Truffled Quinoa & Cheese

Obsessed doesn’t even begin to describe my sentiment towards the truffled quinoa and cheese from Snap Kitchen.  So darn delicious.  And after some quick label investigation?  I was beyond confident that I could recreate this delish in my kitch.

I ventured to the Whole Foods butter section and reacquainted myself with the black truffle butter I had fallen so deeply in love with not so long ago.  The first time you spend ten bucks on three ounces of butter is a little painful.  The second time?  Pshhh.  So yum, not phased.

FoodFash Truffled Quinoa & Cheese (yields 4  - 300 calorie servings)

1 cup quinoa, uncooked

2 cups water

1 tablespoon butter

1 – 8 oz. package of baby bellas, stems removed and chopped

2 tablespoons black truffle butter

2 oz. gruyere cheese, shredded

salt & white pepper to taste

Bring quinoa and water to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  In a separate pan, melt butter over medium heat and add mushrooms.  Saute the mushrooms, stirring every few minutes, until they are deep brown in color.  Remove the quinoa from the heated burner and stir in the truffle butter until melted.  Fold in the sauteed mushrooms and add salt and white pepper to taste.  Top each serving with 1/2 oz. of shredded cheese and serve.

When I reviewed Snap Kitchen’s version on Tasted Menu, I noted how rare it was to find a healthy truffle dish.  And even though butter and cheese are far from topping the health charts, using less than 100 calories of each per serving counts as total moderation in my book.  Serve with a hearty portion of greens and you’ve got yourself a sinful, bases-covered meal!

Land Of The Living, In Pictures

Breakfast: Flax Waffle with Fried Egg

Lunch:  Tabbouleh Wrap

Dinner:  Broiled Halibut & Tomatoes with Tabbouleh and Edamame

If someone would have told me yesterday that I would be feeling like a normal person today, I wouldn’t have believed them.  It’s amazing what your body can do in a mere eight hours!  I celebrated this re-entry to the land of living (I haven’t been out of my house in days) by treating my body right – lots of hearty, veggie-filled meals AND a 5-1/2 mile walk around Town Lake.  I may just continue this little celebration by picking out tomorrow’s work attire, setting my alarm 30 minutes earlier than usual, and heading to the gym tomorrow during lunch!

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Holy moly, tabbouleh should be called something along the lines of use-every-cutting-board-in-your-cabinets-and-dirty-every-dish salad, for tabbouleh is no joke in the prep-work department.

FoodFash Quinoa Tabbouleh

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

1 bunch flat leaf parsley, de-stemmed

1 bunch mint leaves, de-stemmed

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 cucumber, deseeded and chopped

5 ounces cherry tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of two lemmons

salt & pepper to taste

Bring quinoa and water to a boil, reduce heat, and cover for 20 minutes.  While quinoa is cooking, get ready to chop, a lot.  Chop deseeded cucumber and tomato and set aside.  Add parsley, scallions, and mint to a food processor and press the chop button until everything is mixed and nothing resembles leaves.  Mix the quinoa and veggies together in a large bowl, add olive oil and lemon juice, and stir.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Tabbouleh can be eaten immediately, but tastes best after about an hour in the fridge.

Tabbouleh is about as powerhouse of a salad as they come.  Parsley is filled with Vitamin K, antioxidants, and volatile oils.  Quinoa is crazy in the protein and fiber departments.  And the tomatoes, mint, and scallions add their fair share of nutrients as well.  Tabbouleh is one of those dishes that, in a perfect world, should be served with every meal.

Happy Memorial Day!!

Just because you’ve been cooped up in your apartment for days, doesn’t mean you can’t get into the holiday spirit!  I’ve been fighting what has to be the nastiest sickness for what seems like forever, but decided to take advantage of a brief pseudoephedrine burst of energy to make something festive.

Red, white, and blue jello?  Now what could be more ‘Merican than that!

I followed this recipe, but used plastic cups to avoid cookie cutters and non-stick spray.  Thankfully I went this route, because my fridge was not on board to cool these cups fast enough.  I ended up placing the cups in the freezer after each layer which worked much better.

Now I just have to figure out where to drop my ‘Merican treats off so I can retreat back to my couch cocoon in hopes of feeling well enough to get back to work tomorrow.

Happy Memorial Day to all!!