Roasted Veggie Quinoa

Quinoa is one of my favorite "go to" items that has now become a staple in our house.  Quinoa is grain like in texture but technically it is a seed.  It is packed with protein and adapts to anything you cook it with.  This particular recipe is one of my personal favorites because it's quick and easy to make yet very filling.  I tend to eat it by itself but my hubby likes to stuff it in a tortilla and eat it burrito style.  I hope you try it at home and enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa (follow directions on the package to cook)
1/2 cup diced bell peppers (I used green, yellow, orange, & red peppers all mixed together)
1/3 cup frozen sweet corn kernels
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tsp if you're using a lemon juice concentrate)
10 average size mint leaves (chopped finely)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Pam or another non stick cooking spray

Directions:
1.  Place a non stick pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp EVOO.
2.  Add frozen corn to the pan and spray 2 shots of Pam.  Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Roast corn until it starts to brown (about 5-6 minutes).
4.  Transfer corn to a different bowl and roast the bell peppers the same way as the corn using the remainder of the EVOO in the same pan.
5.  After the bell peppers are done roasting, add corn and cooked quinoa to the pan.
6.  Add in lemon juice, mint, and stir.
7.  Add salt and pepper if needed.
8.  Cook for another 4-5 minutes until the entire dish is thoroughly heated.
9.  Enjoy!

Fennel Tea

Last month, Both my husband and I had the worse cold, sore throat, sinus infection, and just gunk that we just couldn't seem to shake off.  In a matter of a week, we went through 3 boxes of kleenex between the two of us! =( But more than anything else, my itchy, scratchy, & sore throat was what bothered me the most.  After talking to a friend of mine about it, she suggested I make this tea to soothe my throat and help it get back to normal.  After just drinking 2 cups of this little mix, my throat was no longer sore  or scratchy & back to normal in no time.  Since this is the time of the year when so many people come down with the common cold, I thought it was the perfect time to share this recipe with y'all bc it is truly a Godsend!  The picture below shows what raw fennel seeds look like as well as the tea itself.

Ingredients:
8 oz hot water
1 TBSP raw fennel seeds
Honey to taste (I used about 2 tsp)

Directions:
1.  Heat up 8 oz of water in the microwave for about 2 minutes on high heat.
2.  Once the water is done heating up, pull it out of the microwave and add fennel seeds.
3.  Add honey and stir.
4.  Cover with a dish or saucer and let it steep for about 5 minutes.
5.  Strain the tea into a clean cup.
6.  Enjoy!

P.S. You can either eat the fennel seeds or toss them.  Personally, I like the taste of them so I tend to eat them.