 2 nights in a row! It’s a great way to use up some leftover rice or quinoa you have sitting in the fridge. I even made mine meatless (despite my love for chicken burrito bowls) and did not even miss the meat!! Happy Wednesday.

Quinoa Burrito Bowl(s)

(easily adjustable to make for more than one, just double, triple or whatever the amounts to make for your groupies)

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 Tablespoon taco seasoning (I used my recipe)

about 2-3 teaspoons chopped cilantro (I used this stuff that I found in the grocery store)

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 small onion, diced

1/4 bell pepper, cut into small strips

1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1-1 1/2 cups lettuce, chopped into small pieces

1/3 cup corn

1/4 cup black beans

3 Tablespoons salsa

2 Tablespoons shredded Mexican blend cheese

  1. Heat up cooked quinoa in a bowl, with spices plopped on top of the quinoa, in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds. Mix quinoa once heated with a fork to get spices fully incorporated into quinoa. Set aside.
  2. In a small skillet, heat up olive oil and sauté onion and bell pepper until onions are tender and translucent. Once you can tell the onions are done, add in the corn, black beans and 2 Tablespoons of salsa. Mix around and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Layer bowl starting with quinoa on the bottom, then about 1/2 cup lettuce, after that add half of the onion skillet mixture, top with about 1/2 cup lettuce, then add the remaining half of the onion skillet mixture, add the remaining lettuce, top with about 1 Tablespoon of salsa and a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Mix everything all together until fully mixed and enjoy!

Random Fact of the Day: Cleopatra was actually Greek, not Egyptian.

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Corn Chowder

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Do you wish that you had an accent? Do you have an awesome accent and are in denial about it and still want a new accent?

That’s how I feel we all are. Because if you think about it, I guess it sounds like we have an accent to someone from somewhere, but we don’t notice it because we’re surrounded by the same accent all the time! Deeeeep…

What got me thinking about accents was chowder. I made some corn chowder the other day (more about that later), and every time I hear or think of the word chowder, it seems like it should be said “choowwwwwdaaaaa”, like with a thick New England accent.

I’m glad we had this talk.

So here’s some corn chowdaaa for you, and all the great corn that is around now! Enjoy :)

Corn Chowder

6 ears of corn

2 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup bacon bits

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons thyme

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 basil leaf

scant 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 1/2 cups water

4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 Tablespoon white sugar

  1. Remove the husks and silk from the corn. One at a time, stand each ear of corn up in a large bowl and use a chef’s knife to cut the kernels from the corn. Then, hold the ear over a second bowl, and use a vegetable peeler to firmly scrap any remaining pulp from the cobs into the bowl. Repeat with the rest.
  2. Spread a clean cheese cloth over a medium bowl. Transfer the pulp to the towel, and then wrap the towel tightly around it and squeeze as much corn juice as possible into the bowl. Discard the pulp that’s left in the cloth.
  3. Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter. Let it melt, then add the onion, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cooke for about 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened and is just starting to brown at the edges. Add the flour and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly. Gradually add the water, keep stirring. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the corn kernels and potatoes. Bring the chowder to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
  4. Transfer a little less than 2 cups of the chowder and the basil leaf to a blender and puree until smooth. Stir the puree back into the dutch oven. Add the half-and-half then return the chowder to a simmer. Mix in the bacon bits. Turn off the heat and add the reserved corn juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and mix in the sugar. Enjoy!

Random Fact of the Day: Per capita, Canada has more doughnut shops than any other country.

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PaStA SaLaD

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So you may have noticed the change that has gone on around here since Easter/Lent being over. Treats and desserts galore.

I finally decided to make something that is acceptable for a meal, again. I decided to give pasta salad a go.

Now whenever I think of pasta salad I think of summertime and graduation parties. I happen to miss summertime really bad right now. I am beyond ready for summer.

However, I am not always a fan of the graduation parties. They can be fun for the first couple, then they just kind of become a thing where you get free food. It’s always the same people doing the same thing.

I should add something in here and that is that I’m pretty sure I have never ever had pasta salad at my house. Weird. I don’t know why. I mean, I’ve obviously ate it before…but we have like never actually made it. So here we go. Pasta salad. Pretty much one of the easiest, most adaptable recipes under the sun. Add what you want, take out the icky stuff, and you have bowl of yum. Hop onto the summer dreaming train and make some pasta salad ;)

Pasta Salad

(serves 4)

2 cups pasta (I used rotini, bow tie would be great as well)

2 teaspoons vinigarette-style salad dressing

2 teaspoons creamy (maybe ranch) style dressing

1 cup broccoli florets, cooked

1 cup corn, cooked

1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh thyme

  1. Cook pasta according to directions, al dente. Drain pasta when done and let dry on paper towels while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Combine the two types of salad dressing in a small bowl.
  3. Chop all veggies you will be using, make sure broccoli and corn are cooked (steamed). Place chopped onions, chopped celery, black beans, broccoli, corn, thyme, and pasta into a large bowl. Pour salad dressing mixture over top. Incorporate all ingredients together. If serving cold, place in fridge for up to an hour.

Random Fact of the Day: The Rolling Stones have had four of the top ten highest grossing North American tours since 1985.

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Baked Chicken Tenders

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Hi my name is Casey and now I make food you can actually eat for dinner.

About to go in the oven

This is something that I really have to get used to. I, personally, have no problem eating cookie dough and brownies every day. I totally would if I could. Anyways, I have talked about how I need to use more “balance” in my life on here (the blog) and so here I am. Balancing.

Fresh out of the oven

So balancing with chicken tenders is necessary because, well, like you know all those cookie recipes and bar recipes and stuff I usually make for you. I guess those aren’t acceptable to most people as “real food”. What is it then??…fake food!?

Can never have too many spices!

Anywhoo those yummy little recipes aren’t going away. As if I could ever totally give that up! Ceasing to make cookies would be like the end of the world. Oh gosh…I can’t even bear to think of it.

But back to “real food”. I made some chicken tenders. Three cheers for being in elementary school at heart! Well, these are actually healthy for you believe it or not. Uh huh, that’s right. Casey strikes again with some healthy stuff. But don’t tell anyone because they like would never guess these are low in fat and all. They’ll just think they’re eating some good ‘ol american chicken tenders.

Just like when I make my oven baked fries, I really played with spices here. You can add pretty much anything you want. In my opinion, you can never have a too flavorful piece of chicken. For mine, I used a bit of my spice mix, some Mrs. Dash seasoning, paprika, sage, thyme, ground black pepper, dried parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Baked Chicken Tenders

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders

about 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk (of course, regular will work as well)

1/2 cup coarsely crushed corn flakes

1/4 cup bread crumbs (If you used season bread crumbs, use less seasoning. I used plain panko bread crumbs, so I used quite a bit of seasoning)

1 Tablespoon onion powder*

1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder*

1 teaspoon sage*

1 teaspoon dried parsley*

1 Tablespoon paprika*

1 1/2 Tablespoons spice mix* (I used my Handy Rub recipe)

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil jelly roll pan with vegetable oil.
  2. Soak chicken tenders in buttermilk for 15 minutes in a bowl or shallow dish. If using a bowl, make sure the chicken tenders aren’t drowning in the buttermilk, they should just barely be covered and should be able to see the chicken poking out.
  3. Meanwhile, mix together the crushed corn flakes, bread crumbs, onion powder, sage, garlic powder, dried parsley, paprika, spice mix, and any other additional spices you would like in there. Pour into large plastic baggy and make sure they are all thoroughly combined.
  4. After 15 minutes of soaking, drain the chicken tenders and set on a plate. Place a few chicken tenders in plastic baggy and shake around until they are completely covered. Place on baking sheet and repeat process with remaining chicken tenders.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 4 minutes. Then flip each chicken tender and bake for 4 additional minutes, or until done and crispy. Enjoy!! :)

*NOTE: If you used seasoned bread crumbs, use less seasoning. If you used plain bread crumbs, use about the amount listed.

Random Fact of the Day: There’s an Obama Fried Chicken (OFC) in China.

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

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HA! I just realized my last post had some major issues going on. What the heck was I trying to say??? “There is nothing here, I’ll tell you that. Nothing, not a single ounce of that. “I’m still totally lost. Like what was going through my head? I’m guessing that I thought of something in my head that sounded witty, but then I forgot to actually type it. Then I tried to be funny. And instead I just confused a bunch of people. At least the pictures looked yummyIn case you didn’t know we describe pictures as edible objects around here now.  Hence the whole yummy picture thing up thereOn a completely different note, it really annoys me when people don’t hold the door open for youEspecially when they turn around and actually see you.  I mean they clearly know you’re gonna be going in or out the same place they are! I mean it’s totally understandable if they don’t happen to turn around or just have their hands full. Even being on the phone could be used as an excuse. But otherwise, it’s just plain rude. Today someone did that to me as I was walking into one of my classes. I was NOT in the mood for this, so I totally lashed out. I mean I went insane. Now this person just so happened to be in my next class, so I walked behind them the entire way. And you know what I did?

I did that annoying step on the back of their shoes thing. You know, where it feels like your shoes is about to fall off every time someone does it to you.

Yep, I showed them.

(In case you’re wondering… I know this isn’t totally insane. I just don’t really have it in me to do something to someone I have to face in class everyday twice a day for a semester. I don’t enjoy enemies, either.)Oh yeah, this pasta is SUPER tasty!!! you should make it :) hop to it, now!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

(adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

3 whole Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed

3 t. cajun spice mix, more to taste

1 lb. fettuccine

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1/2 whole large red onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 whole roma tomatoes, diced

2 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. white wine

1 c. heavy cream

cayenne pepper to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

salt to taste

chopped parsley, to taste

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!
  2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons cajun spice over chicken pieces (or more, if that’s what you like!) Toss around to coat.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on  a clean plate. Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.
  4. Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.
  5. With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3-5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken.
  6. Serve.

**This is one of those dishes that tastes even better the second day, so you can really get that sauce soaked in the noodles. If you want to serve it the same day, I recommend leaving enough time for the noodles to sit in the sauce for maximum flavor.

Fact of the Day: ”60 Minutes” on CBS is the only TV show to not have a theme song or music.

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