Sweet and spicy slow cooker pork bowls

Sweet and spicy slow cooker pulled pork, combined with quinoa and fresh veggies, is a no-effort, tasty weeknight dinner that's also gluten-free.

I think this is going to be one of my favorite posts ever. And not only because these sweet and spicy slow cooker pork bowls are just about the best thing I have ever eaten. (Truth.)

Let me tell you why.

Regular readers are aware that I am a fur mom to a couple of nutso dogs. I consider them my babies (and, OMG, when did I become that crazy pet lady??!!). But apparently sometimes I think of them as too human and forget that they are really just food-crazed wildebeests who only occasionally listen and do what they're asked.

By now, you're probably asking yourself, what the heck does this have to do with slow cooker pulled pork?

As a food blogger, I'm always trying to get the perfect hero shot when I photograph my recipes. This photo shoot was no exception. Since I don't have a swanky expensive tripod with a crane arm like many of my blogging compadres, if I want to get a good overhead shot of a recipe, I often have to photograph my recipes on the floor.

Read that again: On. The. Floor.

I bet you can see where this is headed.

Chocolate peanut butter blondies (gluten-free)

Lightened, easy-to-make chocolate peanut butter blondies are also gluten-free, thanks to protein-rich quinoa flour.

I told you last week, in the context of my spicy Korean beef bowl, how I've become a big fan of quinoa over the past few years. One of the things I love about it is that, like many other grains, it's quite versatile; you can use it equally successfully in sweet baked goods as you can in savory suppers.

In fact, quinoa flour (basically just pulverized uncooked quinoa grains) is the key to making these chocolate peanut butter blondies gluten-free. Even if you don't need to eat gluten-free, these blondies are still your friend: all of our daily diets could use the extra protein and fiber that quinoa offers.

And how freakin' awesome is it that you can get it in a chocolate peanut butter blondie?

(Yeah, you're welcome.)

Spicy Korean beef bowl

Topped with tangy kimchi, this super fast spicy Korean beef bowl with quinoa and bok choy is a healthy, gluten-free riff on bibimbap. 

I've said it before but it bears repeating: The Ninj and this blog are all about healthy, easy recipes that anyone can make -- especially for weeknight dinners, when we all feel we don't have enough time to cook a healthy meal.

This spicy Korean beef bowl, a gluten-free riff on bibimbap, is my new favorite example of just such a recipe.

For those that aren't familiar with it, bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice bowl topped with sauteed vegetables, a spicy sauce, some meat and a fried egg, all of which is tossed together just before eating.

In February, I was in New York City for a meeting. (Oh my, doesn't that sound glamorous? Trust me,  my life is not glamorous, unless you call working at home in yoga pants glamorous. Besides, I was only in New York for about 24 hours and spent most of it either at the airport or in a meeting room.) While there, we ate at a restaurant called Barn Joo, a self-proclaimed "Korean-inspired gastropub" (whatever the heck that means) with a farm-to-table focus. I really enjoyed Barn Joo's bibimbap because it was served in a hot stone bowl, which made the rice slightly crispy and chewy.

That chewiness made me think of quinoa, which I've been enjoying over the past few years as an alternative to rice in many recipes, not only because of its higher percentages of protein and fiber but also because it's gluten-free, which is an important recipe consideration for many of my readers. (As a pasta addict, I get plenty of gluten every week, so eating a little less of it by choosing quinoa is probably a good thing!)

Black bean and avocado quinoa bowl

Easy black bean and avocado quinoa bowl, with spicy arugula, sharp cheddar cheese and homemade pico de gallo: a healthy meal in 15 minutes.

Regular readers know that I'm all about healthy, easy weeknight dinners. While I can appreciate a complex and involved dinner recipe when the outcome is amazing, I reserve them for weekends when there's more time for meal preparation. During the week, I'm still into amazing outcomes, but I want to achieve them much more quickly.

I like to make grain bowls for dinner because they are easy but also really nutritious, with seemingly endless combinations of ingredients. While I used to make almost exclusively rice bowls, I now favor quinoa for these flavorful bowls -- I love the little extra crunch, plus it's easy to freeze and thaw.

This particular bowl, with black beans, creamy avocado, spicy arugula and sharp cheddar cheese, was born because I had a few extra tomatoes from the farmer's market hanging around. Rather than simply chop them up and add them to the bowl, I decided to turn them into a bold pico de gallo, using an easy recipe I picked up from Chris of Shared Appetite.

Quinoa salad with fresh corn and tomatoes

A true summer salad -- fresh corn and tomatoes, tossed with warm quinoa, protein-packed edamame and a tangy lime vinaigrette. Enjoy it as a side or mix in grilled chicken for an easy meal.

Now this is a summer salad, peeps. Because what comes to mind almost instantly when you think of summer veg? Corn and tomatoes, am I right?

Oh, summer tomatoes: how I love thee. How I love thee for tasting like tomatoes rather than cardboard.

And summer corn: what is there to say? Eight bajillion ears for a couple of bucks and you don't even have to cook it. That's my kind of vegetable. 

Now, toss those seasonal beauties with warm, slightly crunchy quinoa, some protein-packed edamame and a tangy lime vinaigrette.

Summer in a bowl.

I generally make this salad as a side to accompany grilled meat: steaks, chicken, ribs, whatevs. But it's extra-awesome leftover for lunch the next day, with some grilled chicken mixed right into it to make it a meal salad.

Chipotle black bean quinoa casserole (gluten-free)

Gluten-free chipotle black bean and quinoa casserole -- a spicy, hearty, meatless weeknight dinner recipe that's oh so easy and cheesy. 

Guess what? I've got another great recipe to add to your easy and healthy weeknight dinner list: chipotle black bean and quinoa casserole. And odds are you have most of the ingredients on hand on any given weeknight.

This casserole is not only delicious and filling, it's also meatless, with all the protein coming from black beans. And the quinoa provides a touch of chewiness that adds to the heartiness of the overall dish. The key to the awesome spiciness comes from Cabot Chipotle Cheddar cheese -- just enough to give it a real kick without overpowering the cheesy flavor. Served with spicy salsa and cool avocado, either cubed or mashed into a lazy guacamole, you can enjoy this quinoa casserole as either a dinner entree or a brunch casserole, if you prefer savory brunch dishes. 

And the recipe really couldn't be easier, which is why I think you'll enjoy making it as a weeknight dinner. Once the quinoa is cooked, mix all the ingredients together and bake. Easy peasy! And, as a bonus, it's gluten-free!

Roasted butternut squash with quinoa, sausage and greens

Roasted butternut squash with quinoa, sausage and greens

Yes, the recipe is a mouthful -- both in name and in flavor.

Regular readers know that I'm continuing my participation in the From Scratch Club's virtual book club, in which a group of home cooks selects a cookbook and then makes and discusses some recipes from each chapter or section. We're currently cooking our way through Liana Krissoff's Whole Grains for a New Generation (we're lucky enough to have Liana participating in our online discussions, too!).

Our last grain topic was rice. This time, it's quinoa.

I've become a huge fan of quinoa over the past few years, in large part because it is easy to prepare while also being one of the few good-for-you grains that Mr. Ninj doesn't hate (See? No kids, yet I have my own picky eater to deal with).

I chose this recipe from Liana's book because I love butternut squash. Since I, too, often pair it with sausage, as is called for here, I knew I couldn't go wrong. Added bonus? Liana included a recipe for making your own quick sausage, which was easy and awesome.

Cherry-apricot quinoa breakfast cookies

Cherry-apricot quinoa breakfast cookies

First I gave you muffins and now cookies for Detox January.

See? I told you it wouldn't be that hard!

I find it fairly easy to find healthier, lower-fat entree ideas during Detox January (Eating Well and Cooking Light magazines are my go-to resources) but not as many breakfast recipes. Therefore, I was pleased to stumble upon this breakfast cookie recipe via Kiersten at Oh My Veggies, who adapted it from Bon Appetit.

As I stated in my value proposition for this blog, I try to emphasize both "stealthy and healthy" eating as much as I can (I do fall off the wagon and go bacon-crazy sometimes, but hey, I'm only human). The healthy recipes and ingredients are usually obvious; the stealthy ones, not always. These cookies definitely fall into the stealthy category.

Why? One word: quinoa.

Quinoa burgers

Quinoa burgers with tomato jam

Have you noticed how quinoa is freakin' everywhere lately?

It's the new new thing.

And apparently rightly so, given the recent bruhaha over arsenic levels in rice. Not to mention all the research that tells us a diet without a lot of white rice and pasta might help us all to be a little less ... well ... how shall we say ... fluffy?

So bring on the quinoa!

I like quinoa because it's not too grainy or health-food-storish, like bulgur (oy, I tried to like bulgur because Bittman says I should, but I just can't deal with it). I can almost pretend quinoa is pasta.

(Almost.)

I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical when I tried this recipe for quinoa "burgers." My experience has been that grain-based veggie patties tend to fall apart when you try to flip them in a frying pan. Which is why, frankly, I didn't even buy burger buns when I made these; I just figured I'd call them "fritters" or "hash" and be done with it.

But --- ha cha cha! -- wouldn't you know it? They stayed in one piece! A real patty!