Grace Before Meals: Favorite Newer Recipe to Share?

Fr. Leo's Grace Before Meals has helped me vow to try new recipes.  From the cookbook, we've the penne with vodka sauce, and it is very, very good and easy to make.  As I've mentioned already, I plan to make Fr. Leo's Throwdown-winning fajitas soon, and I hope to post photos and a review of that when I do.

But I always love to find good new recipes, especially of foods that will get my children (and my whole family) to eat more fruits & vegetables, and to expand our palates beyond the usual.

In recent weeks, our family has avidly watched each episode of The Next Food Network Star, a reality show on the Food Network.  We are rooting for Aarti to win, finding her the most engaging personality among any of the contestants.  In previous weeks, we have had a consensus at our house that the only contestants whose shows we would be interested in watching are Aarti and Brad, but (sniff!) Brad was sent home last week.   Go, Aarti!

Several weeks back, one of Aarti's recipes was for a quinoa pilaf, and I grabbed my chance.  For those who know me, I am a big fan of unusual grains, and try as much as possible to sneak some of those said grains and flours ("nuts and twigs" according to my longsuffering husband) into my cooking and baking.  I've never been able to get quinoa palatable for the whole family, and I find it rather dry myself, though I will eat it.  It is very healthy, but I've just never found a recipe that everyone would like.

Aarti's recipe was a big hit!  I made it on a Friday night for dinner along with salmon, and it was tried by everyone (no small feat in our house), and three of the five of us ate it up.   The raisins, cinnamon and onions really sweetened the dish, and the curry and other spices didn't overwhelm.

Do you have any good newer recipes to share?  Bonus points for "nuts and twigs." ;-)