Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Spinach

This tasty side dish packs an incredible amount of flavor and healthfulness into each and every bite. I figured I should post this recipe so that you wouldn't think that everything I make contains bacon or butter! Believe me, you won't miss either in this recipe. Quinoa is one of those superfoods that seems like a grain but is really a protein. Mixed with iron-rich spinach, vegetables roasted in olive oil and nutty parmesan cheese, you will love this recipe as much as I do. Feel free to swap out vegetables to your liking; once you get the idea down, you can try so many different variations!
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups beef broth
1 cup of fresh spinach (this will wilt down significantly)
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1/8 cup parmesan (get the good stuff!)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 cup cream (optional)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Kosher salt, black pepper

Assembly:
Rinse the quinoa. Bring the beef broth to a boil then add the quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until the quinoa fluffs nicely with a fork. While the quinoa is cooking, saute the spinach and garlic in 1 tbsp. olive oil until just wilted. Discard the garlic. Roast the peppers with 2 tbsp. olive oil in a 400 degree oven for approximately 5-8 minutes. Put the peppers and spinach (along with their cooking liquids) into the quinoa and gently stir. Add the parmesan, salt, pepper and cream then stir to combine. Serve warm.

Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

So it appears that I am on a potato kick these past few weeks! I've been getting a little bit bored with the same old, same old, so I thought I'd do some experimenting and ended up with this dish. I paired Idaho potatoes with olive oil, a few basic spices and some good quality parmesan for this healthy and tasty side that is great with anything from burgers to grilled fish. I served these with a delicious chicken roulade (stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms and provalone) in a white wine reduction. The potatoes added a nice crispiness and were especially delicious when used to soak up some of the extra sauce from the chicken. Enjoy!
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
2 medium sized Idaho potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt, black pepper
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Assembly:
Soak potatoes in cold water to pull out some of the starch (at least 10 minute). Dry potatoes completely and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle a liberal amount of Kosher salt and about an 1/8 tsp. of black pepper onto the potatoes. Cook in a 385 degree oven on the top rack for approximately 25 minutes. Flip potatoes with a spatula and cook until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place potatoes on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. While potatoes are still hot, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.