Most weekends, you will find me with a pot of whole grains on the stove – farro, brown rice, couscous, or in this case, quinoa. I make a batch or two up for the week while I am puttering around at any given moment. Once the grains are cooked, dishes come together quickly – all week.  For example, cooked couscous can be served with hot milk, maple syrup, nuts and raisins for a delicious breakfast porridge. It can also be turned into tasty couscous cakes or salads for lunch and dinner.

Same thing goes for cooked quinoa. In this case, I simply tossed it with fresh herbs, chopped vegetables, chick peas, fresh lemon juice, rice vinegar and olive oil. For my next trick, I think I’ll make a batch of Curried Quinoa Salad to go with seafood some night this week. Yum.

source: www.myrecipes.com

Always in the market for new soup recipes, I happily stumbled across this one for Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup. Hearty, healthy and delicious – it’s a keeper. You do not need to use pre-cooked chicken, but you can – which is nice if you’ve got leftovers. The couscous adds substance to the mix while the basil and orange rind, well, yum!

I use whole wheat couscous, which contains more fiber than couscous made from regular flour. For a gluten-free version of this soup, simply skip the couscous altogether and reduce the liquid by one cup.

If you have extra butternut squash like I did, cube it and toss it with some olive oil, chili powder, salt and cumin. But it on a sheet pan and roast it in the oven at 375 degrees until tender. Eat it just like that or toss it with greens for salad. Enjoy!

In other news, I broke my recipe index down into sub-categories, making it easier to find things by main ingredient (hopefully!). As always, I appreciate your comments and feedback!

In this recipe, I brown both sides of a lean pork tenderloin in my cast iron pan (it was made for this!), cover it with foil, and pop it into the oven for 25 minutes. There. The pork tenderloin is ready.

While the pork is on the oven, I mix the ingredients for the marinade – orange juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Once the pork comes out of the oven, I set it aside on a cutting board to rest before slicing it. In the same pan in which I cooked the pork, I put the marinade over medium heat and bring it to a boil on the stove, allowing it to simmer for a few minutes while the rest of dinner comes together. Pour the sauce over the tender slices of pork and side vegetables, and, YUM…

In other news, GYYB had a great 2011. We have over 120 subscribers and drew over 9,900 hits.  The most-viewed post was Pim’s Super-Quick and Fantastic Tomato Sauce (indeed it is!). Thanks for visiting and happy new year!

It’s sunny and 70 here today. We’re off for a bike ride. Be merry!

I am also making a batch of Green Chili Pork Posole because it’s sooooo good and it can sit on my stove this afternoon while I de-clutter to my desk, hang pictures, unpack boxes (still), and tend to other glamorous tasks. It freezes well and can be served as a stew, burrito-style with tortillas, or can double as a filling for tamales - which are definitely on the agenda for Christmas! I’ve also roasted some Delicata squash, which makes a pretty, seasonal addition to any meal.

Other great make-ahead recipes that make week nights easy include Morrocan-style Chickpea and Vegetable Stew, White Bean Chili, and Carnitas. Have a great week!

My friend Emily sent me this recipe informing me that it was a contest-winner and family favorite. So I tried it. And I really liked it. It comes together quickly and tastes even better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to develop. Not surprising. I find that this “better the second day” rule applies to most soups and stews…

Anyway, in addition to being tasty and good for you, this recipe is super versatile. It calls for ground turkey, but you could use ground chicken. You could also use left over cooked turkey or chicken. Simply follow my notes on the recipe if this is the route you choose. Either way, enjoy this delicious, different combination. I served it with a big mixed green salad and maple corn bread. Yum.

Take these Chocolate Persimmon Muffins for example. The recipe calls for Hachiya persimmons, the more oval variety. When very ripe, their flesh is like a puree. Fresh fruit puree, buckwheat flour, yogurt, and dark chocolate put these muffins at the top of my list until my persimmon stash runs out!

I ripen my persimmons on the kitchen counter displayed in a pretty bowl. You’ll know when they are ripe – they will feel very soft and squishy – in a good way. For more about persimmons and ideas about how to use them, check out this post from one of my favorite food bloggers, David Lebovitz. The source for this recipe is Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce. It’s an excellent cookbook and homage to baking with whole grains, which add unique flavor and texture to baked goods. Check it out!

Now that I have a kitchen, I’ve started baking treats. Cookies, quick breads, banana cake. Last week I made this Olive Oil Cake – a scrumptious treat that I almost kept for myself. It’s delightful! This cake goes to show that simple does not mean simplistic. Simple pantry ingredients combine to make a wonderful, flavorful moist snack cake.  It was gone in a day. I guess they liked it too! I’ll be sure to have this around for family over Thanksgiving…