Turkey and Red Quinoa Meatloaf

I absolutely LOVE this meatloaf recipe. This dinner landed in the every week category because it is SO yummy, doesnt take too long to prepare, and is an incredibly healthy meal all around. I like to use Red Quinoa because I like the slightly nuttier flavor and it looks really pretty all infused with the lighter turkey meat. You can use whatever quinoa you have on hand.


YOU WILL NEED:

1/2 cup organic red quinoa
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1/2 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried chives (or fresh), or omit for 1/2 Tbs onion powder.
Eyeball a few sprinkles of paprika, dry mustard (and cayenne if you are feelin' SPICY)

Organic Ketchup to top it all off



YOU WILL NEED TO:
Preheat oven to 375

Place quinoa, vegetable broth and vinegar in medium sauce pan. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer until water is absorbed (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). Set aside and allow cooked quinoa to cool.

In large bowl, place egg and beat slightly. Add ground turkey, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, chives, and cooled cooked Quinoa.

With hands, mix thoroughly.

Press the turkey mixture into a greased glass baking dish (Or a loaf pan, or form into a loaf in the glass dish)

Top with ketchup, get creative here! I like to make swirls or stripes or zigzags across the top, but you can always just spread across the top evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the thickness of your pan. For my 15x10x2 Pyrex dish, this takes about 45 minutes. We compliment this meal with buttered carrots and mashed potatoes. Serves 4 generously.

Enjoy! :)

My best Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip muffins EVER!!

I have been experimenting with Gluten Free muffins for about 6 months now, as I get more comfortable and familiar with the different kind of alternative flours out there. These turned out beautifully! Very soft and savory, and can be dairy free too if you use vegan chocolate chips (I dont, I use mini semi-sweet).

I make a batch of these usually every week or every other week for me and my hubby. Its a nice slightly sweet breakfast treat that is perfect with your cup of morning coffee and is good for people on the go who cant always just stop anywhere for a gluten free breakfast bite to eat.

You will need to:

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees, prepare muffin tins with paper liners (This recipe makes about 12 muffins)

Combine in a large bowl or your stand mixer bowl until fairly smooth -

* 1 heaping cup of banana puree (I buy a bunch specially for my banana bread. I let them get very ripe in a brown bag and then peel and freeze for thawing later... the result is blissfully sweet)

* 1/3 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (light works too if you want to cut some fat)

* 3/4 Cup Organic Natural Brown Sugar

* 2 Teaspoons Organic Pure Vanilla Extract



In a separate bowl, whisk together the following dry ingredients -

* 1 1/4 Cups Gluten Free Flour Mix (I use Bob's Redmill Gluten Free Baking mix, you can find it at Costco now!)

* Heaping 1/4 Cup Flaxseed Meal (Can omit for 1/4 more of GF baking mix if you dont have any, but I love this healthy addition!)

* Heaping Tablespoon of Potato Starch

* 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

* 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

* 2 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

* 1/2 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum

* 1 Heaping Teaspoon Organic Ground Cinnamon


In your stand mixer or bowl, slowly add the dry ingredients to your banana mixture, mixing thoroughly 1/2 cup at a time and scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula. You may find using your dough hooks is easier as the mixture gets pretty sticky. Once the dry mix is incorporated, fold in 1/2 Cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. (sometimes I opt for chopped pecans instead, both are DELICIOUS and add a touch of something extra to the already perfect muffin texture).

Spoon into muffin papers almost full about 1/4 inch from the top (result will be big poofed out muffin tops, YUM!) Depending on your oven, these bad boys should be ready in about 20-25 minutes. I usually find the perfect texture at about 23 minutes, but a few extra minutes doesnt do any damage, just browns them up a bit more.

The olive oil, banana and chocolate are just a perfect match up in this recipe!! Hope you ENJOY!