Category: Recipes

It has been hot hot hot this week! I’m trying my best not to turn on the stove. Since I’m spending more time outside playing and less time in the kitchen, I’ve been making these quick and easy “put something together” type meals.

Now, if you want to cook chicken and dried beans from scratch, by all means do so. I used a Costco chicken and canned beans.

I did cut fresh corn off the cob, because – summer!

Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Salad recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 2 ears of corn, kernels sliced off
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 2-3 green onions, diced
• About 10 oz of cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used half a Costco chicken, so one breast and one leg/ thigh)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne
• 1 large avocado, sliced
• ½ cup feta or cotija cheese

Directions

1. Cook Quinoa as if you were making rice. Rinse and drain. Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 1 and ½ cups water (I cooked mine in a rice cooker). Set aside til it has cooled.
2. In a large bowl, mix beans, corn, bell peppers, cilantro, green onions, and cooked chicken.
3. Make dressing: in a separate bowl, combine olive oil, maple syrup, lime juice or vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and cayenne.
4. Mix everything together (quinoa, veggies, chicken, and dressing) chill for a few hours in the fridge.
5. Taste and add salt or seasonings as needed.
6. Serve with sliced avocado, feta, or cotija cheese.

This recipe is adaptable. If you’re serving vegetarians, leave out the chicken. Don’t like the taste of cilantro? Use parsley and mint instead.

If you tried this, please drop me a line and let me know how it turned out.

Anne McCranie is a Vancouver, Washington based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She enjoys cooking and eating, and loves sharing healthy recipes with you!

Here’s my favorite Thanksgiving recipe, my grannie’s cornbread dressing.

I grew up in north Florida, and in the south, “dressing” is very different than “stuffing”. This is a side dish, cooked separate from the bird, that is the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes, rather than crumbly bread cubes.

Depending on where you are in the south, you may see sausage or seafood in your cornbread dressing. The recipe below is what I ate growing up. If you’re looking for a vegetarian side dish you could easily make this using vegetable stock in lieu of turkey drippings or chicken stock, and leave out the milk. Please don’t try to leave out the butter. This is Thanksgiving, the high holiday of fat, baby!

My Mom’s mom Mattie was born in South Georgia and raised in Florida. She used curry powder (not sage) and moistened the dish with drippings from the turkey. My Dad’s Mom Mary Del grew up in Louisiana and she would put oysters in her dressing.

Below is Mattie’s recipe with an option to add oysters for Louisiana style.

Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Cornbread Ingredients:

• 1 8.5 oz box jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup of milk

Dressing Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons butter (reserve one tbsp. to grease the pan)
• 4-5 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 5 slices white bread, dried in warm oven, and crumbled
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2-3 cups chicken stock (or pan drippings from the turkey)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons curry powder

• Optional: 1 pint fresh oysters, drained

Directions:

1. Make cornbread according to package directions. Cool and crumble (best to do this a day or two ahead.).
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the celery, green pepper, and onion until soft (5-10 minutes).
4. In a large bowl, place the celery, pepper, and onion. Add the cornbread, white bread, eggs, chicken stock, milk, salt, pepper, and curry powder and mix well (add the oysters now if you are using them).
5. Pour into prepared dish and bake at 350 for 30 – 45 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. (to test for doneness, carefully and gently jiggle the pan, and if the center of the dressing moves cook it a little longer, til it’s set).