Quinoa for breakfast- with cherries on top!

Feeling the need to switch it up for breakfast lately. I usually rotate between eggs & wheat toast and oatmeal & yogurt. Love 'em both, but needing some more variety! I've had this recipe saved for months and figured I'd give it a whirl. Plus, it's cherry season, so I've got to take advantage! (2 lbs of cherries for 3 Euro!) At first I thought the ricotta might be a little weird on quinoa (and for breakfast) but turns out it was just the right touch! A Greek yogurt (or other thick yogurt) would probably work just as well, too.

I ended up changing it significantly so I could use what I already had- feel free to change it yourself! I'd love to hear what kind of combos you all come up with. Here's what I did:

Breakfast Quinoa with Ricotta and Cherries
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbs oil ( I used coconut; any could be used)
• 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried dates, or other dried fruit (such as raisins or chopped apricots)
• 2 Tbs pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese (full fat recommended!)
• 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved (you could also use other berries, but then you'd have to change the name of the recipe ;)

Directions

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with a fork then set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add  walnuts and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn them. Add the dates, maple syrup, orange zest and cinnamon and stir until heated through.

3. Add the quinoa to the skillet and gently stir to make sure the nut/fruit mixture is well distributed.

4. Each serving is one generous cup of quinoa mixture, topped with 1 Tbs ricotta and 1/4 cup cherries.  Sprinkle with more cinnamon if desired.

*I made this ahead of time and topped with ricotta and cherries just before serving. Each serving is approx. 350 calories (and worth every one!)

**Recipe adapted from Food & Wine. Check it out here.

It's the little things...

I commented to Chris the other night that I haven't been enjoying cooking as much lately. I haven't had the urge to spend the whole day in our kitchen trying new recipes or attempting to recreate something we ate somewhere. He started to get worried that the novelty of living in a foreign country was wearing off on me. I assured him it wasn't. But as I thought about it more, I realized that because our lives have been a little busier lately our meal experience has changed. We were eating the same stuff as usual but often separately due to him working late or me having plans. To me, this changed the whole way I perceived "enjoying" a meal. The Italians got it right in that sense- you won't often see them eating alone, or in 20 minutes or less like we do. This new insight rang true last night as Chris and I sat down to eat Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, which I have been wanting to recreate after our trip to Sorrento last month. Our evening plans fell through, so instead of rushing through it (like we had intended to) we opened a bottle of wine, set the table, and lingered over our meal. It was so much fun to recount the day we spent in Sorrento, recalling what we did and what we ate. We kind of experienced it all over again!

Impromptu date night!

Chai Latte ala Emily at the beach house

We started talking about other examples of meals we really enjoyed. Often, we couldn't even recall exactly what we ate, but what we did remember was who we were with and the sentiment attached to the occasion. For example, I love drinking tea in the afternoon.  Chai tea, to be exact, with milk and honey, like my old roommate Emily taught me. When I went to Florida to visit in April, we made it a point to do this together. And you know what? That was the best-tasting chai latte I've had in months. It's the little things.

The whole crew sharing a meal in Capri

Also recently, my parents and their friends came to Italy. One of my best friends and her husband happened to be in town the same weekend and we got to share a meal all together. 8 people sitting around the table eating a 3 hour Italian meal. Sharing meals with family and friends has become one of my favorite things. I have always loved them, but being so far apart has caused me to treasure them even more- especially when we only get to do it a few times a year!





Last example, Chris and I have a favorite meal that I make once every other month or so. It's a Muñoz family fave- NOT because of it's extravagance (which it is not at all), but because of the sentiment. It was the first meal we made together in our home as a married couple. At the time I was only trying to rid his bachelor-pad-pantry of high sodium canned goods. But it turned out delicious and was so easy that it has made it into the regular rotation of dinner meals. And every time I make it- I say "do you know why this meal is special?" And Chris gets the frantic look that says "I should know why this meal is special but I don't, so please let her tell me before I have to make up an answer!"  (Which is part of the reason I ask in the first place- ha!). But we get to share a little moment of "aww, the first dinner!" And then we move on with a little piece of happy remembrance on our minds. Thank God I married a sentimental guy!

Muñoz Family Fave- Stewed Chicken & Tomatoes Over Rice (with artichokes)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes
•  12oz skinless chicken breast or thighs, sliced into strips or chunks of equal size
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2-3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4c olive oil
• 1can green beans OR 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook until softened (2-3 mins).
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken and garlic to pan and cook until chicken appears cooked on the outside.
4. Add stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 mins, or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Add canned green beans or artichokes and cook 1-2 more minutes until heated through.
6. Serve chicken mixture over rice and top with Parmesan cheese.

Making this meal for the first time in 2011!

Sorrento is for...Lemons



Marina Grande in Sorrento

After nearly a month in America, I'm back in Italia! It's been a busy few weeks since being back, as I have taken on some volunteer responsibilities on base with a women's ministry group (ok- I've taken on a lot!). As a result, our meal creativity at home has suffered a little bit due to less available brain cells for meal planning. I broke down and bought my first frozen meal since we've been married. We almost made it a whole year without one. Of course, I saw this as a complete failure, while my husband saw it as complete success. He's so supportive! (I think he just secretly really liked it and is hoping they will come around more often...)

But the good news is, there's always the simplicity of an Italian meal. Although my own kitchen isn't seeing much magic these days- there's no shortage at the many trattorias and pizzerias. And now that spring has sprung, maybe I'll be re-inspired by the abundance of zucchini, tomatoes and garlic. This weekend, Chris and I headed down the coast to Sorrento. It was such an easy drive, we couldn't believe we've waited a whole year to go. But it was a beautiful day and we were glad to experience it on such day. We like to find places off the beaten path, and usually this happens either by accident or word of mouth. For this one, we have Rick Steves to thank. Trattoria di Emilia was  tucked in a quiet little nook on the shore of Marina Grande in Sorrento. This is a ways from the bustling tourist streets, away from the main port, and was right on the water. We couldn't have asked for a better view- or meal!

 We both opted for meatless meals, and of course, a local wine. I had Gnocchi alla Sorrentina and Chris had Ravioli alla Sorrentina (we still aren't sold on the seafood around here, which I'm pretty sure is mind boggling to the Italians). Sorrentina Sauce is pretty much just a tomato sauce with red pepper, basil, and buffalo mozzarella cheese, from what I've gathered. One could probably duplicate this at home- except your tomatoes aren't grown in the soil of Mt. Vesuvius, and your buffalo mozzarella isn't the same-sorry! (Do I sound like a snob yet?) But I'm sure it would still be pretty good. I did find a recipe on Food Network that looks very similar to what I had- except I would buy the fresh already-made gnocchi.

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Ravioli alla Sorrentina

And you can't have a trip to Sorrento without trying something lemon-flavored. We both sampled some limoncello. And then I had some citrus gelato called "the scent of Sorrento" in  English. It had candied orange and lemon peel in eat. Very refreshing. Everywhere we turned we saw lemons the size of footballs- how we left without buying any is a mystery. 

Chris demonstrating a "medium-sized" lemon

Welcome to America: Bombarded with Variety

Today is day 2 of my three and a half week trip to the Motherland. My younger sister's wedding later this month provided opportunity for me to make a much desired trip to my original home. Ironically, I was last here for my own wedding. I had been counting down the days to see my family and friends and told everyone I knew that I wouldn't be seeing them for a month. I got the usual questions "what are you going home for?" and, "when are you coming back?" But the most common question was "what are you going to EAT?" Of course I had thought about it, but I think about food more than the average person. Yet I still find it humorous that anyone who has lived in Italy for any period of time recognizes the lack of variety compared to the good 'ole USA. And while I appreciate being able to get sushi or Mexican (or Starbucks or Chik-fil-a and the list goes on...) at any hour of the day, I have really grown to love the simplicity of minimal choices (have I mentioned I'm a poor decision maker?). I forgot how overwhelming an abundance of choices could be!

This was exhibited by my various airport exploits on my way home. Lunchtime in Naples airport consisted of- what else?- a panini. The only choice I had to make was between a Caprese panini or a prosciutto panini (and that was hard enough). Several hours later, I stepped foot in the Atlanta airport and was greeted by no less than 25 food options- in just my terminal! The scents were overwhelmingly inviting, despite the fact that I had already had 2 dinners that day (both on the trans-Atlantic flight; one for European-time dinner and another for the East Coast dinner time to help us get acclimated to the new time zone). So despite eating 4 meals that day (or more, I lost count) I was almost deceived into thinking I was hungry again. I knew this to be physically impossible, but my brain kept saying "no- you ARE hungry and that giant soft pretzel with butter will do the trick!" Rationality won this time, and I abstained, but just barely. And although there is plenty I miss (food-wise) about America, I'll take a delicious home-made meal made with lots of love any day :)

The picture below is of me and my first "love" meal in the states- made by my good friend and former roommate Jenny who cooked me PUMPKIN PANCAKES and mini quiches. The best restaurant in the world can't beat that!

Nothing says love like pumpkin!

Ancient Matera

View of Matera from our hotel

Last weekend, Chris and I took a short weekend trip the city of Matera. It was our first experience on the east coast of Italy, so our drive took us straight across the country. Just like most of the cities we have visited, it is really old- and thought to be one of the world's oldest. But this one is unique in that it was relatively "undiscovered" until the mid 1900's. It is an entire little city that is built into two ravines with natural cave grottoes. People lived in these little cave dwellings (called sassi)- along with their animals- up until that past 60 years or so. Then a book was published enlightening the rest of Italy to the poor, over-crowded, and disease-stricken community. After that, efforts began to make it a healthy and livable place. Many of the population was relocated to fix the overcrowding. Now, it is a popular tourist town with hotels and restaurants and thermal spas, yet with most of the sassi very well preserved. We slept in our own little "cave" and everything! Now it is also well known for being where Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ was filmed. Coincidentally, we ended up eating at one of the restaurants he frequented while there.  We heard the best way to explore the city was just to wander through the labyrinth of streets and alleys- so we did! And we agree, a map is pointless :)

Our own personal cave

An interesting design on the ceiling of our hotel room-creepy!

The dining cave- where we had breakfast

One of the many sassi houses

Cave grottoes on the other side of the ravine (uninhabited)

 Just taking in the city from the top! It looked like a giant maze

A page from the restaurant menu where we ate dinner:
offering us "Fettuccine alla Mel Gibson"

 The night time view was  spectacular!
I thought it looked like a snow globe.

Sleepy morning in Matera

The drive included mile after mile of olive trees

Hello central Italia!

Who knew there were cherry blossoms in Italy?! (I didn't!)
Too beautiful not too pull over and snap a picture or two

Recipe Makeover: Broccoli Salad

This recipe is a little premature for the summer barbecues it is normally seen at, but so what? I mean, there really isn't a "season" for a good salad, in my opinion. This was actually the product of a brain-dead moment where I honestly just couldn't think of a single item to bring to lunch with friends. Is this the cooking equivalent of writer's block??

Anyway, I took a southern classic and healthified it. (Yes, that's a word-healthified). I did a general recipe search to see what kind of variations I could find, and then went with one of the simpler ones. I like the simple dressing, combination of salty, sweet and savory, and the fact that the broccoli is barely cooked. I loved the results. Chris wasn't a big fan of the cold broccoli, but he's from California so what does he know about southern-style barbecues? (I say this with love!). Anyway, it was pretty easy and my lunch-bunch liked it too, unless they were just being polite. But I know them better than that! :)

How is this healthier? Well, I significantly cut down on the high calorie add-ins (raisins and bacon) and I eliminated the nuts. You could add in a few tablespoons of sunflower seeds or slivered almonds, if desired. The pre-crumbled bacon (real bacon) sold in the condiment section is only 25 calories per tablespoon because it contains a lot less fat. And the real healthy kicker is subbing the yogurt for the traditional mayo. This is totally do-able in this kind of salad (See my notes for straining the yogurt following the recipe). However, if the idea of eliminating mayo completely is scary to you, then try doing half mayo and half plain yogurt; or even using a little light sour cream. It reaaally adds up!

"Healthified" Broccoli Salad
Serves 4-6

• 5-6 cups broccoli florets (I used 2 small heads)
• 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3-4 Tbs finely chopped red onion
• 3 Tbs crumbled bacon bits
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, or regular plain yogurt that's been strained*
• 1 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1-2 Tbs honey

1. Blanch broccoli florets in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, depending on desired doneness. (I opted for 30 seconds). Drain, and immediately submerge in ice water to stop the cooking process. Broccoli should still be bright green and crisp.

2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, peas, and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, and 1 Tbs honey. Add more honey to reach desired sweetness. (I ended up with 1 1/2 Tbs). Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and gently toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Stir in crumbled bacon immediately before serving.

*Straining regular plain yogurt is important, otherwise the dressing will get pretty runny after a few minutes. To strain, line a mesh strainer with a paper towel over the sink or a bowl and pour yogurt over the paper towel. Allow to strain for at least 20-30 minutes. The yogurt will thicken up to sour cream consistency. Viola!

Original recipe can be found at: Simply Recipes blog.

3 Minute Hummus

I loooove chickpeas. I add them to everything (within reason. Unlike pumpkin). And pureed, they make the creamiest most perfect condiment! I've been experimenting with different flavoring combos, and this one seems to please both the Mr. and me. It's pretty basic, but honestly, most hummus recipes are. This one just happens to be my variation.

Note: I don't use tahini (sesame seed oil) because I think olive oil does the trick by itself, but feel free to add a tablespoon or too, and decrease the bean liquid. By using the bean liquid instead of more oil, you save on several hundred calories!

3 Minute Hummus

1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained,  with 1/4 cup liquid reserved
3 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic (or 1/2 tsp jarred minced)
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
scant 1/8 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
salt to taste

In a food processor, puree the chickpeas with all ingredients besides 2 Tbs of the reserved liquid. Add more liquid until desired consistency is reached. (I usually use it all!).

Makes 1 1/2 cups (24 Tbs)
Serving Size: 2 Tbs

Per serving: ~60 calories (can't beat that!)

My favorite way to use hummus is as a sandwich spread...what's yours?