Roundup

Friday Favorites

February 22, 2013 by Erica

Zion National Park

Breeeeeathe out. It’s Friday.

Thank goodness. It’s been a whirlwind of a week, and I am sooo ready for a weekend of kicking back, sleeping in, and concocting some new recipes! No 6 AM treadmill workouts, no stressful presentations, just me in my slippers making a big ol’ mess in my kitchen. Yessss please.

In the meantime, here are some of the things I’ve been loving this week.

1. This Penner-Ash pinot noir. Penner-Ash was one of the wineries we visited in October, and Nate got us this bottle for Valentine’s Day! It was deeeeelicious.

2. Susan Cain’s TED talk on the power of introverts. In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. I heard this on NPR the other morning and identified with it so much!

3. These roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato quinoa bowls from one of my new favorite blogs, A Farmer in the Dell. (How awesome is she?!) I made these twice this week!

Sweet Potatoes

4. Sweet potatoes every which way, in fact. I’m really wanting to make this stuffed curry sweet potato and these stuffed sweet potatoes with white beans and kale.

5. Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I got these for Nate for Valentine’s Day, and I think he’s managed to eat 1. The container is almost empty. Oops.

6. Flossing. Random, right? But a good thing, given the peanut butter cups. I used to be much better at flossing, but I’m embarrassed to say how long it’s been since I flossed regularly. Back on the wagon!

7. Getting nominated for Employee of the Year at work. On Tuesday I had to give a presentation to our executive team on why I deserve to win, and it was NERVE-RACKING. (See number 2…) The winner gets a week-long trip for 2 to anywhere in the world paid for! We find out the winner in about a month – eek!

8. This vegan bouillabaisse from Post Punk Kitchen. How good does that look?! I really need to make a few more soups before winter ends…

9. Thrift Shop by Macklemore. Am I behind the times? I’m finding this song so hilarious.

10. Coconut butter in my morning oatmeal. Mmmmmm.

Well that’s all for now. Enjoy your weekend! Recipes coming up next week, promise :)

Healthy Super Bowl Food

February 2, 2013 by Erica

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

So, it occurs to me that you may be looking for something tasty to bring to a Super Bowl party tomorrow.

And that maybe you left it to the last minute.

And that maybe you and I have that in common.

I’ve posted a bunch of football appetizers on this blog lately, just none this week because… let’s face it, I’m already over the Super Bowl. I’m pretty much the ultimate fair weather Pats fan, and as soon as they were out, I was, too.

I’ll be in it for the commercials tomorrow, and of course the food… so let me share a few suggestions. These appetizers will make you more than welcome at anyone’s house this Sunday!

Buffalo Brussels Potato Skins with Lightened Up Blue Cheese Dressing – My favorite appetizer of all time, and they even have green stuff hidden in there. Oh my goodness. This is an awesome veggie alternative to wings.

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

Healthy Leek and Gruyere Sweet Potato Skins – If you prefer sweet potatoes, these are totally for you. You can use sharp cheddar instead of the gruyere so they won’t be stinky!

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

Chipotle Black Bean Dip – One of my favorite healthy dips, and super easy to throw together.

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

Extra Creamy Hummus – This is also super fast to whip up a batch of, and is perfect if you want something healthy to munch on.

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

Simple Guacamole – Everyone likes guacamole.

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

And if you’re hosting the party, here are a few suggestions for easy dinners to make:

Vegan Three-Bean Chili – You can double the recipe to make an enormous pot of this. No one will go home hungry!

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, and Caramelized Onion Pizza – OK, so the pictures aren’t the best, but this is seriously delicious. Top with the cheese of your choice!

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

Chickpea Tacos with Guacamole – And finally, my most-pinned recipe recently. You won’t believe how quick these tacos are to make, and they’re a great healthy alternative to meaty tacos with cheese and sour cream.

Healthy Super Bowl Food | coffeeandquinoa.com

Can I put in a shameless plug here for you to like Coffee & Quinoa on Facebook? That way, when I post an urgent plea for someone else to wash my dishes, you can be notified immediately. I KNOW, right?! Also, Pinterest, because then we can play a fun game called “what is Erica going to blog about next week?” It’s usually pretty obvious what’s on my mind when I pin five beet cake recipes in a row (hint hint). And if you’d rather spend Sunday ignoring the Super Bowl and repinning baked good recipes… well, I’m right there with ya!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

2012: The Year I Started Blogging

December 29, 2012 by Erica

It’s hard to believe 2012 is almost over. As someone who doesn’t like change very much, I’m never ready to let go!

As always, the past year is kind of a blur. But here are the highlights that come to mind of 2012:

I skied a lot.

Nate and I moved in together.

I finally caved and got an iPhone (now that Google no longer gives me free phones).

I ran my first races since 2004: a 5k, 10k, and half marathon. And Nate won a marathon… no big deal…

…and I was the proudest I’ve ever been in my entire life.

(Photos stolen from my friend Tamiz!)

I ate vegan for 6 months.

My little sister got married!

I traveled to San Francisco twice, Vegas twice, Moab three times, Seattle, Chapel Hill, Maine, Boston twice, Oregon, and Jackson. It was quite the year of western travel! I definitely plan on continuing that in 2013. Destinations (hopefully) include: Paso Robles, Zion National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Winston-Salem, and Miami, plus Pennsylvania, Indiana and Maine for more weddings.

Also, I had some visitors this year: my parents, my grandma, my cousin Erin, my friend Dani, and my friends Bill and Grant. Keep the visits coming in 2013!!

But most relevant here, 2012 is the year I started blogging.

And I’m so happy about that! There have been many years in my life where I wasn’t necessarily passionate about anything I was doing, and wasn’t sure in which direction my life was going to go. And now, I guess I’ve discovered that what I’m passionate about is cooking new foods and sharing them with others! Of course, I still can’t say that food blogging is going to determine the course of my life or anything like that, but it feels like a start. I have something I want to spend all my free time on… and for me, that’s huge! So maybe 2012 is the year I started to figure stuff out.

Speaking of figuring stuff out… I’ve been doing a lot of learning in the kitchen. Veganism, cooking for 2 people, blogging, healthy eating… I feel like I’ve constantly been tackling something new. Along the way I’ve cooked some pretty good stuff, too! I’ve only had this blog for about 3 months, so I don’t feel like I can pick 10 favorites, but here have been my top 5 favorite recipes of 2012 in chronological order:

1. Autumn Harvest Quinoa

This warm quinoa dish is made with apples, onions, cranberries, walnuts, and cinnamon. It is soooo good that you will eat it right out of the pan! (Not that I ever… routinely… do a think like that.) I like to make this in huge batches, and will probably make a more wintery version soon.

2. Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash and Kale

This risotto is one of those can’t-believe-it’s-vegan dishes. Using pearled farro makes it relatively quick-cooking, and it’s so worth the little bit of stirring. This restored my faith in homemade risotto!

3. Sweet Potato Sushi Bowl

I absolutely love cooking Asian food, and this sushi bowl was probably my #1 favorite dish of the year because of all the different Japanese flavors happening here. I did a happy dance every time I took a bite of this meal! One to bring back in 2013.

4. Noodles in Spicy Lemongrass Broth

Again, the Asian thing. This broth was so spicy it made Nate cry. (OK maybe not really, but it was pretty spicy!) I love spicy broths, and this won’t be the last one you’ll see on here. This post was also the first time I got a picture accepted to TasteSpotting!

5. Christmas Chili Crostini

And last but not least, these little holiday toasts. I went on a serious colorful food kick in December, and these were my favorite. They will be in the regular Christmas rotation going froward!

So that’s it – my 2012 in review. Thanks so much for reading and supporting me as I learn how to be part of this crazy blog world! I appreciate it so much.

Here’s to 2013!

Connect