Recipes this week

pretty peppers :)

Baby Sister turned 1 month old this week, and I am finally feeling like I can start to get back in the swing of things! The first two weeks she was with us, we had parents around to help us cook and go out to dinner with, and the first week I was home alone with her we had a lot of 'salads': pasta salad, egg salad, etc.

So, this week, we still have easy recipes, that can, for the most part, be done in stages (prep during the morning's nap (or any of the others during the day when I can catch a break), cooking during her last nap during the day.

As always, there is one fish dish, and one meatless dish. :)

Leftover Quinoa Salad for M's lunch.
We usually swap salad for green beans.

Also I made a batch of a new *No Bake* lactation cookie recipe from The Gluten Free Go To.

So, this week's recipes?

Veggie Bow-Tie Pasta Salad-  (Parenting.com) we used penne instead of bow-ties, and added leftover rotisserie chicken, since that's what we had on hand.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers (Real Simple, using brown rice instead of white)

Crab Cakes with Roasted Vegetables (Cooking Light) I omit the butter sauce. Not because its bad tasting or for you, I am just lazy and find it isn't necessary... and this week we added the leftover rice from the stuffed peppers as a side... even though this already has potatoes)

Taco in a Salad (What to Eat When You're Expecting)

Curry Quinoa Salad - (FitPregnancy.com, I couldn't find this online, so I printed it below. I am sure in a month or so it will be available) Even M got into this one once I pointed out all the new words in there: "Chickpeas!", "Pepitas!", "Keen-wah!".

Remember the magic words from Sam-I-Am:

"You do not like them, So you say.

Try them! Try them! And you may.

Try them and you may, I say."

watching the monitor while making crab cakes
(stick in the fridge to set up while you run to pick up M from school!
Cook them when you get home!)

Curry Quinoa Salad

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

pinch of salt

2 medium carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)

1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 granny smith apples, cored and chopped

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas!)

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp grated lime zest

juice of two limes

salt and pepper to taste

9 cups mixed greens

1. In a saucepan, combine quinoa, water, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low for around 15 minutes, until quinoa is transparent and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, cool, and place in a large bowl.

2. Add carrots, chickpeas, onions, apples, pumpkin seeds and parsley.

3. To make the dressing: whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour over quinoa mixture and toss.

4. Divide into 6 servings and serve over 1 1/2 cups of mixed greens.