Quinoa Mac & Cheese

First off, Id like to apologize for the quality of my pictures. My camera broke and I'm pretty much too broke to buy a new one, so cell phone pics it is from now till who knows when. Sometimes my cell phone takes very good pictures. The Florentine Stuffed Shells picture from my last post was from my cell phone. It has a mind of its own when it comes to taking decent pictures. I am also in the market for a new cell phone (and possibly a new carrier) and that will take precedence over the purchase of a camera. I am fairly addicted to my phone...

I was racking my brain trying to come up with a better title for this dish. The original recipe was also labeled "Quinoa Mac & Cheese". I have a hard time accepting this name, because quinoa is not macaroni. Quinoa is not pasta of any sort; even though you can get quinoa pasta. I've never tried that, but it does intrigue me. I am sure it is a wonderful option for those on a gluten-free diet. I couldn't think of a fun catchy title, so I guess I'm stuck with one that bugs my eyeballs.

• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar, but feel free to play with flavors!)
• 2 eggs
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup soy or fat free milk (I used rice milk)
• A handful of breadcrumbs *
• 1 lb asparagus or any other veggie of your preference**

*To make gluten-free, leave off the breadcrumbs.
 **I used asparagus because it is in season right now, but you can use anything. I'm sure broccoli or cauliflower would work nicely. You could even shred up some carrots if you need to hide veggies in your dish. There is also the possibility of not using any vegetables whatsoever, but I think that would just be stupid. Add veggies to your diet whenever possible!!!

Preheat oven to 350. Saute garlic and whatever veggie you choose to use.Whisk eggs with milk and then fold into quinoa. Fold in vegetables and cheese, preserving some cheese to sprinkle on top. Add mixture to a 9" x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

This meal comes with mixed reviews, from both Sophia and I. Sophia raved over how it smelled. She was amazed that even though it didn't look like regular Mac and Cheese, it smelled like it. After her first few bites, she told me it was so yummy and she wanted me to pack it for her school lunch the next day. Then she had a change of heart and started begging me to make her a sandwich instead. I have no idea what would have caused her to change her mind so fast. Eventually she came around and ate most of her bowl, probably only because she knows if she gives me a hard time about dinner; she will not be allowed to have any snacks all night long.

I liked the meal, but did think it was a little bland. I would have liked if there was a creamier cheesier sauce surrounding the quinoa. More cheese next time? The original recipe I used suggested topping it with salsa, sour cream, or hot sauce. Adding salsa helped it not be so bland. This meal as leftovers seemed a bit more appetizing. Maybe, as with soup, the ingredients blend better after some time.

 I love the idea of using quinoa more often, but it is pretty hit or miss with me. It was wonderful when I replaced the rice in my Stuffed Tomatoes and it is also great with eggs in the Quinoa Breakfast Bake. Some other recipes I have tried were not as appealing. Those recipes should have been posted on this blog as well, but I've pretty much been a slacker. Ill keep chipping away at quinoa recipes to discover which ones are best.

Quinoa is a super food and I sure do like being super!! I'm also pretty corny (and corn on the cob is delish!!) Haha, I'll stop now...

Florentine Stuffed Shells

Last week I made my fabulous Stuffed Shells for a friend's birthday. Usually I over stuff my shells so I run out of the cheese mixture before I fill all the shells. I wound up having extra store bought ricotta that I didn't put into the cheese mixture along with the shells. Add in the spinach I had no use for and I was all set for tonight's Meatless Monday!

I searched around for a Florentine shell recipe but couldn't find any that appealed to me. One used cottage cheese instead of ricotta. While I have been curious at the uses of cottage cheese to lower the calorie intake of some of my favorite recipes, tonight was not the night for that. I have leftover ricotta cheese to use! Most of the recipes I found called for frozen spinach. With only fresh on hand, I had to improvise. I'll just give you what I came up with, though I have no exact measurements!

These are all estimated measurements:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg (exactly)
• 5-8 mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• a couple handfuls spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Approximately 12 cooked large pasta shells
• Half a jar marinara sauce

Preheat oven to350. Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add garlic and mushrooms then saute. Once mushrooms are mostly cooked, add spinach and cook until leaves wilt. Mix vegetables with ricotta cheese and one egg. Line a baking dish with a layer of sauce. Put a spoonful of cheese/veggie mixture into each pasta shell. Sit in baking dish. When all the shells are stuffed, cover with another layer of sauce. Add some mozzarella cheese to top if you have any. If not, no biggie!!
Cover with foil and bake 30-35 minutes.

These shells were pretty tasty for a meal meant to use up some of the perishable ingredients I had on hand. There is still a small amount or ricotta in my fridge that I'll need to find a use for. I was not the fondest of the texture of the cheese, but I cant ask for much better without spending the time for homemade and not mixing in mozzarella to make it creamier.

Tonight Sophia informed me that shells are her favorite food ever! I guess that means I should make them more often. I'm not complaining at all, though my waistline might start too! I had chopped the mushrooms fairly small, but she still noticed a bit of one and asked what it was. My usual answer to "what is this?" is, "I don't know". Sometimes she won't try something just because she doesn't like what its called and thinks she doesn't like it. Well, tonight she blew me away by telling me it was a mushroom after she tasted it. She actually recognized the taste without being able to recognize it by sight. Sometimes she likes mushrooms and sometimes she doesn't. I can't quite keep up with her preferences.