Sur La Table Demo: Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers

I haven't taken a cooking class recently, but when I saw that Sur La Table was doing a demo, I figured that it might be beneficial. This demo was for easy Thanksgiving appetizers. The menu started off with a quinoa fritter topped with a lime mayo and smoked salmon. This is a much more creative option than doing crackers and cheese. The fritter was made with eggs, flour, shallots, spices and quinoa. You could also make these into patties for a different alternative to a burger if you don't want to do bite sized fritters. The key is to make sure that the edge is golden brown before you turn them. To make the mayo, it was mayo, lime zest and lime juice. I would use plain nonfat greek yogurt instead of the mayo. It was simple and fresh but brought out the flavors in the smoked salmon. The chef mentioned to read the recipe all the way through because sometimes will list the juice before the zest and once you juice something, you can't really get the zest. The crunchy outside kept the quinoa tender and the creaminess of the mayo with the smoked savory created a wonderful array of flavors.

Next on the menu was honey mustard palmiers. A palmier is a pastry that has been rolled into the shape of an elephant ear. You might be a bit scared of a making a pastry because I know I was a bit leery of it. However, you use a piece of store bought puff pastry and roll it out to makes the pastry a bit thinner. (Much more manageable than making your own!) This uses a combination of honey and Dijon mustard to make your own honey mustard. The chef also said that you could use grainy mustard which I think would be even better. Than you brush on the honey mustard, top with prosciutto and parmesan cheese. Roll each side to the middle and then slice and refrigerate. The best part is you can store them like this so all you have to do is brush with an egg wash and then back. Another kitchen tip I learned what that milk can also be used in place of an egg wash. These palmiers had a touch of sweetness and some salt from the cheese and prosciutto. The crust was nice and flaky and these seemed to be much easier then I thought. The only thing is that there is some waiting time for the dough to chill. If you are serving these, I would say make these in the morning and get them all ready to bake while other things are in the oven.

The last appetizer that we tasted were spiced nuts...and yes, these nuts had a good bit of kick to them but thy were a little bit addicting.  If you have never made coated nuts before, they are actually quite simple to make. All you need is an airy egg white, nuts and a spice mix. Toss it all together in a bowl and then bake. The most difficult thing is to make sure that you don't let the sugar over caramelize. If you begin to smell the nuts and the sugar than then, they are done. Baking them on a Silipat is helpful because it will prevent the nuts from sticking to the pan. These demo class was really great and though you don't get to do any of the cooking, sometimes it's helpful to get new ideas (that have been tested) and of course getting to taste is always fun!

Crock Pot Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa

I love quinoa because you can do so much with it. However, I have never made a sweet recipe. I have had breakfast quinoa dish before and it was super tasty and filling, so I decided that I wanted to find a breakfast quinoa recipe. So I headed on over to Pinterest to see what I could find. I was so excited when I found this recipe from The Lovely Vegan Mama for pumpkin breakfast quinoa. I was even more excited when I realized that I happened to have all the ingredients on hand! That rarely happens so I got to work making this right away. Plus I got to use my crock pot which is always exciting. Putting everything and having it smell amazing is definitely something I can do. This is a great fall breakfast and the protein packed quinoa will keep you feeling full and ready for the day.

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa, uncooked
8 cups almond milk, unsweetened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup maple syrup or agave (I used a combination of both)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
coconut oil spray

Directions:

Spray the crock pot thoroughly with coconut oil. You don't want to deal with trying to scrape any of the baked on quinoa off the bowl. Add the quinoa, almond milk, canned pumpkin, maple syrup or agave, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice to the pot.

Stir together to make sure that everything is combined. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, depending on your consistency preference. It will smell delicious, I promise. You can served with dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts or bananas and you are on your way to a power packed breakfast.

Mexican Quinoa with Lazy Guacamole

I love one pot wonder meals. Not only does it make life super simple, but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside because usually these are soups or stews. Though the weather never dictates that this is an appropriate meal, I have decided to go with my inner clock and start making those wonderful fall dishes. I found this recipe for Mexican quinoa with lazy guacamole. I love guacamole so as soon as I read that I knew that I was going to try it. This is a simple, hearty dish that you can throw some ground beef or turkey into. Plus it makes quite a few servings, which means lots of leftovers (which I am definitely not going to complain about!) If you can put things into a pot, then you can make this recipe. I am not a huge fan of jalapenos, so I left them out of the recipe but feel free to add them in.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz) no salt added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) no salt added diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Olive oil

Guacamole Ingredients:
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
Lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Handful of fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper

To Make Guacamole:
In a small bowl, add the avocado, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper. Mash the ingredients together until you get the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. You can also add in salsa, onions or jalapenos to the guacamole...this is the foundation of guacamole for you to customize.

To Make Quinoa:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. While that's heating, drain your black beans and make sure to rinse them. Add in the minced garlic and cook for a minute.

Add in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, salt and quinoa. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce to low and cover, letting it cook for 35 minutes. (*Note: the recipe said to cook for 25 minutes, but my quinoa wasn't done.) You will know when it's done when the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is opaque with the fiber ring on the outside.

Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. I love cilantro so I put an extra handful in. Top with the guacamole and dinner is served. You can also add cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or salsa to it as well. You can also throw in chicken, ground turkey or ground beef. This isn't the typical fall flavor combination, but when you live in Texas fall is much different.

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

There are nights when I just want a fresh, healthy, light but fulfilling dinner, but I can't say that I have tons of recipes for those. So I got really excited when I found this recipe for quinoa stuffed bell peppers from Nature Box. I can't say that I frequently have stuffed bell peppers, but I think this may become a go to dinner for me. You can do so much with it and they are beyond simple to make. This vegetarian version is made with quinoa, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, feta cheese, cilantro, cheddar cheese, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper.
There are two directions to this recipe: mixing all the filling ingredients together and then fill and bake the peppers for 25-30 minutes at 350 in a parchment lined baking dish. The best part was how simple it was to make. The recipe calls for 6 bell peppers, but I only made 3 and froze the leftover filling. That way I can make more stuffed peppers or just eat the filling itself. If you are preparing and want to have some kind of protein in it, you can throw in some chicken, ground turkey or ground beef. These are easy to entertain with and are perfect for a summer dinner.

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup canned black, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
6 bell peppers, stemmed and seeded

Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients (except bell peppers) in a large bowl. Spoon filling into bell peppers and bake for 25-30 minutes.