Hey look! I'm blogging!

It's been a while since I've blogged.  My cat is not pleased. (Actually, he is never pleased.)

I thought I'd post a couple yummy recipes. They're even healthy.

Here's the first one: Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing. Mmmm.  The dressing doesn't have any cholesterol, unlike my favorite ranch dressing. It also contains olive oil, which is a source of the good kind of fat.

I got this recipe from here

The salad is lettuce from my garden (Spinach works well too), strawberries from my garden, sugared pecans, and the dressing.  I've tried both sugared pecans and sugared almonds (the original recipe used sugared almonds). I like the pecans better than the almonds.  I put all the ingredients in separate containers when I serve it.  It stores better that way and my kids like to build their own salads. (Actually, my kids will take one lettuce leaf and choke it down with much complaining.)

Sugared Pecans

Put about a cup of pecans in frying pan. (I make lots so we have extras for snacking.)

Add 1/4 cup sugar.

Add 1/4 cup water.

Stir on med heat until water has evaporated.

Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing

3 T. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. mustard seed (the original recipe called for ground mustard. I didn't have any of that. The mustard seed works fine.  Just don't skip this.  I didn't use it the last time I made the dressing and it turned into a strange gelatinous mess.)

1/2 c. olive oil (the original recipe called for canola oil.  I like olive oil better.)

3/4 c. sliced strawberries

3/4 t. poppy seeds

Mix vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard seed in blender.  Slowly drizzle in oil until mixture is creamy.  Add strawberries.  Process until smooth.  Add poppy seeds and pulse until well mixed.  Store in tight container in refrigerator. 

Here's the next recipe: Quinoa Stir Fry 

Ingredients:
I'm not big on measuring so, since this is my own recipe, I didn't measure anything other than the quinoa.  Sometimes you have to cook by taste, rather than by the rules.

1/4 c. uncooked quinoa per serving
black beans (soak dry beans overnight. Then slow cook for about 2 hours ahead of time.  I like to make an entire bag and store the cooked beans in my fridge. Canned beans have a lot of sodium added.)
olive oil
onion
carrots
broccoli
(abt 1 T) red wine vinegar and brown sugar (to taste) or your favorite BBQ sauce

You could also add meat and whatever other vegetables but this is filling enough that you don't need meat.

Prepare quinoa in rice cooker or according to directions.  Coat bottom of pan with olive oil.  Saute onion.  Add vegetables, vinegar, beans, and brown sugar.  Add cooked quinoa (and water if it's too dry).  I like my vegetables a little crunchy so I let it cook long enough for the flavor of the vinegar and brown sugar to penetrate the quinoa.  Five minutes is long enough. Cook longer if you like your vegetables softer.