Gluten Free Mushroom and Fennel Quinoa Stuffing

My husband is NOT a quinoa fan. I keep trying, and he keeps HATING it! Makes me so sad because I love it. 

We got a fennel, celery, and pack of mushrooms in our bountiful baskets recently and I didn't know what to do with it. We haven't been SUPER impressed with our fennel when we've got it previously. I found this recipe and I am not kidding you, I BEGGED my husband to just try it. 

I may have just been really hungry that day, I am not sure, but it was GONE in a matter of minutes! We made this for lunch, and we loved it! My husband said, "That's the best quinoa we've had so far" (and I think we've had some pretty great quinoa recipes!) 

I wanted to share this with you all in case you are in a predicament like me...or you just want some good food! I highly recommend this! 

Photo from Skinnytaste.com 

Mushroom and Fennel Quinoa Stuffing

*we added sausage to it, and it really was a complete Thanksgiving stuffing! sooo good! 

Banana Cake

Photo from journeytothepastblog.blogspot.com

Banana Bread is my absolute favorite thing EVER! Seriously, it was what I asked for my birthdays for many years because I love it! A few weeks ago, my husband had a random cooking mood and decided to make banana cake (he didn't even remember I love banana bread) and was so shocked when I was in LOVE with it (no- I will not tell you how much of it I ate).

I was so in love, I asked him if we could make it again but experiment a little. The second time around, we added less sugar, more bananas, and chocolate and butterscotch chips! SO good! We didn't even end up making the frosting, just ate it as is! I even loved this cake so much, I asked him to make it for me for my birthday next year! :)

Here's the scoop on this deliciousness!

1 c. sugar                                              
1/2 c butter or margarine                        
2 eggs                                                    
1 cup buttermilk                                    
2 cups flour                                            
1 tsp baking powder                                
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 ripe/mushed bananas
1/2 c butter/marg.
1 cup brown sugar, not packed
1/4 cup milk
1 1/3 c powdered sugar

Cream together sugar, 1/2 c  butter, buttermilk (can substitute 1 c milk and 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice-just let it sit for 5 minutes). Add flour, baking soda, eggs, and banana. Put in a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool. To make the icing combine butter and brown sugar. Stirring constantly, boil on low heat for 2 minutes. Add milk and stir just to boiling. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (about 15 minutes). Add by whisking in the powdered sugar. Pour over cake.

Cabbage...Oh Cabbage!

Sorry it's been such a long time since I have posted! I have been busy crafting, and doing things, just haven't been really great at documenting them! I'll have to show you what I am up to these days (soon)!

I don't know if you guys are cabbage lovers, but that is one vegetable that we have really hard to learn to like since we get it on occasion from our bountiful baskets. If you are a cabbage loving family, have you tried this recipe?? It has become our favorite "go to" meal with cabbage! I hope you'll try it!

Skillet Ham, Cabbage and Potatoes

Another recipe we love with cabbage is GYOZA. The only problem, is it takes quite a while to make enough for your family.  But if you have helpers it goes by much faster!

GYOZA (from the Clarke Family):

1 lb. raw hamburger                                                      
5 medium sized leaves of Napa Cabbage, Shredded      
1/2 Medium Onion, chopped                                          
2 garlic cloves, finely minced                                            
1 tsp. ginger powder *we've never used this since we don't have it
1 dash black pepper
1/4 c. Soy Sauce
1 pkg round or square Won Ton Wraps
Sesame Oil

In a mixing bowl, sprinkle the cabbage with salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze all the water out, then mix in the raw hamburger, onion, garlic, ginger, pepper and soy sauce. Place about 1 tablespoon of mixture on each won ton wrap, and fold in half, seasling the edges with a small amount of cool water. Put 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a skilled and crowd gyoza in a single layer. Cook on medium high until the wraps are brown on the bottom. Add 1/4 cup water, cover the skillet with a lid and turn the heat down. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve with rice and sweet and sour sauce or a sauce made with mustard and soy sauce.

**We have experimented with this to bake in the oven to cook more at a time, and it works great! We place our ready-to-cook won ton wraps on a cookie sheet with high edges, add a little bit of oil to the bottom, and cook at 350 until they are golden brown, and a little crisp, about 15 minutes.

**
We have also tried this recipe without the the won ton wraps, and just put it over rice. It's good, but you have to make you sure you at least double the sweet and sour sauce, if not triple, to get enough to cover the rice.