Pesto Quinoa Salad

Our family gathers once a quarter to celebrate birthdays in the extended family. We always do a potluck and I'm usually scrambling the day of to think of something awesome to take. This recipe totally happened by accident. I had a bunch of stuff in the fridge that needed to be used and I wasn't sure how this potpourri salad would turn out, but it rocked. This is a great salad because you can throw whatever fresh veg you have in your fridge and add it. Or you can customize it with your own favorite veg.

This salad is light, fresh and the lemon adds a wonderful brightness. It's very filling, so you can serve as a side dish or add more veggie to make a main dish. I love basil pesto and the lemon was a great compliment to it. I also used prepared basil pesto. My favorite place to buy it is in the refrigerated section at Costco or Sam's Club. It's really yummy and cheaper than making it yourself  if you don't grow your own basil. I  also served this chilled, but it would be delicious also served warm. I also love incorporating chia seeds into my salads. They look like little poppy seeds and they had a great crunch. Not to mention that they are packed full of protein and vitamins. They are so good for you. If you haven't tried fresh goat cheese, you are missing out. The texture is similar to cream cheese, but a little more crumbly like feta cheese. It's also tangy like cream cheese. I love using goat cheese because it's very flavorful and doesn't have as much fat as most other cheeses. Give it a try--I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I also buy goat cheese at Costco.

Here's what you need:

-2 C quinoa
-4 C water or vegetable broth
-1.5 C fresh sugar snap peas, coarsely broken into pieces
- (1) 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-1/2 C kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
-3 green onions, sliced
-1/2 C dried cranberries
-1/2 C raw almonds, whole
-2 handful of fresh spinach leaves, separated
-1/4 C fresh parsley, finely chopped
-1 tsp. chia seeds, optional
-1/4 C goat cheese, crumbled (about 2-3 oz.)
-salt to taste

Dressing:

-1/2 C prepared basil pesto
-juice of 1 medium lemon
-2 TBS balsamic vinegar

Garnish:

-5 slices of lemon
-a few pieces of parsley

1. In a medium sauce pan take quinoa and water and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil uncovered for 15 min or until majority of liquid is gone. Remove from heat, add one handful of spinach and cover pan with lid. Fluff with fork after 5 minutes and stir in wilted spinach. Remove lid and set aside.

2. While quinoa is cooking, add peas, chickpeas, olives, cranberries, parsley and almonds to a large mixing bowl. Toss to mix.

3. In a separate bowl combine pesto, lemon juice and vinegar. Stir until well incorporated.

4. After quinoa is mainly cooled to room temp, add it to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Pour dressing over top and mix to ensure the dressing is well incorporated. Taste salad and add salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

5. Once ready to serve, take remaining handful of spinach and spread over serving platter. Pile quinoa on top of spinach, sprinkle with chia seeds and crumbled goat cheese. Add a few pieces of parsley and add lemon slices to garnish.


Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Valentine's Giveaway Winners!!

Thanks SO much for all of you that entered the Valentine's Giveaway! That was a lot of fun! Sorry for the glitch of not being able to leave comments. This is my first "official" giveaway, so hopefully the next one will be easier. Thanks for your patience!

Alighty! Here are the winners using Random.org! Drum roll, please.........................................

Biscoff Winner: #29, Missy W.

White Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Winner: #19, Nikki

Vanilla Extract Winner: #4, Danielle

AND.... just because I love you guys even more, I'm giving away (2) more Biscoff Spreads!!

Drum roll.................. #7, Jenny P.  and #18, Tammie B!
Please contact me and I'll send out your prize. Thanks for entering and following along! Please feel free to leave me comments of what other things you'd like to see in future giveaways and suggestions for entering in the giveaways. 

*Winners have 24 hours to claim their prize. Otherwise another winner will be chosen. This giveaway was paid for by me and is not affiliated with Facebook or Biscoff.

Vanilla Bean Giveaway!

So I promised some vanilla beans when I got 100 "likes" on my FB page! Thanks to all of you, my page hit 100 "likes" tonight! Thanks for showing some love and following along. I really love cooking and baking and it's fun knowing people are reading. This has been a fun experience and it's been a fun hobby to pursue. And I can't tell you how much I LOVE vanilla beans in baking. And even more how much I love where I got them, an awesome company called Beanilla. They have a fantastic selection of gourmet vanilla beans for excellent prices AND their customer service is impeccable. If you need vanilla beans or extract-making supplies, check them out.

Thanks to all of those who "liked" my page, left comments on FB and the blog for the original contest from when my blog first started (you earned extra entries for that). You all are awesome. Be sure to follow along and share with your friends and family. The more the merrier. :)

Drum roll, please............................ The WINNER is #54, Susan Neal! Congratulations! You have 24 hours to claim your prize. Please contact me via here or Facebook and I'll send them out to you!

Winner,Winner, Chicken Dinner!
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Don't forget that the Valentine's Giveaway ends tonight at 10pm MST. Hurry fast! You have less than an hour to enter!

Vegetable Barley Soup with Quinoa



Vegetable Barley Soup with Quinoa
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Soup is one of my most favorite things in the Winter. I'm always looking for recipes that are filling, can be made into freezer meals, and that incorporate ingredients that I have on-hand. I was having a hard time finding a great vegetable barley soup recipe, so this is my creation. I hope you like it. It's pretty basic and if there are more veggies that you like, feel free to throw them in. This soup is great because you can use whatever you have on-hand.

I used beef broth for this recipe, but if you are vegetarian just substitute vegetable broth . This soup is very filling and flavorful. It's also thick like a stew, so if you want it more brothy, then cook your barley and quinoa completey and then throw it in at the end. If you are gluten intolerant then omit the barley and just double the quinoa. I love quinoa and I throw it in almost every soup I make. We don't eat a lot of meat, so we pair it with beans and vegetables and it's wonderful.

You can double this recipe and it freezes well so you make can extras for when you need a quick meal. I love having a stock of freezer soups because all you have to do is throw your plastic bag in some boiling water and within a few minutes you have a hot, delicious homemade meal. I'm tellin' ya, it's a time saver when you need a quick supper. And it's so much more healthful than eating out.

Here's what you need:

-3/4 C barley (I used hulled barley, but you can also use pearl barley)
-3/4 C quinoa
-3.5 C water, separated
-1 TBS coconut oil (or olive oil)
-1 large onion, chopped
-2 stalks celery, chopped
-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
-3 large carrots, sliced in circles
-4 C beef broth
-2 quarts of canned crushed tomatoes
-(1) 14.5 oz can corn (or about 1 C frozen)
-(1) 14.5 oz can sliced green beans (or about 1 C frozen)
-1/2 C frozen peas
-(1) 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-1 TBS dried basil
-1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
-1 tsp. dried dill weed
-1/2 tsp. black pepper
-1/4 tsp. curry powder
-1/4 tsp. paprika
-3 bay leaves

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine barley and 2 C water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender and chewy.

2. In another medium sauce pan, combine quinoa and 1.5 C water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, cover and remove from heat.

3. While barley and quinoa are cooking, get a large soup pot and heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add celery and saute 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth and crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add carrots, corn, peas, green beans, chickpeas, and all seasonings. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes. After about 15 minutes add barley to simmering soup. Add quinoa about 10 minutes before soup is done. If you prefer a more broth-like soup, add quinoa right before serving.

4. Remove bay leaves and garnish with some extra dill weed and fresh parsley.

Hearty and Delicious
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Here's the printable recipe.


Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Valentine's Giveaway!

I LOVE Valentine's Day! It was always a fun holiday growing up. We always had a "Red" breakfast, my mom would leave us a Valentine goodie sack on our beds and the festivities at school were fun times. I loved that there was a day that people could feel so loved by friends and family. I love carrying on some of these same beloved tradtions to my children.

I have loved working on this blog and sharing things that I love and that are a part of me, with you. I hope that you have found things that have helped you feel a little more domestic and inspired you to make creations in the kitchen.

 I want to do a giveaway of some of the things that I love from the kitchen: vanilla extract, Biscoff Spread and fudge.

I will be giving away (1) full-sized jar of Biscoff Spread, (1) bottle of homemade vanilla extract (made with Madagascar beans from my favorite company, Beanilla), and 1 lb. of white chocolate raspberry fudge!

Here's how to enter:

1. "Like" Something Quite Domestic on Facebook!

2. "Share" my giveaway post on Facebook. Make sure to tell your friends and family to leave me a comment on Facebook or on this blog post of who referred them.

3. Tag "Something Quite Domestic" in a photo on Facebook of something you've made from the blog.

3. Become a Something Quite Domestic "follower" on the blog.

4. Follow me on Pinterest.

5. Re-pin a "Something Quite Domestic" recipe on Pinterest.

** Leave me a separate comment below for each step that you have done. Each one counts for an entry.**

You can also "share" the giveaway status post on FB and re-pin a "Something Quite Domestic" recipe on Pinterest for extra entries daily, just be sure to leave another comment each day for the ones you have done. You will also get extra entries for EACH person that tells me that you referred them. Good luck and don't forget to share with your families and friends. :)

The giveaway ends on Monday, February 11th at 10pm MST and comments for entries need to be posted by 10:01pm MST. (3) winners will be announced Tuesday, February 12th and will have 24 hrs to claim their prize. I will use Random.org to pick the winners. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook.

Red Velvet Cereal Treats

Red Velvet Cereal Treats
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I love Valentine's Day. I love making little treats that look festive and that taste great. My little girl loves cereal treats. Cereal treats are decent, but these are SO addictive. I could not stop eating them. Red Velvet anything is worth the calories. This recipe takes cereal treats to a whole new level. This was a super fun (and tasty) activity to do with her for the holidays. She had lots of fun using the cooking cutter and making the heart shapes. This will definitely make the cut of fun things to do together to celebrate Valentine's Day. I also LOVE doing my cereal treats in the microwave. It makes them come together quick and clean-up is a breeze. I don't even remember the last time I did cereal treats on the stove top. Give them a try in the microwave and I think you'll love it.

 

Here's what you need:

 

-6 TBS butter, plus a little extra for greasing your pan
-(1) lb. bag of mini marshmallows
-3/4 C Red Velvet cake mix
-3 drops of red food coloring, optional
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-8 1/2 C chocolate rice cereal (i.e. Cocoa Pebbles, DynoBites, etc.)

Garnish:
-1/2 C white chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. coconut oil, melted
-1 drop cinnamon oil (about 1/16th tsp), optional


1. Butter a standard-sized baking sheet and set aside.

2. In a large microwave safe bowl (I use a large Tupperware bowl) melt 6 TBS of butter. Once butter is melted add vanilla and food coloring if desired. I think the food coloring adds the perfect color "punch" to this recipe. Stir together. Add marshmallows and coat with butter mixture. Add cake mix and stir to incorporate.

3. Microwave mixture on high for 1.5-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Once mixture is melted, add your cereal and stir to combine.

Melty marshmallow chocolatey goodness
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4. Pour mixture onto your baking sheet and press down with buttered hands.

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5. Once mixture is cooled, use a cookie cutter and cut out heart shapes. Take another baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper and place the hearts on top. **If you are in a hurry you can just skip this step and just cut into squares.

So cute for Valentine's Day
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6. Use a chocolate melter if you have one (it's like a mini crock-pot that melts chocolate and keeps it at a constant temperature). I have 2 of them and they are my favorite to use. I love that it keeps the chocolate at a constant temperature and I don't have to worry about using a double boiler or running the risk of my chocolate seizing in the microwave. If you can invest in one, I highly recommend it. It also works great for dipping chocolates. If you don't have one, then you can melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-30 second intervals. It takes about 3-4 minutes and you want to make sure that you stir often. Once chocolate is melted, add coconut oil and cinnamon oil and stir to combine. I always thin out my chocolate with coconut oil. It makes it SO much easier to drizzle.

7. Drizzle white chocolate over cereal treats.

 

So yummy!
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Once the chocolate is set then they are ready for eating. You can put them in a cute, decorative bag and it's a perfect little gift for a friend or loved one for the holiday.

Squares or Hearts? Both are cute!
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Here's the printable recipe.

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

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Salt Dough

Salt Dough Shapes
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So this isn't necessarily an edible recipe (although you could eat it, but it wouldn't taste good), but it's something fun from my childhood and definitely a fun activity to do with children. It's definitely domestic!

My mom use to make salt dough for us growing up. We would roll it out and cut it into shapes or form it into things. We would bake it and then paint to our heart's desire. It was one of my favorite things. I loved to make homemade ornaments, paint them and give the out as Christmas gifts.

I wanted to carry on this tradition for my children. My daughter loves when we make Salt Dough. This dough is so versatile. You can make a batch and use different colors of food coloring or you can leave it white. This last time we made it, we wanted to leave it white so that my daughter could paint it. If you don't want to bake and paint them, you can make different colors and play with it like Play Dough. Just make sure you leave it in an airtight container or plastic bag in between uses. I've noticed that when I leave dough in a plastic bag that it gets a little soggy. Just remove and add a little bit of flour and knead until dough goes back to regular consistency. This recipe also makes A LOT of dough. Depending on what we want to do with it, I usually make a half batch. If you want to make several different colors of dough, do a whole batch.

Last month, as a surprise for our anniversary, my parents helped my oldest make some ornaments. They rolled the dough out, cut them out into shapes and baked them. After baking and cooling, they let her color on them with markers and put a picture of each of my children on them and then sealed them with some Mod Podge with glitter. They gave them to us as an anniversary gift from our kids. They were such treasures. It will most definitely be a yearly tradition we do so that we have annual pictures of our family on our Christmas tree.


Here's what you need:

-1 C fine salt (I just use regular table salt)
-3 C white flour
-1 1/2 C water

1. Preheat oven to lowest temperature (170 degrees on my oven). Combine salt and flour into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

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2. Stir until mixture forms a ball. If you want colored dough add a few drops of food coloring at this point. Remove ball from bowl and knead for a couple minutes until ingredients (and coloring) are thoroughly incorporated.

Salt Dough
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3. Roll out dough to about 1/8 in. thick. Use cookie cutters, pizza or pastry cutter to make shapes. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you want to make ornaments, take a straw and poke a whole in the dough so that you can hang it. Once all your shapes are on the baking sheet, bake on the lowest temperature overnight or for 4-6 hrs. After 4 hrs, feel and see of the dough feels soft. If so, continue baking. Once they look more white and hard to the touch, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

She loved rolling out the dough!
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Kids love this stuff!
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4. Once cooled, you can paint them, use markers, glitter, etc. to decorate them. If you want to put a picture on them, do that now. Seal the ornament with a thin coat of Mod Podge. Allow to dry completely. Use baking twine, yarn, hemp cord or whatever you have on-hand to use for hanging. You can also string several shapes together to make a cute banner to hang for the holidays. We also like making bugs, snakes, etc. to decorate. Just use your creativity and imagination.

Here's the printable recipe.

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Cinnamon Apple Raisin Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Cinnamon Apple Raisin Steel-Cut Oatmeal

One of my favorite memories when I was younger was sitting on the heat vents before getting ready for school. My mom would throw a blanket in the dryer and we'd all huddle around the heat vents and bury ourselves underneath the warm blanket. My mom would cook us oatmeal or Cream of  Wheat on those really cold winter mornings. To this day, I love hot cereal on cold mornings.

Many people have no idea what steel cut oats are, so I'm going to give you a quick lesson. The whole oat grains are typically referred to as "oat groats." These oat groats are cut up into smaller pieces and then called "steel-cut oats." Oat groats that have been rolled out are "old-fashioned oats." Old-fashioned oats that have been cut up into smaller pieces are "quick oats."

Left: Oat Groats, Right: Steel-Cut Oats
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Left: Old-fashioned Rolled Oats, Right: Quick Oats
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Oat Groats, Steel-cut Oats, Rolled Oats, Quick Oats
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The main difference between steel-cut oats and old-fashioned & quick oats is that the latter have been steamed to aid in quicker cooking. Steel-cut oats also have a chewier texture. They typically have a little more fat, fiber and protein because they are less processed than rolled oats. They also take longer to cook since they are the whole grain. Steel-cut oats also seem to make you feel fuller longer. Now you are an oat expert. :) I prefer to buy my steel-cut oats at a health food store or in the bulk section at your local grocery store. You can get them for less than $.89/lb. If you try buying the name brand in the oatmeal section, you'll pay $2-$3 or more per lb. I always buy these oats in bulk and I always have them on-hand.

This recipe takes about 35-45 minutes to cook, but it's well worth it. You also don't have to be tending to it constantly, so you can multi-task during the process. This makes a perfect breakfast on a cold, snowy morning and it definitely sticks with you. It's thick, creamy and slightly sweet. The buttermilk is awesome in this recipe. It gives it a mild tang and creates an awesome, creamy texture without all of the fat of cream. I also loved toasting the oats. It gave them a really wonderful, nutty taste. My daughter loves oatmeal and I was curious to see how she would like the new texture. She asked for seconds, so I know this recipe is a keeper. It's also relatively healthful, so you won't have to feel guilty eating it.

Here's what you need:
-1 TBS coconut oil (or butter), separated
-1 C steel-cut oats
-3 C boiling water
-1/4-1/2 tsp. coarse salt
-1/2 C raisins
-(2) apples, cored and thinly sliced
-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, separated
-2 TBS brown sugar, 1 tsp reserved
-1/2 C 1% milk
-1/2 C low-fat buttermilk, separated
-1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract
-1/4 C. coarsely chopped almonds (optional)

1. In a medium sauce pan heat 1/2 TBS of coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is heated add oats and toast until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning.

2. Add boiling water and salt. Turn heat to med-low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. While oats are simmering, get a medium skillet and heat remaining 1/2 TBS of oil over medium-high heat. Add apples and saute until golden and tender, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Set aside. (I LOVE using my apple peeler/corer/slicer from Pampered Chef for this step. It makes it so fast and easy.)

Sauteed Apples
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4. After oats have simmered for 25 minutes, add milk, 1/4 C of buttermilk, raisins and remaining 1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon. The oatmeal will look thick and saucy. Stir to combine. Continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir to combine.

5. Take 1/2 C of cooked oatmeal and place in serving bowl. Top with a dollop of remaining buttermilk, some cooked apples and sprinkle with cinnamon and almonds to garnish. Serve hot.

Hearty Chewy Goodness
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Enjoy and Happy Cooking! Doesn't that look awesome?

So Delicious
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Here's the printable recipe.

Easy Taco Soup with Quinoa

Happy 2013! I'm excited for a new year. Hope all of you are enjoying your January. One of my favorite things about Winter is making soup. This is one of my favorite soups. It's fast, easy, filling, flavorful and perfect for a Winter supper. It also comes together really quickly and freezes well. I like making a double-batch of this soup and freezing leftovers in freezer storage bags. You can just pop one of those into boiling water for 5-10 mintues and you have a hot, homemade soup for a quick meal when you are in a rush.

I'm like most people trying to fulfill my New Year's Resolution of eating more healthful and this soup is great for this.You can omit the ground beef or ground turkey if you want a vegetarian soup. I love the addition of quinoa to this soup. It makes it hearty and even more healthful. If you have never cooked with quinoa, try it! It's awesome! Quinoa is a grain that is packed with protein. You cook it just like rice and I use it place of rice in many dishes. You can buy quinoa at health food stores or at Costco. I just can't tell you how much I love quinoa--it's awesome in this soup. I also love the fresh lime juice. It really brightens this dish. Also, feel free to use any fresh veggies you like to this soup. I usually have canned goods on-hand in the winter, so I use those when I need to throw this together quickly.

Here's what you need:
-1 TBS oil (coconut, canola, or olive oil)
-1 large onion, diced
-6 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced or minced
-1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
-2.5 TBS taco seasoning
-3 C beef broth
-(2) 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (no salt added kind)
-(1) 15 oz. can of corn (or 1 C frozen corn)
-(1) 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-(1) 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1/4 C cilantro leaves

Quinoa
-1 C quinoa
-2 C water or vegetable broth

Garnish
-1/2 C cooked quinoa
-1 TBS cilantro leaves
-dollop of sour cream
-juice of 1/4 fresh lime segment
-5 rice chips

1. In a medium pot combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside. You can do this step while assembling the soup.

2. In a separate large soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and saute just until fragrant. Add lean ground beef or turkey and cook until brown. Add taco seasoning and stir to combine.

3. Add beef broth, tomatoes, corn (including liquid), beans and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

4. Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork. Dish up a serving of soup, top with 1/2 C cooked quinoa, sour cream, cilantro leaves and rice chips. My FAV rice chips are Rice Works Sweet Chili. They go great with this soup. A few slices of fresh avocado would be delicious on top of this, too.

Enjoy this yummy, easy and healthful soup!

Taco Soup with Quinoa
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Here's the printable recipe.