Quinoa and Black Beans

After last Sunday's unfortunate food incident, I was hesitant to get back on schedule for Slow Cooker Sunday. Thus, in the form of a true pantry scavenger I opened the pantry doors this evening and thought, "What to make?" The pantry is currently packed full with items I've been stocking up for Thanksgiving and unfortunately nothing was really jumping out at me. When I spotted our 4 lb. bag of quinoa I could hear Minx whisper "Use it!"- she's been on a quinoa kick recently. I opted for a meatless main {from All Recipes} which I altered ever so slightly. Peter and I dressed up our dinner with sour cream, salsa, and cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 can vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2-3 shakes cayenne pepper
1-2 shakes Hot Shot
1-2 shakes Mixed-Up Salt
1 can sweet corn kernels
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. { While that is simmering, send your husband to the grocery store to pick up some shredded Cheddar cheese.}
3. Stir in corn and black beans and let it simmer for 5 minutes {or until your husband returns, which ever comes first}.

10 servings.

Home Tour: Matt & Erin

Our dear friends Matt and Erin were featured in today's Commercial Appeal in an article titled My New Home: House near Poplar, Highland is city-suburbia compromise for newlyweds. They bought a house in Highland earlier this year and have spent a good amount of time making it adorable without making any major cosmetic changes. We're frequently over at their house since we all cheer for Clemson, enjoy watching glee and love eating Erin's food {don't let the clean kitchen picture fool you, Erin is a whiz in the kitchen}. The pictures below are from the paper.

Gnocchi

Last night's dinner was extremely simple and even more flavorful. The sauce would make a wonderful topping on any pasta. With the temperature starting to drop, I've been in the mood for a hearty meal. Gnocchi is hearty enough to fill you up but not so heavy you feel stuffed. Peter had the leftovers for lunch and said they were great (and I'm pretty sure made a few of his coworkers jealous).

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 can (28 ounces) whole plum tomatoes with juice, crushed by hand
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) tomato sauce
2 sprigs basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Gnocchi
Thinly shaved parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine; cook until most liquid has evaporated. Add tomatoes and juice, tomato sauce, basil, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until slightly thick, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
2. Bring a large pot water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Add half of the gnocchi; when they rise to the top (after about 2 minutes), continue to cook until tender, about 15 seconds more. Transfer gnocchi with a slotted spoon to pan with sauce. Repeat process with remaining gnocchi.
3. Reheat gnocchi over low heat; gently toss. Serve with cheese shavings. (Serves 6)