Weekend wonders

I've been bad at posting. The issue with my cooking style is that I make a lot of stuff up! I often fail at measuring and marking my changes to recipes. The result is delicious food with no record of how to replicate it.
I spent this weekend doing some cooking and food prep and it paid off!

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa Casserole

Your shopping list:

2 cups cooked quinoa 

1 lb extra lean ground turkey

half medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 mushrooms, chopped

half green pepper, diced

5 handfuls of spinach, chopped if you want

2 cups tomato sauce (I use homemade)

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs

1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/8 tsp thyme

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp chili flakes (omit if sensitive to spice)

Salt & pepper, to taste

A few sprays of olive oil

What to do with it:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375
2. Cook turkey over medium heat in large skillet
3. Once fully cooked, drain fat, remove turkey and add to a large bowl with cooked quinoa
4. Spray pan with oil and return to medium heat
5. Add garlic and onions and sautee until almost golden brown
6. Add vegetables to skillet and cook until spinach is wilted
7. Transfer veggies to bowl and add spices, panko, tomato sauce and one cup of cheese
8. Mix well
9. Pour mix into baking dish sprayed with olive oil
10. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes
11. Enjoy once cooked, or freeze individual portions for later!

Blast From My Past

I really, really, really love pasta.
I really, really, really love cooking.
I really, really, really hate doing dishes.

This recipe is perfect because it only incorporates two of those things: Pasta & Cooking.

This one-pot meal is great because you don't wind up doing dishes for meat, sauce and pasta. It's one of my favourite meals and reminds me of living at home when my step-mama was doing some of the cooking. I've taken the recipe and modified it to suit my taste buds & hatred of doing dishes.

"Blast From the Pasta"

Adapted from Crazy Plates Cookbook

Your Shopping List:

1lb or so of Extra-lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tray of sliced mushrooms, or a handful that you will slice yourself
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 can cream of mushroom soup (look for some without MSG)*
1 can of tomato soup (no msg)
1/4 cup of milk*

1 tsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp paprika

3/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp chili powder2 handfuls of washed baby spinach
any other vegetables you like in pasta
3 cups of dry pasta such as penne or fusili

*if you don't have any cream of mushroom soup, you can use extra mushrooms, milk and a bit of plain yogurt or sour cream. The flavour isn't as rich, but it's still tasty!

What to do with it:

1. Cook the meat in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat (I use a deep lagostina pan that a lid)
2. When the meat is cooked through, add in the veggies and cook until they start to become tender - about 5 minutes
3. Add the canned tomatoes and soups; stir well
4. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
5. Lower heat to a simmer, and cook, lid on, for 30 minutes - stirring occasionally
6. Serve, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy!