Onion and Bacon Soup

I received a text from my friend C the other night, she was asking if I had read the new December issue of Everyday Food. She went on to say that she made the Onion and Bacon Soup, and that her and her husband loved it more than Julia Child's recipe. Which, given how I knew she felt about Julia Child's recipe, meant the recipe had to be really good.
One thing about Julia Child's recipes is that there can be a lot of steps and ingredients involved. Great recipes for the weekend, but if being made in the work week you could end up eating at 9 or 10 pm. This particular Everyday Food recipe has 5 ingredients, and only uses about 10 minutes hands on time.
It is the perfect recipe for supper on a cold, wintry day.

Black Bean Quinoa Quesadillas

In my last post, I made a salad from Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood. The second recipe I tried was their black bean and quinoa quesadillas. The filling contains black beans, quinoa, green onion, corn, tomato and cheese. The result is a light and healthy dinner that is actually pretty filling. The leftovers reheated nicely the next day for lunch (though the tortilla was no longer crisp).

Quinoa isn't something I would necessarily think to stick between a tortilla, but I was pretty happy with the results.

Pomegranate, Almond and Feta Salad

I picked up a new cookbook the other night, Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood. I was pretty impressed by the diversity of recipes using quinoa, or quinoa flour. Quinoa is hailed as a superfood, the description for the book explains why: "One of the world`s healthiest foods, quinoa contains a perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids, and is a great source of protein, making it an increasingly popular food choice for those looking to incorporate `superfoods` into their everyday diets. Gluten-free, wheat-free, and nutrient-packed, quinoa is ideal for those who are health-conscious, vegetarian, and/or physically active, as well as for those with gluten intolerance, wheat allergies, and other digestive disorders. But that`s not all: You can eat quinoa guiltlessly knowing it`s free of cholesterol and trans fats. In Quinoa 365 sisters Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming show you how to use this miraculous superfood in all your favourite dishes."

Clearly it is awesome for you. The first recipe I made from the book was for a pomegranate, almond and feta salad. I can't get enough of it, I have ate it at four meals in the past two days. This salad is so good, it comes close to changing my mind about salad as a meal.

(also click "read more" to see a super cute picture)

Asian Meatballs

It's no secret that I love Everyday Food. When I received the newest issue in the mail, I immediately flagged a few recipes I wanted to make. The Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice was the first one that I tried, though I made it with ground pork instead of turkey. (Ground pork is cheaper)
I was skeptical of how flavourful the meatballs would be, but I needn't have worried. Everyday Food recommended serving them with lime wedges and a squeeze of lime on the meatballs was perfect, it balanced out the spiciness from the hot sauce.

(also hit "read more" for a Sweet Marie bar recipe)

Sesame Street Cupcakes

My aunt, or Tante as I call her, has been making my nephew's birthday party cake for as long as I can remember. She made the following for previous birthday parties of his:

Last week I was looking at foodgawker, when I found the cutest Cookie Monster cupcakes, courtesy of Penguin Says Feed Me.   Since it was my nephew's birthday this weekend, I sent the link to my sister and told her she should ask my aunt to make them for his birthday.
My aunt did not disappoint. She even went beyond the Cookie Monster cupcakes, and made four different Sesame Street characters. I apologize for the poor quality of photos below. I forgot my camera at home and was relying on my cell phone to take these.

Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch

Elmo

Big Bird

The Cookie Monster ones were my favorite. Probably because it involved a cupcake and a cookie, together!