Bowl-Licking Good!

Posted: September 7, 2011 at 1:22 pm

Afternoon, friends! We had a slight delay in getting into the regular fun of What I Ate Wednesday today. And with good reason, too. I’m loving all the comments, perspectives, and general thoughts in my last post on blogging money and page views talk. Have you weighed in, yet? I would love to hear your feedback! It is something I value and I believe this is a discussion worth sharing. So, hop on over and drop a line there before diving into some delicious What I Ate Wednesday action. Gotta love Jen and her link round-ups for inspiring great meal ideas!

Peas and Crayons

Since I felt compelled to talk about blog money and page views this morning, we have to do a little backing up to yesterday afternoon and evening. After my sweat fest of a workout with my favorite at home cardio workout,Peter suggested taking a short walk around the neighborhood as a family. It’s one of our favorite ways to pass time together.

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We even had to bundle up a bit! The temperatures dropped, so I had to bust out my Champion jacket from the Shape Your Life ambassador program (look for a review tonight!).

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After our walk, I came home with dinner determination. It was time to tackle another previously hated food. Last week, I gave asparagus another failed shot…and this week, I wanted to give quinoa another try and had this handy sample from the Healthy Living Summit.

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One of the lunches at Healthy Living Summit featured a quinoa dish that I drooled over. It was incredible! Before that, I had tried quinoa once with a recipe of my own…and hated it. I realized that my problem was having a bland ole quinoa. I always wanted to love quinoa (hello??? easy, quick, and nutritional powerhouse!!) and figured I would make an effort again, making sure to use a recipe with a little more pizazz.

Enter Mama Pea’s vegetarian jambalaya from her book. Enter a newfound love of quinoa and an even greater appreciation of Sarah and her genius ways with food.

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I now want to rack up a million and one quinoa recipes and eat it every week for the rest of my life. Do you see another food kick starting around here? Winking smile

Delicious food doesn’t stop there! This morning after a drizzly five mile run, I came home hankering for a warm bowl of oatmeal. Go figure, right? I did want something a little more decadent and special though, so I crafted a chocolate strawberry oats bowl.

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Oats with cocoa powder, chopped strawberries, raisins, peanut butter, and an Adora chocolate calcium disc chopped and sprinkled on top.

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Bowl-licking good!

It filled me up and powered me right through until lunch – which featured more quinoa jambalaya, an apple, and slices of sharp cheddar. I am loving on the cheddar lately. Hmmm… wonder if I could find a way to combine my two new obsessions. A quinoa sharp cheddar “macaroni & cheese”, perhaps? Or maybe I should play it safe and stick with tried and true recipes. I don’t want to find myself hating on the little grain balls again, after all!

  • Do you have a quinoa recipe you can share? Link it up!
  • How often do you lick your dishes clean? Daily! Oats are just too good!

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48 Comments to “Bowl-Licking Good!”
  1. I’ll have to look for one of those Quinoa blends… I like the idea of having the flavor already in the mix! I mad quinoa with butternut squash once and was really happy with the result! The squash was seasoned with garlic and cinnamon which is perfect for the upcoming fall. I also used a balsamic reduction to add a final punch of flavor to the dish. http://morefruitplease.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/butternut-squash-and-quinoa-salad/

  2. Sarah says:

    I remember as a little kid fighting with my siblings over who got to lick the bowl clean after my mom baked. I’ve definitely used my fingers to get the last little bit.

    quinoa and I have an interesting relationship. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don’t want anything to do with it. I might have to get Sarah’s book so I can make her recipes that I keep hearing all about 🙂

  3. Evan Thomas says:

    I made this for my family last Christmas and my 83 year old great aunt couldn’t get enough of it: http://www.thewannabechef.net/2010/11/29/the-best-quinoa-dressing/

    This one is also very good: http://www.thewannabechef.net/2011/01/13/vegged-out-quinoa/

  4. Shannon says:

    Yum! Strawberries, nut butter and raisons are a great breakfast topping! 🙂

  5. Umm I like my bowl/plate/smoothie cup and the blender it self clean on a daily basis 🙂 its so darn good. And I am obsessed with quinoa and make it all the time. I can’t link a specific recipe b.c. I’m on my phone but check out the recipe section of my blog you will find tons of quinoa combinations! Forloveofcarrots.com

  6. I’m so glad you found your love for quinoa — I love the looks of that jambalaya! And that breakie….there’s something about warm comforting oats wrapped in chocolate that makes me drool 😀

  7. Becky says:

    Quinoa Salad:

    1 Cup Cooked quinoa (any variety, but I think the red gives the dish a little pizzazz)
    1-2 diced medium sized fresh tomatoes
    1 diced red onion, medium
    1 diced medium cucumber
    2T seasoned rice wine vinegar
    2T bottled General Tsao sauce*

    *this really makes the dish, any slightly spicy, slightly sweet low sodium low sugar chili sauce will work

    Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for an hour to allow the flavors to combine. Excellent as a side dish at a potluck or BBQ, good as a main course with bigger serving size, easy to double, goes great with chicken, beef, turkey, burgers, hot dogs… just about anything!

    I have also done an Incan porridge in the Crockpot with quinoa and steel cut oats and dried cherries and peaches and cinnamon and craisins… I may have to make that again this week!

  8. I make quinoa very frequently. My favorite recipe is this quinoa black bean salad:

    http://tracystreats.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/quinoa-salad-and-red-velvet-brownies/

    Hope you get a chance to try it…it’s addicting!

  9. April says:

    I have been replacing my rice with quinoa in fried rice! I don’t have a recipe per se but follow any fried rice recipe just add quinoa instead! http://theaprilblake.com/2011/09/weekly-veggie-tray/

  10. Lauren says:

    Try Mama Pea’s cashew pineapple dish. She uses brown rice, but there’s a similar recipe in Veganomicon that uses quinoa instead. They also cook the quinoa in pineapple juice, which makes it amazing!

  11. I wanted to lick my oatmeal bowl clean this morning too. I love quinoa, but you do have to go heavy with spicing it up or it can be bland.

  12. I love the little sleeper with the feet. I had to take out my lil guy in his sleeper this week, too.

    I have a blackberry cabernet sorbet in the freezer that is so good that I might lick the carton 😉

  13. I love quinoa but I actually don’t find it that easy to prepare. I always end up undercooking it or overcooking it then it gets mushy. Grump.

  14. jobo says:

    Yum yum YUM! those oats look awesome. I didn’t try your other version today – forgot again – but did add some chocolate protein powder (muscle milk light – yummy) and cashew butter to it with a perfectly ripe banana. was PERFECT!

  15. Carly says:

    I love quinoa!!! I recently used it with a curry dish using ashley at edible perspective’s recipe for coconut quinoa. Sooooooo good! I also use it in place of rice or couscous in recipes all the time. And I make taboulleh with it instead of bulgur.

  16. Mellissa says:

    I use quinoa so much, such a great staple. A good way to give it flavor is to cook it in veggie or chicken broth or even half water half orange juice. It tastes so much better with more flavor!

  17. Emily says:

    That is a seriously amazing looking bowl of oats…I need to embrace more chocolate in the morning 🙂

  18. I love quinoa and use it instead of brown rice in a lot of things (stir frys, soups, stuffed bell peppers, its great cold on salads, etc).

    I do love to add cheese to my quinoa, usually I do it with blue cheese or a Laughing Cow cheese wedge that melts right in for that cheesey mac flavor.

    The possibilities are endless!

  19. Brooke says:

    No actual quinoa recipe but…it is really good if you cook the quinoa in vegetable broth instea of water. It cooks full of flavor.

  20. Allison says:

    Um, that looks amazing. I hope I find some of those boxes in my store soon! That would make it so much easier for weeknight dinners! I wonder what other flavors they come in?? Yum!

  21. Your bowl of oats looks to die for! I really need to get more creative. I’ve been very boring lately on the eating front.

    I never noticed that Near East added quinoa to its product line. I’m going to check it out the next time I’m at the store. Thanks for sharing!

    As for licking my dishes clean, it’s a daily occurrence for sure. You aren’t alone, my friend. 😉

  22. Charissa says:

    I totally lick the bowl too…glad I”m not alone. Haha..

    And your kids are so cute…I love how the one is still in the sleeper!

  23. Hilary says:

    Spicy quinoa and bean veggie burgers! http://hungryhealthyhilary.com/2011/06/14/burger-builder/ You can adjust the spices/seasonings based on your spiciness preferences and what you have on hand.

  24. Kelly @ Beneathitall did a quinoa round up a little while ago and she compiled a bunch of recipes too. You should go search her blog for that, it had some good ones!
    I’m partial to these two 🙂
    http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/2011/06/nrolfw-update-more-mango/
    http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/2011/05/summer-herbed-stuffed-tomatoes/

  25. HA – Did you really lick that bowl?!

    I just made an awesome recipe with that same quinoa from HLS the other night – I should have it up on my blog next week (I’m sooo slow).

    PS – how cute are M and B in that stroller?!

  26. ummm id give my left arm for that bowl of oats right now! LOL

  27. Mama Pea says:

    I love that you used quinoa instead of rice. Now it is YOU that is the genius, my friend.

  28. So glad you found a good one! I love quinoa and bulgur – you can out basically anything in them. My favorite quinoa so far is a Moroccan-spiced one I made several months back: http://www.sprint2thetable.com/2010/10/morocco-anyone/

  29. Wow look at that bowl of yummy eats! You have so many tasty things combined there and presented so nicely 🙂
    I lick my plate and bowl quite often.. but only when I am eating alone haha

  30. Funny, I tried quinoa for the first time in awhile today and I didn’t like it. I’ve heard you can do it for breakfast too- sweet? Not that it beats your oats 🙂

  31. I LOVE quinoa! I will seriously eat it plain. But my favorite recipe is this Sweet and Crunchy Quinoa – http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/salad/passover-recipe-sweet-and-crunchy-quinoa-salad-144059

    I converted my whole family into quinoa lovers with it!

  32. Khushboo says:

    Delicous looking eats! Parita just posted a recipe which involved sweet potato, quinoa and black beans…it’s defo on my list of things to make soon! http://myinnershakti.com/2011/09/07/wiaw-new-to-me-meals/

  33. I still need to try making quinoa…haven’t yet but your delicious meal is inspiring me to try it!

    Your asparagus comment reminded me that I wanted to ask you in that asparagus post – why is asparagus a main veggie in a bodybuilders diet? I have an acquaintance who’s prepping for fitness competitions and all she eats is asparagus and a protein! Why is that? I find it so interesting…. 🙂

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