Today’s Food Friday is a perfect recipe to make when you look in your fridge and have no clue what to make.  It’s great because it’s fast (seriously, 15 minutes!) and can be easily adjusted to use any veggies, protein or pantry items.  In fact, it’s so easy to make, I only have the final plated dish to show you.
Santa Fe Quinoa Salad
1/2 c. quinoa, uncooked

1 c. water or chicken stock

1 chicken breast, diced (can substitute beef, pork, shrimp, tofu or no meat for a perfect Meatless Monday dish!)

1 t. olive oil

1/4 c. onion, chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 c. mango, diced

1/2 c. corn

1/2 c. red pepper, diced

1/2 t. cumin

1/2. garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

serve with lime slices, cilantro, BBQ sauce

Instructions

In a small saucepan bring water or stock to a boil.  Add quinoa.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Remove from heat; fluff with a fork.   While quinoa is cooking, cook chicken in olive oil and dice all vegetables.  After quinoa has been fluffed, add remaining ingredients.  Stir and enjoy!

Serves 2

Other ideas of things you can add:

-avocados

-mushrooms

-black olives

-jalapeños

-pepper jack cheese

-spinach

-green onions

Dear Past Belinda,

You live surrounded by beautiful women on magazine covers, television, the internet and even your family and friends.  Society judges women based on their appearance or status in life.  Honestly, you’ve done the same. There have been times you’ve compared yourself to __________ . (Fill in the blank; but you can practically insert the word ‘everyone’ here.)  Unfortunately, you’ve thought less of yourself because you weren’t what you wanted to be physically or professionally.  I admire you for making one of the hardest decisions you’ve ever made.  In August of 2012 you decided to start a new journey… a lifestyle change to become healthier. At first, you thought this only meant physical health, but now I can look back and know you were unhealthy in other areas of your life too.  You started by getting enough sleep, seeking help from a professional trainer and dietician, fueling your body with purpose and losing a pound or two here and there. Despite your efforts, it will be easy to lose perspective of where and why your journey started.  I write this letter to you as a reminder, both in words and photos.

In your journey to be healthier, you’ve lost weight and experienced several physical and emotional changes.  These physical changes do not define who you are.  Yes, you may feel more comfortable going shopping with girl friends or approaching a total stranger. Don’t fall into the trap of society and allow physical qualities to define you.  You’ve learned to live your life with purpose. You’ve learned you have always been beautiful.  You just didn’t always recognize it.  You’ve learned that beauty is not defined by physical appearance. You’ve learned one lesson you must never forget…

You are (and have always been) worth investing in yourself.  

Some of this investment will be through time to focus on your physical health.  It is not the only, nor the most important investment.  The best thing you can do is cultivate relationships: with yourself, God, your husband, family, friends and each person you come in contact with.  Strive to improve each of these relationships every day.  Continue to live your life with purpose.  Don’t fall back into the trap of comparison, for it is the thief of joy.  Trust your instincts. Continue to learn to love and forgive yourself. Let the little things go.  When you get discouraged, remember moments of clarity and vulnerability you’ve learned from.

Love yourself from the inside out and don’t forget it!

Sincerely, Today’s Belinda

Since it’s just the two of us, I often like to make single serving dishes.  I started by slicing one small red, yukon and purple new potato for each of our tarts and arranged them in single serving dishes.  For Craig’s dish I added in mushrooms and slices of par-cooked bacon. (so there wouldn’t be a puddle of grease floating on top of his tart)
I finely diced leeks and added them to the center of each dish.  Next, I combined the eggs, milk and horseradish and poured the mixture into each dish.
Top with your favorite seasonings and cheese.Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Enjoy!

Potato Leek Tart

(ingredients are per individual serving)

3 small new potatoes, uniformly sliced

1 leek, lower bulb/white portion only, diced  (but save the rest of the leek for another recipe!)

2 eggs or 4 egg whites

2 T. milk

1/2 t. horseradish cream

1 t. rosemary

1 T. favorite cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Arrange potatoes and leeks in tart dish.  Whisk together eggs, milk and horseradish.  Pour over potatoes and leeks.  Sprinkle remaining ingredients on top.  Bake, uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Note:  Because potatoes and eggs are both extremely versatile, add your favorite ingredients: diced chicken, bacon, mushrooms, more cheese, green onions, etc.  The possibilities are endless!

My local grocery store carries three varieties in the bulk food section: white, curry and red.  White is the most mild in flavor and easiest to find.

Curry quinoa is white quinoa that has been roasted and has a curry powder blend combined with it.  I do not salt this variety of quinoa because I find it already has great flavor as is. Red quinoa has a stronger nutty flavor and takes slightly longer to cook.  There is a black variety of quinoa but I have yet to get my hands on it…when I do, I’ll let you know how it is!Quinoa can be cooked in a rice cooker or on the stove.  It is essential to rinse the quinoa before cooking. (I don’t rinse the curry quinoa or anything else that says it has already been rinsed and washed….those varieties tend to be a little bit more expensive because the work is already done for you.)  If you do not rinse your quinoa, you’ll end up with a very bitter tasting dish.  Quinoa is cooked in the same ratio as rice.  1 c. quinoa to 2 c. water or chicken broth.Today’s recipe, Wilted Spinach Salad, is one that actually comes from Mary!  It is one of my very favorite recipes, is really easy to make and can be made in 20 minutes!

Cook quinoa in water or chicken stock. While quinoa is cooking, combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl combine spinach, cranberries and cooked quinoa.  Chop one granny smith apple.  Remove garlic clove from dressing and add apple. Pour dressing over salad and toss.  Enjoy!

Whole Grain Wilted Spinach Salad

2 c. water or chicken stock (I always use low sodium chicken stock either homemade or the Kitchen Basics brand)

1 c. quinoa, any variety

1 bag fresh baby spinach

1/2 c. dried cranberries (I buy the Ocean Spray Reduced Sugar)

1 granny smith apple, chopped

1/2 c. chopped pecans or almonds (optional)

Dressing:

3 T. olive oil

1 T. orange juice concentrate (or 3 T. orange juice and omit water)

2 T. water

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. maple syrup

1 garlic clove, smashed

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 c. onion, green onion or shallot, chopped

Directions:

In a small saucepan bring water or stock to a boil.  Add quinoa.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Remove from heat; fluff with a fork.   While quinoa is cooking make dressing.  For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk all ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine the warm quinoa, spinach and cranberries.  Remove garlic clove from dressing.  Right before pouring dressing over quinoa add apples; toss to coat.  Sprinkle with pecans or almonds.

I love to add roasted chicken to this salad.  This salad stores very well in the fridge and Craig and I usually eat a batch over a couple of days.

If you’re in the Logan area and want to learn more about how you can improve your nutrition and exercise, I recommend you give Mary a call!  She’s at the Sports Academy and you can learn more about her nutrition services here and training services here.  A consultation is free and she can help create a custom health and fitness plan for you.

It was heartbreaking to watch as literally over 30 hours of labor later the pain became too excruciating. There were many tears shed while trying to decide if it was possible to have this birth continue according to plan.  I watched as an incredibly loving husband was there to edify, support and love his wife and help in any way possible.  Those moments between a husband and wife are priceless…they are one of my favorite things to photograph during a birth story.  A little over 38 hours and C-section later a beautiful, healthy, nine pound baby boy joined the Davis family.

Welcome to a wonderful family, Easton!

  Watch Easton’s full birth story below!

For my first Food Friday I wanted to share something I’ve always wanted to make but never have….Meyer Lemon Curd.  I don’t particularly love the word ‘curd’.  It just sounds weird and is a total turnoff.  I’d really just call this recipe: Awesome Lemon Creamy Custardy Deliciousness.  Lemon Curd is great on toast, cheesecake, over fresh fruit, used as a meat marinade, atop oatmeal or eaten just by the spoonful.
The top lemon is a Meyer lemon and the bottom lemon is a traditional kitchen lemon.  A Meyer lemon is a combination between a traditional lemon and a mandarin orange, as a result it is a little sweeter.One thing I love about this recipe is that it requires some of my favorite kitchen gadgets: favorite sharp knife, juicer press and microplane.

Cream butter, vanilla and honey until fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks and whole eggs one at a time.  (Don’t mind that my pictures have all of this done in one step….I made two batches to see which way I liked more.  There wasn’t a significant difference.)

Zest your citrus and add to egg mixture.This is what your mixture will look like.  Don’t worry about the clumps, the mixture will smooth out while cooking.Cook mixture over double boiler, stirring frequently.  As the butter melts, the mixture will become smooth.  Cook mixture for approximately 15-20 minutes until it is the consistency of thick jelly.  You’ll know it is done when your finger leaves a clear path on the back of your spoon.Enjoy!

I made a blood orange curd which was delicious!

Honey Sweetened Meyer Lemon Curd (adapted from Green Market Baking Book)

4 T. butter, at room temperature

1/3 c. honey

1 t. vanilla

4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 c. fresh citrus juice (this can be a combination of lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit juice)

1 T. finely grated zest

Instructions:

Cream butter, honey and vanilla until fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks one at a time.  Next, beat in whole eggs one at a time.  Add to the egg mixture the fresh citrus juice and zest.  Pour the juice mixture into a large glass bowl and cook in a double boiler. (Double Boiler: Put 3-4 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, reduce to medium heat and put glass bowl over the top making sure the glass bowl is large enough to sit on top of the pot so about half of the glass bowl is above the top of the pot and the other half is down in the pot.  The steam from the boiling water is what will cook your lemon curd without scorching it.) Stir frequently with a spatula.  Cook until the mixture has thickened and becomes jelly-like, approximately 15-20 minutes.  You know it’s done when your finger leaves a clear path on the back of the spatula. Remove from heat and pour curd into a glass jar and let it cool completely before you screw on the lid.  Store curd in the refrigerator.  Will last approximately 10-14 days.

If you would like to can your lemon curd: Prepare your jars by washing and drying the jar, lid and screw-on ring.  Heat jars in oven at 200 degrees while making lemon curd. Follow all cooking instructions as printed above.  Funnel lemon curd into jars leaving about a 1/2″ space at the top of the jar. Screw on lid and ring.  Submerge the jars in boiling water  and allow to process for ~20 minutes, which is about 5 minutes after you hear the lid ‘pop’.  Remove from water and let cool, undisturbed for 12-24 hours and check to ensure lid is completely sealed.  The shelf life of canned lemon curd is approximately 3-4 months.

]]> http://blog.belindaolsen.com/food-friday/when-life-gives-you-lemons-food-friday/feed/ 6 http://blog.belindaolsen.com/children/volunteer-photographer-camp-hobe-2012/ http://blog.belindaolsen.com/children/volunteer-photographer-camp-hobe-2012/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:47:22 +0000 Belinda Olsen http://blog.belindaolsen.com/?p=1897 Last week I had the sweetest experience and ran into one of the adorable children I photographed at Camp Hobe this past summer.  This cute little boy pointed out to his mom that I was the volunteer photographer that took pictures of his ‘awesome temporary tattoos’ while at summer camp.  His mom gave me a giant hug and we cried for a little while in the grocery store.  She talked about how he was doing.  She talked about the gift and priceless value photography is to her.

Camp Hobe is a special place where children who have cancer and their siblings can go for a little time during the summer.  This camp is for kids from the Intermountain West and those going to Primary Children’s Hospital.  It’s a place where kids freely talk about what they are experiencing and it is something they can all relate to. Mostly, it’s an opportunity for kids to simply be kids and leave the stress of medical concerns behind.  Sometimes it’s visually obvious which children have physical ailments but most of the time it is not.  It is a wonderful and humbling experience to be able to give back to families that have gone through so much.

This weekend our friends and their 5 month old son were in this Cache Valley airplane crash and everyone walked away with only minor injuries.  It’s incredibly humbling to hear their story and know that they were definitely encircled by angels. Love you Fielding family!

My take away message: take a break from the business of the day and spend time with your friends and family…tell them that you love them.

photo credit 

Right after Thanksgiving dinner was over, we hopped in the car and drove to Southern California!  We visited San Diego, LA, Newport and Anaheim.  While we were there we went whale watching and saw three varieties of whales and hundreds of dolphins right by our boat.

We went to the tide pools in both San Diego and Newport.  It was fun to see Craig get really excited about pointing out different varieties of fish and plants.  I’m pretty clueless when it comes to that stuff…I just know it looks pretty

Of course while we were there we had to go to DISNEYLAND!!!  Disneyland is one of my favorite places in the world!  My very favorite and Craig’s least favorite ride is the Tower of Terror.  We went on it very first!  The only ride that was closed that I was really disappointed about was India Jones.  We went on every other ride we wanted…even the Madderhorn was open.  I can’t wait to one day go back with my own little kids.  This was my selfish trip to go for me I loved going in the haunted house and seeing it all ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ style.  As weird as it sounds, it really made me be in the Christmas mood!Our drive home was beautiful!  This photo on the right was taken on my iphone and this is literally what the sunset looked like…no enhancements or special effects.  It was stunning!For Christmas this year I tried to make as many homemade gifts as possible.  This meant I spent a lot of time at my sewing machine.  (one of my favorite relaxing places in my house.  I could fall asleep to the hum of the sewing machine)

Each year at my parents house we do the nativity.  I love seeing my nieces and nephews dress up.  My dad always gets the special assignment of being the donkey

Our Christmas tree this year was cream, gold and blush.  My sister in law was really sweet and picked out a real tree for us from Fillmore.  I LOVED having a real tree!  I hope we have one each year.

Winter in Cache Valley has been incredibly cold.  This week be got a winter ‘heat wave’ with temperatures in the high 30s!  I have been on a quest to try to find beauty in a season I really dislike….

I hope your holidays were wonderful as well!