COOKING AT THE CASA

PowerPoint is majorly messing with my afternoon, making me want to throw my computer from the window, so I decided to take a much needed mental health break to post a couple of recipes I've promised on Twitter and Instagram.

First up, is what I'm calling a Mediterranean quinoa salad. Up until Friday night I'd never had quinoa but I know it's a gluten-free grain and I'm really, really, really missing hearty meals this time of year so I asked a couple of friends about it and my friend Audrey convinced me that I absolutely have to try it and since I trust her food recommendations implicitly, I decided to give it a try. Now, mind you, I kind of made this recipe up based on some of my favorite flavor combos.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad


This recipe can be made with meat, or without. We had some leftover lamb roast from a few nights before, so we chopped it up and added it to the mix. I made this again for lunch a couple of days later without the meat and it was just as tasty. And SO easy to make. The most time consuming thing is chapping the cucumbers.

1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 english cucumber
10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half & roasted with olive oil and oregano
A bunch of chopped parsley (to your liking)
Chopped, pitted kalamata olives (quantity to your liking - I like a lot)
Meat (or not)
Olive oil for drizzling
1 cup of feta cheese

In a bowl, mix all ingredients and plate. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a dollop of yogurt with dill and you're good to go!

Another recent meal here at the casa was an updated take on a dish we make a lot during the winter. Now, I know a lot of Texans would say this isn't proper chili because it includes red beans, but I like beans in my chili and I'm not from Texas, so they can just go fly a kite.

Buffalo Chipotle Chili


This is another one of those "throw everything in a pot and let it cook" recipes that I love so much. It's also kind of light on exact measurements because except for things that are pre-measured for me (like the can of beans), I pretty much cook to taste, adding a bit of this, a dash of that.

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 pound of grass-fed ground buffalo meat
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of yellow corn
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1/4 can of chipotle in adobo sauce
3 T chili powder
2 T taco seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
grated cheddar cheese
chopped green onions

In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions & garlic and cook to translucent (about 5 minutes)
Add the buffalo meat and cook thoroughly
Add the chipotle and spices
Add the remaining canned ingredients
Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally
Serve hot & top with grated cheese and chopped green onions

See, so easy a child could make it! What I love about using the buffalo meat is that it has a different, deeper flavor than using regular beef. Also, the chipotle gives it a nice kick.