Breakfast Quinoa with Peanut Butter and Bananas

Breakfast reached new heights at Shel's Kitchen on Wednesday morning. For some time now I've been toying with the idea of making an oatmeal-like breakfast quinoa, and after picking up a giant bag of quinoa last week at Costco it finally came to fruition. My husband loves oatmeal, but truth be told, it's probably one of my least favorite breakfast foods. So I replaced the traditional oats with quinoa for a delicious compromise. Then I went a little bit “Elvis” and threw in some banana and peanut butter (in case you didn’t know, Elvis Presley loved peanut butter and banana sandwiches). I added honey for a sweet binder and toasted almonds for a rich, nutty, crunchy texture.

The recipe is simple: cook up some quinoa in the milk of your choice (I used vanilla almond milk), add sliced bananas, a dollop of peanut butter, a sprinkling of toasted almonds and a drizzle of honey and you have a breakfast fit for a king. I can see your hips shaking already.

Breakfast Quinoa with Peanut Butter and Bananas

1/3 c. quinoa
2/3 c. milk of your choice (I used vanilla almond milk - if you don't use vanilla almond milk I would recommend adding a splash of vanilla extract to the quinoa at the end of cooking for flavor)
1 medium banana, sliced
2 T. natural peanut butter
2 T. sliced almonds, toasted
2 t. honey

Place the quinoa and milk in a small saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the milk and is tender, about 12-15 minutes. Divide the quinoa among two bowls then top each bowl with half of the banana, 1 T. peanut butter, 1 T. almonds and 1 t. honey. Serve immediately!

2 servings (340 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com

Chicken and Asparagus Lemon Stir Fry

School's...out...for summer! If you're a stay-at-home mom like me, that means you have these blessings called 'children' with you all day. Which works out well and fine as long as everyone gets along all day, plays together nicely and never gets bored - am I right? I don't know what kind of weird, parallel universe you're living in, but if this scenario works for you I will say you are either a) not paying attention, b) your kids are robots, or c) you are the next candidate for mother of the year (in which case we probably can't be friends anymore). If you're anything like me, getting out of the house to do something every day is essential to your sanity. This could mean a trip to the park, the library or even <shudders> the grocery store! Next time you've been relegated to the store with the kids I implore you to pick up the items needed for this quick and easy stir-fry dish. Not only can you get dinner on the table after a long day of wrangling kids, there is no guilt attached to this dish! My chicken and asparagus sauteed with a light and refreshing sauce of freshly-squeezed (please) lemon juice and low sodium soy sauce will save your sanity this summer! Okay, I shouldn't promise it will necessarily save your sanity, but you will get a nice dinner out of the deal (if the kids aren't fighting at the dinner table). If they are, you have my permission to make empty threats and send them to their rooms. Enjoy your summer and try to stay sane. One stir-fry at a time.


Chicken and Asparagus Lemon Stir Fry (adapted from skinnytaste.com)

1 T. olive oil, divided
1 bunch asparagus, woody end trimmed then cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 c. reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1 c. white rice, cooked according to package directions (for serving)

Place 1 1/2 t. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the asparagus. Stir fry the asparagus for 2 minutes then remove to a plate. Add the remaining 1 1/2 t. olive oil to the pan and add the chicken. Saute the chicken for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Add the asparagus back to the pan then add the salt, pepper, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic and ginger. Cook and stir an additional 3 minutes then serve over rice.

4 servings (421 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com)

Molasses Stout-Glazed Salmon

Several times a year we visit dear friends in Omaha where our weekend is spent catching up on life, watching TV and movies, letting the kids play (i.e. run around like crazy people, taking the occasional head count as needed) and eating. In fact, my friend Amber and I spend a LOT of time planning our menus to maximize eating potential. To give you an idea of just how serious we are about the food, we started menu planning three weeks before our last visit. That's dedication, baby. We have had some memorable meals around their table, always a sumptuous collaboration between Amber and I. Case in point, this salmon dish. In an effort to incorporate more beer into my cooking repertoire (my doctor says I need more hops in my diet) I knew this recipe was a winner the moment I laid eyes on it. Salmon is broiled with a super simple glaze of stout beer (I used Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat), molasses and spices including smoked paprika for, well, a smoky flavor. When I found out Amber was game, we decided on two sides to go along with it: mashed cauliflower and a version of these jazzed up green beans. This was our dinner Friday night after arriving in what I like to call our "Oma-home" and it was just the thing we needed to start off our weekend of eating (and eating, and eating). Good friends, delicious food and plenty of laughs. There's no place like my Oma-home away from home and on days I wish I could click my ruby slippers together and be there I think back on our meals together and smile, knowing our next visit is just around the corner.

Molasses Stout-Glazed Salmon (adapted from thebeeroness.com)

1 T. olive oil

1 large shallot, minced

2 T. reduced sodium soy sauce

1/3 c. stout beer

2 T. molasses

1/4 t. smoked paprika

1/4 t. chili powder

1/4 t. onion powder

6 (4 oz.) salmon fillets

Salt and pepper

Place the oven rack on the top rung then preheat the broiler to high. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat then add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, beer, molasses, smoked paprika, chili powder and onion powder. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray with cooking spray and place the salmon on the baking sheet. Season the salmon with salt and pepper then brush the glaze on each piece, distributing evenly and using all the glaze. Broil for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

6 servings (165 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com