Havana Quinoa Salad

 Did you know quinoa is loaded with protein? It's actually a seed that is jam-packed with all of the amino acids of meat, but cooks up super fluffy like rice. That was news to me! Since I learned that awesome info, I've been looking for ways to use quinoa in tasty family meals.  Here is a quinoa-chicken salad that tastes something like a punchy tabouli or pasta salad. It is super fresh and summery and your family won't have a clue how many healthy veggies you just snuck in on them!

What you will need: (serves 4)

1 chicken breast

1 T Havana Cuban Inspired Seasoning

1 C quinoa (uncooked)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

4 C fresh baby spinach and/or kale

1 C cilantro

1 C mint leaves

3 green onions (sliced)

1/3 C black olives - halved

1 yellow bell pepper - cut into small pieces

1/2 C cherry tomatoes - halved

juice from 2 limes

1 T red wine vinegar

1/3 C olive oil

1/2 C crumbled queso fresco

salt/pepper to taste

Get the quinoa cooking. It cooks just like rice. 1 C quinoa + 2 C water in a rice cooker or pot with a lid. Gently boil for 20 minutes until the water has absorbed.

Meanwhile, cut the chicken into slices and coat with Havana Seasoning.  Saute' in a little oil until cooked - shred or cut it up a bit and set it aside.

Throw your spinach, cilantro, mint, and red pepper flakes into a food processor and pulse until it is all finely chopped together. Toss this mixture into a large bowl along with the lime juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Add the chicken, olives, peppers, onions, and tomatoes to the bowl. 

Put the cooked quinoa in a strainer and rinse it under cold water.  Drain it well and add it to the bowl. 

Now give it all a good toss together and add salt/black pepper to taste.  Top it with the crumbled queso fresco and enjoy!

*To make this dish deliciously vegetarian, omit the chicken and add 1 T of Havana Seasoning to the lime juice instead!

Super yummy, frenchy, easy chicken -pot-pie

Super yummy, frenchy, easy chicken -pot-pie

Ma oui! Country french cuisine is not as fussy and difficult as they would have you believe.  Here's a recipe for a very elegant chicken pie that will come together in a snap.

What you will need:

2 C cooked chicken (I use what's left over of a roasted chicken from the night before)

5 green onions or 1 leek

2 C sliced button mushrooms (par-boiled potatoes can also be used if your crew isn't fond of mushrooms)

2 T sour cream

1 T flour

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 T 'the bird' spice mix

1 C chicken or vegetable broth

salt/pepper

olive oil/butter

roll-out pie crust

Saute' the chicken, green onions, mushrooms, and seasoning in a few tablespoons of butter and/or olive oil over medium heat.

Stir in the sour cream, flour, mustard.

Add the broth and simmer together for about 5 minutes.

Check the taste for salt/pepper and add more if you'd like.

Pour the mixture into an oven-safe baking dish and cover with a rolled out, pre-made pie crust.

Cut a few vents into the top of the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

I like to stuff a few fresh herbs into the vent for added aromatics, but that's totally optional. I also never, ever do an egg wash on the crust, but it does make the crust nice and shiny if you want to take that extra step.

Voila! 

If you want to bump up the veg, you can add some thawed, frozen veggies of your liking to the pie at the saute' stage, or replace the meat with them altogether!

Spiced Shakerato

Spiced Shakerato

I love watching Italian cooking shows. Their kitchen and food philosophies are so similar to my own, and I primarily learned to cook from Italian chefs. Here's a Tuscan favorite I learned for a summer time heat-beater and afternoon pick-me-up with my spicy twist. 

What you will need per person:

6 oz brewed espresso

1 tsp of your favorite spiced sugar (try Mayan Mocha!)

2 bowls, a whisk, ice, and a cocktail shaker

Stir the sugar into the warm espresso in a small bowl.

Place the small bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice and whisk the espresso until it cools completely.

Pour the cooled espresso into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Now make your kid shake it -

- and shake it.

Pour the cold, spiced coffee down the side of a small glass, preserving the foam. Buon divertimento!

Chicken and White Yam Chili

I'm always looking to re-invent a classic dish to make it more interesting. This lighter, healthier version of chili uses ground chicken and white yams and was a hit with the kids. White yams are starchier and less sweet than a typical sweet potato, so they pair wonderfully with the chicken without taking over or getting mushy.  They also act as a healthy filler so you can use less meat if you want and sneak more veggies in your meal.  If you can't find white yams, a regular baking potato will work just fine, although the flavor of the dish will change.



What you will need:
2 lbs ground white chicken
1 white yam - pealed and cut into small cubes
2 carrots - pealed and cut into small cubes
2 T tomato paste
1/3 C Texas Chili Mix
4 C chicken broth
olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
chopped parsley/cilantro for garnish

Directions (serves 6):
Brown the ground chicken in a little olive oil in a large pot. Season with salt/pepper.  Add the tomato paste to the chicken and stir together for a minute or two.  Add the Chili Mix and stir together for a minute or two. Add the yams and carrots and stir together for a minute or two. (By adding these ingredients one at at time and allowing them to saute' a bit, you provide an opportunity for richer layers of flavor to develop). Add the chicken broth, stir, cover, and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and/or cilantro. Yummy!

*Note: for a naughty twist to your healthy chili - render the fat from a piece of bacon and use it with the olive oil in browning the chicken. This adds a smoky richness that you really can't get any other way.

Italian Ribbon Cookies - with Signature Spiced Sugar

Crostoli are beautiful fried ribbon cookies that Italians religiously serve at weddings and holidays. They are most associated with the celebrations that precede Easter. While traditional Crostoli are made with fresh citrus zest and rum or brandy, I found an easier way to whip them up! Our Signature Spiced Sugar has lemon and orange zest in it already plus warm spices like cinnamon and clove, which mimic the flavors of dark rum. Here's how it goes….

What you will need:
6 T very soft butter
1/3 C Signature Spiced Sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C milk
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
6 C vegetable oil for frying
powdered sugar for garnishing

Blend the butter, sugar, and salt in a processor. Add the milk, egg, and yolk and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour and process until a dough comes together. Form dough into a ball and transfer into some plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes (if it is too sticky to transfer, knead in a little more flour as needed).
Cut the chilled dough in half and work with one half at a time. Roll the dough out into a 16" square(ish) shape and cut it into 10 ribbon strips. Cut the strips in half lenth-wise. Place your ribbons on a parchment-lined sheet pan to save to the side. Repeat with your other half of dough. If you want to be Italian and fancy, tie each ribbon in a simple knot in the center.
Heat 2" of oil in a pan over med heat until it reaches 350 degrees (frying temp).  Fry up 10 ribbons at a time - flipping to brown on both sides. When they are crisp and golden all over, remove them from the oil with tongs and drain them on paper towels.  
To serve, pile them on a plate and dust them with powdered sugar!

Honey Apple Spice Cake - with Gingerbread Sugar

This beautiful, fall cake makes a wonderful dessert, brunch, or breakfast item. Try serving it with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or all by itself!

What you will need:
2 apples - pealed, cored, and thinly sliced 
1 C Gingerbread Sugar
3 C cake flour (can sub regular white flour if needed)
1 T baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C vegetable or coconut oil
1 C honey
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C warm coffee
1/2 C apple cider

Optional (but not really): 2 T Spice Cake Sugar, extra apple slices, 3 T oil for frying

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. lightly grease a 9" baking tin and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Mix the apple slices in a bowl with 3 T of the Gingerbread Sugar and set aside. Combine the remaining Gingerbread Sugar with all other dry ingredients. Add half of the honey, the oil, eggs, vanilla, coffee, and cider and mix well.  Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of your pan. Layer with half of the apples. Top the apples with another 1/3 of the batter, followed by the rest of the apples and last 1/3 of the batter. Bake the cake for one hour, r until a skewer comes out clean. Straight out of the oven, drizzle with the remaining honey. Top with fried apple slices.

Fried apple slices:
Toss some apple slices in a few tablespoons of Spice Cake Sugar. Fry them on the stove in some oil until they start to caramelize. Drain the apples on a paper towel and garnish your cake with them. Dust the top with some powdered sugar.

3 Sugo spice mix recipes!

Quick Guide to Recipes and Uses - Sugo

Scratch Spaghetti Sauce 

(Serves 4)

You will need:

1 T Sugo Italian Seasoning

1 lb ground beef or pork

2 T olive oil

28 oz crushed tomatoes (with juice)

1/2 C water 

Directions:

Brown 1 lb ground beef or pork in 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add 1 T Sugo Italian Seasoning and stir it into the meat, allowing it all to stir fry a bit in the pan.  Add 1/2 C water and 28 oz of chrushed tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Serve over pasta or use as a filling for lasagna.  

Meatballs

You Will Need:

2 T Sugo Italian Seasoning

2 lbs ground beef/pork/or both

1 C bread crumbs

2 eggs

flour

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil (by hand is best).  Roll meatballs into desired size - golfball size works well. 

Roll the meatballs in white flour and shake off the excess so that they are just lightly coated.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and heat over med-high.  Brown the meatballs on all sides - working in batches if necessary. Place them on a baking sheet and finish cooking for about 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven. 

Serve in sandwiches, marinara sauce, or freeze them for later use.

*Can also be used to season meatloaf in a ratio of 1 T seasoning per pound of meat.

Roman Baked Chicken

You Will Need:

3 T Sugo Italian Seasoning

a whole chicken

1/4 C orange juice

1/4 C olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Place Chicken in a baking dish. Combine seasoning, juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken. Loosely cover the chicken with foil and bake for half the total cooking time. Remove foil and finish cooking. (Cook time for whole chickens is 20 minutes per pound).

Italian Breakfast Sausage

You Will Need:

1 lb ground pork/turkey/chicken

1 T Sugo Italian Seasoning

olive oil

*if using chicken or turkey you may also want to add 1/4 C applesauce for moisture

Coat a skillet in olive oil over medium heat.

Combine all ingredients and form into small patties.

Cook sausage patties 5-8 minutes on each side until they are browned and cooked through.