Category Archives: Main Dish
Mini Quinoa Pizzas
I came across this recipe on foodgawker.com except that it was styled “pizza bites”. All of these mini recipes requiring the purchase of new “mini pans” is killing me. Not really. But seriously – mini doughnuts, mini cupcakes, and mini muffins, oh my! I didn’t event notice the need for the mini muffin pan until I got started with my cooking (shocking) so I decided to use my regular sized muffin pan. You can find the original recipe at The Way to His Heart. Original recipe = 24 bites and the Zinnrunner recipe yields about 12 regular size.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa (I used red quinoa because it’s what I had but you can use any color)
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup chopped pepperoni slices
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pizza spice or Italian spice
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Your favorite pizza sauce
Directions:
1. As always, rinse quinoa in cold water (for about 2 minutes).
2. In a small pot, add water, quinoa, and salt and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until water has been absorbed.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease your muffin tin.
5. In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients together, minus the pizza sauce.
6. Fill each muffin cup.
7. Gently pat the mixture down to make compact.
8. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes.
9. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 3-5 minutes before removing. You may want to run a knife around the edge of each “pizza” before removing from pan.
10. Serve with pizza sauce smeared across the top of each “pizza” or as a dip.
Product Review: Season 1 Blends
I was contacted by Season 1 Blends to test out all of the seasoning blends in the picture above. Their primary reason for approaching me (I think) is my obsession with Montreal Steak Seasoning. Season 1 offers a similar product called New York Steak. Although I’ve only tasted the New York Steak on its own (delish) I have yet to use it in a recipe. I will. I promise. In the meantime, I started with the Peppered Lemon & Herb for roasting a whole chicken and the Riviera Blend on chicken breast and in a tomato, cucumber, and feta salad.
Riviera Blend!
Peppered Lemon & Herb
This stuff is awesome.
I’ll generally tell you how I feel about these blends here and then please stay tuned for them in several upcoming recipes.
I really love these blends. Low sodium, all natural, no preservatives, and gluten-free – what could be better? I know your question, though…what is it that sets these blends a part from other spice/herb blends? This was the question I set out to answer and the answer surprised me…
Using these blends is almost equivalent to using freshly cut herbs. I’m serious. The blends that I’ve used thus far, are so fresh in appearance and so fragrant that I cannot tell them a part from the real deal or more accurately, the “fresh” deal.
I used the Peppered Lemon & Herb to rub the inside and outside of a roasting chicken. The flavoring was so fragrant in the oven! It filled the whole house with fresh smelling herbs. The chicken was pretty darn good too! When I took chicken leftovers to work the next day, I brought my jar of Peppered Lemon & Herb. I sprinkled a little on my plate and dipped my chicken in it as I ate. It was a nice additional to next-day chicken.
The Riviera Blend is a blend of sea salt, garlic, black pepper, oregano, thyme, majoram, and lavender. Season 1 recommends that you use it on poultry, fish, meats, veggies, and salads. So far I’ve used this blend on baked chicken breasts and a cucumber, tomato, and feta salad. But, I think the possibilities are endless. This blend is unique and delicious.
For chicken, preheat your oven to 375 and cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss heavily with the Riviera blend and a little olive oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve with salad, brown rice, or farro!
For the salad, cut one cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Combine with halved cherry tomatoes. Mix in 1/2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar, and 1 tbsp of Riviera Blend Seasoning. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve!
HINT: Apparently this is obvious to most people but not to me (thanks, Greg for pointing it out). Season 1 says: “Make sure you use the shaker top. Some people just unscrew the top and try to pinch or tap it out and then it doesn’t come out uniform because the sea salt is heavier.” Hmmm. I didn’t know this. But, it makes sense. What a great tip!
Stay tuned for more Season 1 seasoned recipes!
