Trail Mix Balls

Chewy Balls of Goodness

Quinoa is all the rage. Amirite? It seems like everyone is a goddamn expert on the stuff and everyone was using it in everything before anyone else even knew what it was.

Whatever.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm nowhere near a quinoa pro. I second guess myself EVERY TIME I make the stuff. It's almost always either over or undercooked. Oh well. Practice makes perfect!

This recipe was originally called "Chocolate Chip Quinoa Trail Mix Balls". Not entirely sure why quinoa is in the name because A. you can't really see it B. you can't taste it C. the quinoa totally plays second fiddle to all of the other ingredients.

That said, these are pretty tasty and they are seriously FILLING. And you KNOW that means something coming from a fat kid. I made some altercations to the original recipe, though. I used desiccated coconut because that's what I had on hand - although desiccated coconut is pretty close to the unsweetened shredded kind - just quite a bit more dry. I doubled the oatmeal because it was just a little too wet (I blame that on my inability to cook quinoa like a boss) and doubled the peanut butter to assist in binding the ballage. Also, I wanted to use dried cranberries but settled for a mixed blend of dried sultanas, raisins and orange peel. Why? Because it was waaaaaay cheaper than dried cranberries. Mama didn't raise no fool.

They're super moist and flavorful and in my experience, get better the longer they sit. Today is day 3 and they taste fantastic.

These guys are great for snacks, breakfast "on the go" or a damn-close-to-guilt-free late night snicky snack. Nom nom nom.

Enjoy my slightly altered take on this great recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned or quick-cooking oats, dry

1/4 cup quinoa, dry + 3/4 cup water

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup dried fruit of your choice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt (optional)



1. Combine the quinoa and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes, until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Fluff and scoop quinoa into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add sunflower seeds, oats, dried fruit, and coconut to quinoa and mix well.

3. Bring honey to a simmer on the stove then stir in the vanilla extract and pour on top of nuts and seeds. Mix until well combined.

4. Let mixture cool before adding the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Mix well with your hands so the peanut butter is evenly dispersed but be careful not to melt the chocolate chips!

5. Using wet hands, gently roll mixture into golf ball-sized balls.
6. Place balls on a plate and sprinkle salt over the top (optional)

7. Chill for at least two hours until firm.


(in case you missed it up top, original recipe found here)

Mexican Style Shrimp Cocktail

Mexican Style Shrimp Cocktail

So back home in Tulsa, there is a Mexican restaurant called El Tequila. I LOVED El Tequila. If ever you're in the area, you MUST try the sopa de pollo, the burrito Cancun (a giant burrito BURSTING with grilled shrimp, onions, and peppers then topped with queso...dear God...) and the shrimp cocktail.

In case you couldn't tell - I. LOVE. SHRIMP. I could eat them all day, every day. That said...

I've been craving the El Tequila shrimp cocktail pretty hardcore for a while now so I tried to replicate it for dinner tonight and I must say, I came REALLY close! The only difference between the original and mine is that mine has some kick from the chili powder. This dish is great!

I paired it up with a mixed green salad - so simple and summery. It may be cold and wet outside but at least in my mouth it's summer!

Enjoy :)

Close Up!

Mexican Style Shrimp Cocktail

Ingredients:

14 ounces shrimp - cooked, peeled, and deveined
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
generous handful cilantro - chopped
1/2 red onion - diced
2 medium tomatoes - chopped
1 avocado - chopped

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the ketchup, water, honey, garlic powder, lemon/lime juice, and chili powder
2. Add cilantro, red onion, tomatoes and shrimp - mix well
3. Chill for an hour or so to allow the flavors to sink into the shrimp
4. Right before serving, mix in the chopped avocado. Serve over cold rice, noodles or salad!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas? Yes.

So this blog post is going to be boring because I'm pressed for time and I don't have any pictures and I'm too busy listening to Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" on repeat (why, yes, I am months behind the rest of the world, apparently)!

I've seen sour cream enchilada recipes floating around lately but they all require ingredients that I just cannot find here in Pembrokeshire - canned green chiles and various American sauces and such. So I had to go ahead and forge my own recipe and uh, not to toot my own horn but these are awesome *toot toot*

My biggest hang up were the chiles. The UK doesn't lack in chile availability but they're so freaking SPICY. Canned chiles are not the same as fresh/jarred jalapenos, no sir. So I had to figure out how to get that distinct canned green chile flavor using local ingredients.

I went to Lidl (pretty much the same thing as Aldi) and found giant red sweet peppers. Since they were only like 50p for two of them, I decided to give 'em a shot. They were perfect!

Not only are these enchiladas really delicious, I believe they also give you super powers - such as bravery. Why? Because last night there was a spider by my washing machine and I actually exterminated it MYSELF. That's so unlike me. I did scream a little bit but still.

Enjoy!

8 flour tortillas
2 cups of shredded, skinless chicken thighs - you could totally use breasts but thighs are king because they are delicious and CHEAP
2 red sweet peppers - roasted, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons low fat buttery spread - Yes, you can use butter but I didn't have that plus I totes wanted to keep this dish low fat (hahahahahaha...)
2 cups chicken broth - I used the ol' hot water bouillon cube method.
1 cup sour cream
Chile powder to taste

1.   Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C
2.   Spray 9x12 baking dish with oil
3.   Mix chicken, 1 cup of the cheese and half of the cilantro in a bowl 
4.   Melt fake butter in pot then add the three tablespoons of flour mix and continue cooking for about a minute or so
5.   Add the broth to the butter/flour mixture and whisk REALLY WELL. Lumps are NOT your friend. 
6.   When the sauce is thick, whisk in the sour cream, the remaining cilantro and all of the peppers. 
7.   Pour a little bit of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish
8.   Evenly distribute the chicken mixture amongst the tortillas then roll 'em up and line 'em up in the baking dish
9.   Pour all remaining sauce over the rolled up tortillas
10. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top
11. Sprinkle chile powder all over the top - as much or as little as you want. I used quite a bit.
12. Bake for about 20 minutes until bubbly, golden, and delicious!

Crazy Crispy Curry Chicken

Tonight I wanted chicken and I wanted it to be super crispy and I wanted it to be packed full of flavor, and I wanted it to be juicy because I didn't want to have to come up with a dip* (I'm having a SUPER lazy day). So this is what I came up with and I assure you that it is indeed crazy crispy, packed full of flavor, and perfectly juicy! Oh, and it's HEALTHY!

Enjoy!

Spectacular!!

Crazy Crispy Curry Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into strips

2 cups corn flakes - crushed

1 cup flour

2 eggs - scrambled

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. + 1/2 tsp. chilli powder (my chilli powder is REALLY spicy so I use sparingly but if your chilli powder doesn't pack as big a punch, go ahead and add more)

1 tbsp. + 1/2 tbsp. medium curry powder

a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F

2.  In one bowl scramble the eggs. In another bowl mix the flour with the 1/2 tsp. of chilli powder and 1/2 tbsp. of medium curry powder. In a third bowl, mix together the crushed corn flakes, salt, garlic powder, remaining tsp. chilli powder, remaining tbsp. curry powder, and ground black pepper.

3. Place a pan over medium heat and lightly spray with cooking oil.

4. Coat the chicken strips in flour, then the eggs and then in the corn flake mixture.

5. Place chicken in hot pan. Do not cook through - Just leave in the pan long enough to get a nice crisp golden coating on each side.

6. Place chicken strips on baking sheet and put in oven for 20-25 minutes (depending on how thick your strips are!)

*If you do want to pair this up with a dip it'd go really well with blue cheese dressing, ranch dressing or a mint yogurt sauce!

The Best Broccoli to Have Ever Been...

Dylan worked an early shift today which meant he'd be home in time for supper. I love it when he's home for dinner with me because that means I can make something super tasty that involves slightly more effort than peeling back some plastic cling film and setting the microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Broccoli Mountain

So for dinner tonight, I made mashed potatoes from scratch, a mixed pepper crusted pork loin, Yorkshire puddings, and the most delicious roasted broccoli I've ever managed to make EVER. So before we get down to the recipe, let me just talk about the other bits of the meal I made. The mashed potatoes were delicious but in a really horrifyingly sinful way. Why? Because I had a bit of cream leftover from last week and I didn't want it to go to waste so I mixed it into my potatoes. I know. I don't need it but holy shit, the potatoes are a force to be reckoned with! Yorkshire puddings are one of my favorite things about living in the UK. I realize that they are quite simple to make but I tend to shy away from baking and really, I can't tell the difference between a homemade Yorkshire pudding and a store bought one. I love that I can get a bag of 12 in the freezer section for like 40p. I love them so much. Mmm. So the pork is cool because it was on special offer at Lidl for £3.29 but then I found one that had a dented package so it was marked an additional 30% off. You betcha! I love a bargain!

Now onto this amazing broccoli and red pepper medley. It's the perfect blend of crunch and soft as well as sweet and savory. The florets were only slightly charred which added to the incredible taste and texture. Nom nom nom! I threw a bunch of stuff together so my measurements are going to be approximates. I'm sure it'll still taste AMAZING if you decide to replicate it. I am going to make this a LOT from here on out!

Roasted Broccoli and Red Bell Peppers

Seriously Delicious...

1 head of broccoli

1 bell pepper - doesn't matter what color but I like the contrast of red against green

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese

a few grinds of fresh black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F

2. Cut the florets off the head of broccoli - cut florets into smaller bite size pieces, if necessary

3. Chop the bell pepper into bite size chunks

4. Put the broccoli and bell pepper into a baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Mix to coat.

5. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, Parmesan cheese and black pepper over the broccoli and bell pepper. Mix to coat.

6. Place in oven for 30 minutes. Stir halfway through cook time. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get too charred!

7. Shove into pie hole.

A Little Taste of Home!

I've had this same Easter basket since I was a baby

So last week a package was delivered to our house . Inside was a basket full of awesome! My mom had sent me my Easter basket. Just the day before, I had made myself all weepy thinking about how this was going to be my first year without an Easter basket. Here in the UK they don't do baskets. They do eggs. Big hollow chocolate eggs filled with assorted candies. I much prefer Easter baskets! Anyway, my basket was full of Peeps, Starburst jelly beans, 2 chocolate bunnies, Hershey's chocolate eggs, Easter M&M's, coconut cream eggs, Cadbury creme eggs, Reese's Peanut Butter Bunnies, little toys, bobbleheads, a rubber duckie, a coloring book...and in the less "traditional" category, my mom also included a box of Hidden Valley Ranch mix and several packages of Knorr vegetable soup mix. I cannot even begin to tell you how unbelievably THRILLED I was! First of all, Starburst jelly beans are the BEST jelly beans EVER created. I wish I could find them in the UK. More importantly, I wish I could find bags of them in the UK that only contained the strawberry and grape flavored beans. Mmm...I tried to avoid them as long as possible. I think I made it about 24 hours before I opened the bag and devoured all of its contents. They are so addictive. They are like crack. Not that I've ever had crack, but whatever.

So aside from the jelly beans, I was most excited about the Knorr veggie soup mix. Surprise surprise, I can't find this here in the UK (I just checked Amazon and it's not available there, either. Booo). I can find Knorr cream of vegetable soup mix but that isn't the same thing. Dammit. For as long as I can remember my mom has used Knorr veg soup mix to make spinach dip for special occasions. Christmas, Thanksgiving, parties/get togethers and whenever my older brother would come visit from Massachusetts. This dip was ALWAYS included. I really missed it this year at Thanksgiving and Christmas to tell ya the truth. I'm thrilled to have 4 lovely packages at my disposal now! Well, 3...because I totally made spinach dip today. This dip is chock full of flavor and vegetable goodness. Dylan (my dear, sweet, wonderful husband) does NOT like vegetables. Like...at all. It's weird. He's a 28 year old man and he loathes them. I, on the other hand, cannot get enough. I am constantly trying to find ways to sneak them into his diet because he refuses to just eat them. I puree frozen mixed vegetables and chuck them into spaghetti sauce. I try to mix spinach and other various veggies into assorted pasta bakes and hope that he's just not in the mood to pick through it all to remove the offending tidbits, hahaha. I didn't think I would have to get so creative until we had children, but there we go. So yeah, I figured this would be a fool proof way to get Dylan to eat loads of spinach goodness. 

Spinach Dip Goodness

He tried it and liked it! Woohoo! The recipe for the spinach dip is on the back of the package (and can also be found here) but I altered it a bit based on what I did and didn't have on hand in my kitchen. I doubled the spinach because spinach rules, bell pepper replaced water chestnuts, Greek yogurt replaced sour cream and peas replaced green onions.

Here's my (slightly) altered recipe! Enjoy!

Spinach Dip

20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
1 small orange bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup frozen peas

Combine all ingredients and chill for as long as you can handle it. This is usually about half an hour for me, but trust me when I say it's so much better after a few hours!

My mom always serves this in a hollowed out bread bowl along with crudite, crackers and the bread from the bread bowl. I am eating mine with slices of cucumber and pretzels. Nom nom nom!