Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

This weekend I have a Sweet 16 to go to.  I haven't been to a Sweet 16 in a looooooong time.  I wonder how the kids do Sweet 16s these days.  Dancing?  Obvi.  Food?  I don't remember.  Alcohol (for the adults duuhhh)?  I hope so!  I really don't remember ever EATING at a Sweet 16 - is that weird?  I mean if there was food, surely I would remember.  Is there cake?  I would think so!  Why can't I rememberrr?!?  Great now I'm hungry.  Good thing this is a foood blooggg :)

Sunday I did my usual food shop for the week and they had the most beautifulest peppers, and I was all "stuffed peppers please-aaaa".

What you will need to make 2:

• 2 bell peppers (I used 1 red and 1 green because I am an equal opportunity pepper consumer)
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa
• 1 package of ground turkey meat (I used Jennie-O)
• 3 teaspoons of tomato paste
• 1 cup - 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of black beans
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Shredded cheddar jack cheese for sprinkling

Cook the quinoa as per the package instructions, and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

In a large frying pan, season the turkey meat with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink.  Add the tomato paste and quinoa, and stir to combine.  Slowly add in the vegetable broth.  Cover the pan and let simmer, allowing the broth to absorb into the mixture, about 10 minutes.  When almost all of the broth has been absorbed, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the beans, scallions, and a handful of the shredded cheese.

Cut off the tops of the peppers and remove the cores.  Fill each pepper with the mixture and top with more cheese.  Bake for 5-7 minutes, or longer if you like your peppers a little softer.

Looooooove!  If you have leftover turkey you can use it for tacos...or for spoons ;)

Xoxo


Jillian

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Oh look, another Brussels Sprouts recipe!  Not sorry obvs.  We've done pizza and we've done salad, but crispy little chippy things?  Here we goooooo!

What you will need to serve 2

• 1 package of fresh Brussels Sprouts (not frozen)
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 350.

Hold the sprouts upright, with the stem on the cutting board, and slice thinly in a downward motion.

Spread evenly onto a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper, and bake for 7 minutes, or until golden brown.

THE END. <3

Xoxo

Jillian

Screen Capcha Friday

As I scroll through Instagram/Facebook on the hourly daily, I find myself screen shotting things that make me LOL, things that make me get a little teary, and things that I screen shot and immediately send to Boyfriend with a "please buy me onneeeeeeee" text (it's usually a puppy FYI).  Here are a few screen shots, or screen caps as I call them, that I had in my Camera Roll this week.

BECAUSE I LITERALLY CAN'T EVEN!!! STILL CRYING!! :( :(

Self Explanatory

Guilty

Also guilty

GUILTY

True

Love that Amy Schumer!

So cute!

My kind of pup

GUILTY! 

I don't know why but I found this hilarrrrrrious

PIZZA > SALAD

I guess you can say that I did not have a lot going on this week :)


Happy Weekend!



Xoxox

Jillian

Chicken Avo Lettuce Bowl

My legs saw the light of day this weekend.  And pretty it was not.  Has anyone else out there been blinded by their own paleness?  I was worried the reflection from the sun to my legs would harm overhead air traffic.  Not good.

Other than frying my retinas, t'was a pretty good weekend.  The parental unit were on vacation so we had the house all to ourselves.  Peace and quiet.  There was cooking, chillaxing, taking Grandma to IHOPing, and reading......ing.  I bought "The Girl on the Train" on Friday and finished it on Sunday afternoon.  Sooooooo good!!  Go out and get it!

Because I'm five

The inspo for today's post comes from Friday night when Boyfriend and I went to dinner at Hurricane Grill & Wings.  Yum!  I tried their chicken lettuce wraps, which were delish, and realized that hmmm maybe I should try that thing where people replace the bun/bread with lettuce.  PLUS ripe Avocados made their return to supermarket so there's that.

What you will need for 2 bowls:

• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• Olive oil
• 2 thinly sliced chicken breasts, chopped into cubes
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sliced red onion
• 2 ripe avocado, pitted and sliced
• Salt and pepper
• Red pepper flakes

In a non-stick pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and allow to heat for about 30 seconds.  Add the cubed chicken, and season with salt and pepper.  When the chicken is halfway cooked, add the minced garlic and stir to combine.  Once chicken is cooked through, remove from the heat and set aside.

Remove the core of the head of lettuce and peel away the first few layers.  Pile two lettuce layers on top of each other to form the "bowl".  Add the chicken, onion and avocado.  Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top for a little extra kick and color.

Eat!

The first bowl I cut up with a fork and knife, but the second bowl I just rolled up and ate like a taquito!  Nom!

Xoxo

Jillian

Screen Capcha Friday

As I scroll through Instagram/Facebook on the hourly daily, I find myself screen shotting things that make me LOL, things that make me get a little teary, and things that I screen shot and immediately send to Boyfriend with a "please buy me onneeeeeeee" text (it's usually a puppy FYI).  Here are a few screen shots, or screen caps as I call them, that I had in my Camera Roll this week.

Obv.

Don't hate - Congratulate!

DREAM!

Flashback!

Ewwwwww!!!!

Have a great weekennnnnddd-aaaa!!!

Xoxo

Jillian

Crispy Croutons

With Grandma now living with us, it has been interesting to see what a creature of habit she is.  She's got her routines in the morning and afternoon, and follows a strict after-dinner clean-up/Wheel of Fortune schedule at night.  She also has her "places".  The Italian pastry shop down the road, the Chinese food place up the block, the ONLY diner (in a town that has 5 within two seconds from each other) that she likes because they make her Western Omelette to perfection.  Oh yeah, and her #1 Italian restaurant choice of all time.  Obvi.  I used to work there in high school and I would stuff my face all day long.  Shocking, I know.

When you order from their takeout menu, they give you a few mini baguettes on the side.  Alone, they are fantasic, and with the food they are perfection, but they have so much potential outside of the takeout box (see what I did there?).

Croutons.

Crispy.  Crunchy.  Warm.  Did I say crispy?

What you will need for 1.5 cups:

• 2 small baguettes
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil for the frying pan, plus some more for drizzling
• 1/2 tablespoon of oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon of basil
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon  parsley

Cut the bread into cubes and set aside.  In a large frying pan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil for about 30 seconds.  Place the bread cubes face down in the oil, and toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Once golden, flip the bread to toast up the other side.  Drizzle with some additional olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano, basil, garlic powder and parsley.  Toast for another 5 minutes, and do a quick stir to mix everything together.

Serve immediately.

I prefer to eat these alone, but if you're normal, I guess you can put them in a salad or something *wink*

Xoxo

Jillian

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for OH MY GOD LOOK BEHIND YOU!

Just kidding.

Ice cream?

Heehee?

Ice cream.  Iced cream.  Cream that has been iced.

I am a firm believer that ice cream is fine to consume heavily all year round, but now that spring has finally shown itself (halle-flippin-lujah), I want it mooorree!  I had heard rumors around the internet that one can make ice cream without one of those fancy ice cream churner things, and after much research I found that oh heck yes 'tis true!  Seriously people, 2 main ingredients, plus whatever flavor combos your little heart desires.  Looove!

Since this was my first rodeo, I stuck to the regular vanilla.  It came out tasting exactly how vanilla ice cream should taste, so Imma get a little more cray next time around.

What you will need for a batch that will serve 3-5 depending on each individual's serving size:

• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 cup (or more) of M&Ms
• Sprinkles for extra color

Using a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form, about 10 minutes.  Pour in the  sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, and fold to combine.  Add in the M&Ms, stirring to combine, then add the sprinkles.

Pour into a loaf pan or other container and freeze for about 7 hours.

Psychedelic ;)

Xoxo

Jillian