Beet Quinoa Recipe

Quinoa is a fabulous side dish that contains no gluten. This gives you other options besides pasta and rice. Last night, I prepared it with beets. It added a beautiful color and subtle sweetness. I usually like to add beets to plain, bland food; they revive the most boring dishes and aren't complicated to cook. Simple shredded beets cook extremely fast. 

Baby Aria is so talkative now and her thirst for knowledge is growing everyday. She always asks what she's eating. She loves how "funny" the word quinoa sounds and she adores beets. I bet she's going to request more of this dish in the near future!

Gnocchi with Turkey Sausage

Gnocchi sautéed with turkey sausage is probably my most favorite dish of the season. It's hearty, delicious and filling. For extra creaminess, I added crumbled blue cheese, which also imparts extra saltiness to the dish. You definitely can't go wrong with this one-dish menu. Plus, I froze the extra gnocchi dough and stored it for a future meal.  

I've been introducing new foods to Aria. And even though she's only 27 months old, I'm fascinated to see how much she enjoys learning. She helped me shape the gnocchi pasta. For fun, I formed letters and she said a word that would begin with that letter. A beautiful, delicious dinner was ready and Aria practiced her alphabet .

Wild Mushroom Farro Recipe

Farro is a great substitute for pasta. It's gluten free and is cooked in the same manner as rice. The girls asked me to prepare a risotto-style orzo, so I figured if I flavored it with their favorite ingredients of the season, they would barely notice the difference. I used a combination of wild mushrooms, including porcini, crimini, shiitake and chanterelles along with the farro alternative. 

I'm pleased to report everyone loved farro; I was even more surprised that they preferred it to pasta and rice. I think it's because changing the menu once in a while is nice. With their addictive personalities, they might request that I cook farro every week from now on!

Pi Day

Green Shortcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's Saint Patrick's day next week, so I thought I would feature our family's favorite snacks: sweets, of course! 

I prepared strawberry-flavored shortcake batter as the base of the dessert. To ensure a moist texture, I also added crème fraîche. For the green decorations, I used cream cheese frosting colored with pandan paste and light green sprinkles. My little one adored them and I enjoyed watching her eat them just as much. Give this recipe a try next Monday; these mini sweets would make a leprechaun "green" with envy.