Vegetarian Quinoa Enchilada Bake

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We were fortunate enough to have Jameson’s amazing brother and sister-in-law come spend a week with us awhile back.  We had such a blast exploring our city, relaxing and just plain talking with them.  By getting hitched and combining our families have Jay and I have amassed an incredible, dynamic, ragtag group of exceptional family members.  We may have one of the largest immediate families in the history of mankind but we wouldn’t change it for the world. We so enjoy and cherish every second we have with any member of our brood.  So having Eton and Angela here with us to experience how we do our Brooklyn lifestyle was such a joy.

We ate out a little, but we ate in a lot because I seriously love having new taste buds to impress.  This Vegetarian Quinoa Enchilada Bake Quinoa  (with meat options to appease my carnivorous brother-in-law) was a hit and had Ange asking for the recipe as a souvenir.  I figured I shouldn’t keep the dish just to the family, but spread the love around.  Lately with our hectic schedules, we Jordan’s are all about this dish because it requires little prep, virtually no mess and leaves us leftovers for days.  It is the perfect, filling meal for the evenings when you need something quick but don’t have the time or energy to pull off a multi-course meal.  Enjoy. Continue reading “Vegetarian Quinoa Enchilada Bake”

Skillet Shrimp and Chicken Paella

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My mom makes excellent paella. It is bar none one of her unsung talents.  So last weekend when I was meal planning and missing her a little extra I decided to try my hand at it.  Now she is the master, and I the student so I do not in any capacity feign superiority in my dish.  I have watched her whip it up on several occasions, but what is tricky is that my mom happens to be a wiz in the kitchen so she never follows a recipe directly.  Thus no paella is ever rendered the same again.  It is a dish only to be enjoyed in that moment, because next time it will be equally as wonderful but slightly refined.  So as I crafted my version I tried to think back on what I seen her incorporate, and then substituted in and out a few items to suit our palates (like quinoa instead of rice, extra veggies instead of meat and turkey sausage instead of chorizo).  I am sure I missed plenty of ingredients but the result was nonetheless stellar.  Furthermore, pausing to enjoy my take on paella on this sunny New York Spring evening, whirled up all sorts of nostalgia as it left my feeling as if I was sitting on my mom’s back porch catching up over our days.  I love you mom 🙂 Continue reading “Skillet Shrimp and Chicken Paella”