Versatile side dish...

10 new recipes made last week and if we were picking out favorites they would have to be Chicken and Black Bean Taquitos with Adobo Sour Cream, Snickers Fudge and Roast Turkey and Prosciutto Pizza. I have also brought the recipe section on the left side bar up to date - you may need to hit refresh on each page to see the new recipes added. Can you believe we have over 600 recipes between the two sections now?! Since we have made every single one, it is fun to stroll back and look through them to see the pictures and what we thought of the recipe.

Tonight's dinner, Quinoa Stuffing with Leeks, Walnuts and Cherries, made excellent use one of our new favorite foods. Even though the original recipe didn't call for it, make sure to rinse the quinoa as it can bring an unpleasant bitterness - I also like to gently toast the grain afterwards to dry them out and punch up the nutty flavor. As the quinoa soaks in flavor from the chicken broth while it gently bubbles away, thin slices of leek, chopped celery and seasonings are cooked until tender in melted butter. Minced garlic is tossed in and quickly cooked to temper the harsh raw flavor. Once the quinoa explodes and the tiny curls pop out, they are added to the cooked vegetables along with chopped dried cherries and nutty toasted walnuts so the flavors can meld together as the dish warms through. A little sweet, crunchy, nutty and chock full of healthy ingredients, I can see making this quite often as a side or even with a piece of grilled chicken for a light dinner.

Recipes

Quinoa Stuffing with Leeks, Walnuts and Cherries