garlic herb quinoa

Very flavorful!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter (I used a lactose-free variety, since Mike's mom was visiting)
  
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 dash fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa, and toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.
2. In a bowl, toss quinoa together with garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, and onion. Sprinkle with lemon juice, and serve.

photo, recipe from allrecipes.com

spicy honey-brushed chicken thighs

I don't usually make chicken thighs, but I thought this recipe worthy of tagging to make again-- very easy, and I cut the spiciness down a lot for the kids' sake, but it was still a tasty dish, enjoyed by all. I served it with herbed quinoa, peas, and salad.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.
3. Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

photo courtesy of myrecipes.com

Heavenly Healthy Banana Bread

In search of a healthy baked good recipe to use up ripe bananas, I came across this whole grain bread. It only calls for a little brown sugar (I used raw cane sugar, and even less than it called for), and the rest is sweetened with honey. This is some of the best banana bread I've ever had. From one batch, I made two mini loaves for us and the neighbors as well as some mini muffins for the kids... they like those.

Here is the recipe