Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa

This was a super easy dinner that my super-carnivorous husband even loved. He looked at is with distaste when he realized there was no meat in it, but he admitted after dinner that he really loved it even without meat :) I like this because it is sort of reminiscent of macaroni and cheese, but it feels more acceptable to eat for dinner as an adult. 

1 1/2 cup quinoa

3 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 cups milk

Salt and pepper to taste 

1 lb frozen broccoli, thawed

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Meanwhile, sautée the onions and garlic in the butter until the onions are soft. Whisk in the flour and mustard for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time. Gradually add about 3/4 of the cheese, stirring until the cheese is smooth and melted. Combine the quinoa and broccoli. Pour the cheese sauce over the quinoa and stir to combine. Cook this in a lightly greased dish at 400 for about 20 minutes. Add the remaining cheese to the top and bake for about 5 more minutes. 

Greek Pizza

We make a lot of pizza around here. Pizza is one of the few foods I actually crave, and it's so easy to make/so expensive to buy. All of those awesome pizza deals on the mainland don't exist here in beautiful Hawaii, but I would never complain because I can walk to the beach and make my own dang pizza ;-) 

We usually stick with pepperoni and mushroom, but I gave this Greek pizza a try.  When the commissary was closed due to the government atrocity, we bought some chicken sausage in bulk from SAMs Club, and a quick google search of chicken sausage recipes gave me this suggestion.  The picture I found had lots of olives, which I suppose makes it more Greek, but I left those off because I think they are revolting. 

For the crust:

1 package instant yeast

1 1/2 cup warm water

1/4 cup olive oil

Sea salt

Garlic bread sprinkle (this is a delightful thing I found with the spices at the commissary. Garlic salt is good too)

For the toppings:

1 jar marinara

Baby spinach

Chicken sausage,diced 

Sundried tomatoes

Crumbled feta

Mozzarella 

To make the crust, combine the yeast and water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and knead dough.  I make this in my stand mixer with the dough hook, and I just let it run for about 5 minutes until a nice dough ball forms.  Place dough in a bowl that is coated with nonstick spray and cover it with a damp towel.  Let it rise for 45-60 minutes.  When the dough has risen, divide it into 2 parts, one part being 2/3 of the dough. This will roll into a regular pizza pan size. I use the remaining 1/3 to make garlic bread. If you like really thick crust, you can use the whole dough ball. With floured hands, stretch the dough and press it into the pan, rolling the edges to create crust. 

Drizzle olive oil on top of the dough. Spread the marinara, and add the sundried tomatoes. Add the spinach ans top with mozzarella.  Add the chicken sausage and feta (and olives if you're into that sort of thing).  

Bake it at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.