Actually, not really.  I ate really well today, but I didn’t overeat.

The first food function was the holiday party at my “old” office.  I brought cheesecake and apple pie (store bought )

Here’s some pictures of the spread.

There was a LOT more food that went unphotographed (the photos are thanks to Loreta b/c I was too lazy to go downstairs and get my camera).  The ham, turkey, and drinks were provided, and then the sides and desserts were potluck.  I arrived a little late and there wasn’t really a lot of left of the sides.

Here’s my plate.

Green beans, potato salad, scalloped potatoes, quinoa salad with peas and pecans, saffron rice, ham, turkey, cranberry sauce, and a piece of cranberry.  Everything was pretty small portions so I didn’t feel stuffed at all.  Plenty of room for dessert.

Brownie, pecan pie, cheesecake, and fudge.

It was a good time and I’m glad I went even if it meant I had to stay at the office until six.

Later in the afternoon I had some carrots and tea.

After work I was exhausted and just wanted a delicious dinner that I didn’t have to cook.  I managed to convince the husband to take me out to The Big Easy Grill and Oyster Bar.

I had received an e-mail saying that had a $20pp 3 course menu going on and it sounded fantastic.  In case you didn’t figure it out, the restaurant is New Orleans themed.

They started us out with some cornbread and butter.

Over the course of the night I ate two pieces.  My appetizer was the crawfish bisque and it was really good!!

I had a glass of Reisling with my food.   Josh had a Miller Light.

My entree was pecan crusted catfish with roasted corn Maque Choux & Creole Remoulade.  This was also really good, though I wish the crust had been a bit more flavorful.  The remoulade made up for it, though.

Josh had the Blackened Tuna over creamy grits with Creole sauce & fried okra.  He raved about it.

For dessert I chose the beignets.  I actually wish I had just ordered off the regular menu for an app and entree and paid a few extra dollars because I wasn’t really in a dessert mood (I had so many at lunch!) and I hated wasting it.

The dipping bowls were honey, caramel, and more powdered sugar (as if!).  I ate almost one beignet, but the sugar was just too much for me to make a bigger dent than that.

Josh had the pecan pie.

Now, I’m in stretchy pants and getting ready for bed.  Tomorrow I’m back at my “old” job for my official last day and then we’re heading off to Christmastown (AKA Busch Gardens).

I hope you have a wonderful night!!

Did someone slip something into my coffee yesterday morning? Or even earlier, in my sleep, was I powdered with magic dust over my dreamy eyes? From the moment I pulled one leg out of bed, the other one just jumped. From then on I was just bouncing around the house like an energizer bunny on crack. And I will acknowledge that I really don’t know what I’m talking about here, as whenever I see any drugs (crack, marihuana, ibuprofen, aleve) heading in my direction, I spin around on the ball of my foot and… sayonara! Gone, I am. Still, I was clearly high on something when I entered the kitchen soon after noon that day. I didn’t leave until 6 PM, thus sacrificing the playtime with Cosmo and completely ignoring any of my own physiological needs. What happened in between the 1200 hour and 1800 hour is a mystery, which nonetheless resulted in the birth of the following:

-       Edamame Dip

-       Pita Chips with Gruyere and Paprika

-       Quinoa Salad

-       Tuna Salad

-       Zucchini Chips

-       And last but not least – Romesco Sauce.

A sample of each and every delicacy landed on the dinner plate I assembled for Jason last night. He devoured the meal with such passion, the temperature in our freezing house (the furnace is kaput, to be fixed any day now) rose by 17 degrees. Celsius!

Ladies and Gentlemen, today I present to you…

ROMESCO SAUCE

Starring:

-       2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded

-       3 red fresno peppers, dipped in boiling water for a few minutes, then peeled      and seeded

-       12 garlic cloves

-       1/2 cup toasted almonds

-       3/4 cup halved heirloom grape tomatoes (red)

-       1/2 red onion, roughly chopped

-       1 lrg slice of rusting bread, crust off, diced

-       1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar

-       olive oil

-       fresh dill, handful, roughly chopped

-       kosher salt, paprika and black pepper to taste.

I discovered ROMESCO SAUCE recently when I was watching one of the Bobby Flay shows on Food Network. I was so intrigued I poked around on the Internet and pulled out one of his recipes for a yellow version of the treat. But Agi being Agi, I had to do things MY WAY, because that’s how I roll.

Romesco is a Spanish sauce traditionally served with fish. However, you can use it as a dip or spread as well. I would go even as far as accenting a pork chop with a teaspoon of the delight. You see it tastes like a sweet pepper jam, if you can imagine that. Have you ever had a sweet pepper jam in your life? Exactly! You’ve got to try this one. It’s divine! Probably due to all the love it requires to make it. Some of you may think it’s a lot of work. I just call it INTENSE LOVE THERAPY.

Are you ready? Then hit that PLAY button on your screen for instructions.

Get all your ingredients ready in separate bowls. Only this one trick will make your life SO MUCH EASIER you’ll send me thank you notes and a pair of Cirque du Soleil tickets! Pour a few splashes of olive oil into a deep saucepan and heat it until it smokes. Now, one by one, sauté each ingredient for a few minutes over medium heat, ensuring that all elements of your sauce are cooked. Leave the almonds aside for toasting sans the oil. Let them get their own natural oils out when in a toaster oven or on a small dry and heated skillet. And for crying out loud, do NOT burn the garlic. Those little suckers of cloves really don’t like high heat for prolonged periods of time, so be sure to toss them around in the pan until lightly golden, and get them out of there asap.

Each ingredient, after it’s been sautéed, may be dumped directly into your prearranged food processor. When everybody’s in, pour the balsamic vinegar into the saucepan, deglaze the pan, reduce it for a minute or two, and also pour the mixture into the machine on the counter. Add fresh dill, close the lid, and press ON button. Leave it be for a couple of minutes until the sauce is of smooth and unified consistency. Turn of the food processor and taste your creation… What did I say? Isn’t it heavenly?! You may want to season it now with salt, pepper and paprika to your liking. You may spread it thinly on your toast and top with a slice of turkey, cheese and cucumber. You may want to serve it with grilled salmon or tuna, or next to the pork chops we talked about earlier. You could also bake various veggie chips and use the sauce as a dip. The possibilities are as many as you can come up with. It’s your game. You set the rules.

All I know is that by making this sauce I raised my very personal bar of culinary standards set in my house. I have so much more respect for myself now that I made my own Romesco Sauce. Are you kidding me? This rocks! Now it’s your turn. Go and make me proud. I promise that your every effort will be rewarded tenfold.

All right. That’s all she wrote.

Gooood eeeeevening *in dracula voice…* haha How’s everybody doin? I hope well! Happy Weekend and Happy Halloween! haha I have managed to mostly avoid candy, which I’m happy about. The stores were CRAZY today. I wasn’t even in “Halloween” stores and they were ridonculously  busy at like 3:30pm.

I ended up napping for a couple of hours this afternoon – I did NOT sleep well last night. I drank tea too close to bed, and couldn’t sleep — then I had some pretty gnarly dreams. Perhaps its the scary crap on tv, but they were not pretty.

Anyway, this afternoon, I made myself some Trader Joe’s Pomegranate White Tea and had some tabbouleh for lunch. I got it at Whole Foods this morning. I was torn between the tabbouleh and a quinoa salad…but they added sugar to the quinoa salad so I went with the tabbouleh.

I went out in search of some stuff to refill my fridge, and to use up a Borders coupon. I bought some more brown rice, some hummus, some flax seeds and some sunflower seeds. I also picked up “Barefoot in Paris” from Borders. I’ve always wanted the book; the recipes look delicious and the pictures are just gorgeous. Not everyday food, obviously, but special occasions…for sure!

I’m looking forward to adding flax to my meals.

When I got back, I immediately popped some popcorn and whipped out the Sabra that I bought. It smells like an everything bagel, yum. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have bought this flavor normally, but it was literally the last Sabra left. It’s really good though.

For dinner I made my normal soy sauce, brown rice, chili paste, etc. mix, and I mixed in about a cup of baby spinach. Mmm, mmm good. I also made myself some more tea. haha I’ve been a tea freak lately, huh.

Now, I’ve got to go get ready and all that jazz. It’s my one night this weekend to do something, seeing as I work Sunday. haha

TGIF!!! and Happy Halloween!

Peace, Love & Munchies.

Quinoa salad with bits and pieces …

Those of you who’ve enjoyed the citrus couscous recipe I posted a while ago might be keen to try a new salad that I am totally loving at the moment. It’s a very slight bastardisation of a fabulous quinoa salad from Ottolenghi, the Israeli & Palestinian chef duo from London whose book and newspaper column combined are the most interesting source of vegetarian food I’ve ever found.

The original recipe, for Quinoa and Camargue red rice is here, and our adapted version below. My friend Caro first made this for me, using those craisins (dried cranberries) that are easily available in the supermarket, and I liked the slight sourness and the lovely ruby red colour so much I have done it with both craisins and the barberries I got ages ago on the Empress’s and my Persian excursion.

Unlike craisins, however, I’ve found quinoa itself rather difficult to get hold of. I’m told it often resides in health food / organic shops, and I found mine at the Norton St Grocer, but I hope it becomes more freely available because it is my new favourite grain in the world.

It’s pronounced ‘kin-wah’  and as far as I can tell you use it like couscous, but it’s much easier to manage as it doesn’t stick together as couscous can, and it has a delightfully bouncy texture and nutty flavour.

I’ve learned that quinoa is an ancient ‘grain’ (but not really, as it’s not a grass but is more closely related to spinach – we eat the seeds) originating in the Andes, and best of all, it’s gluten-free so people with Coeliac disease and so on can enjoy with impunity. Excellent!

Anyhoo. Enough lessons. On with the deliciousness.

• 200g quinoa
• 50g wild rice
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for frying
• zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ garlic clove, crushed
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• handful of barberries / dried cranberries / currants or a mixture of any dried fruit you like
• 30g pistachio nuts, lightly toasted
• handful rocket / baby spinach leaves
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Bring to the boil two saucepans filled with salted water, and simmer the quinoa and rice separately: the first for 13 minutes, the second for up to 40, depending on how nutty and firm you like the texture.
2. Drain both and spread out flat to cool more quickly.
3. While the grains are cooking, fry the onion in a little olive oil until golden brown. Allow to cool.
4. Soak the dried fruit in orange juice and zest in a bowl with all other ingredients except nuts and spinach/rocket.
5. In an oven preheated to 170 degrees C, dry-roast the pistachios for up to six minutes or just until the colour changes. Check halfway through, because they can burn in an instant and the flavour is vile if they are even slightly overdone and you’ll have to chuck them out.
6. Mix the cooked grains with all other ingredients and season generously, adding a little swizzle of oil if it’s too dry. Serve at room temperature.

As I mentioned yesterday, quinoa is my new favorite food. This dish can be used as a side dish/salad or it can be a stand-alone for a light dinner. The flavors in this salad are particularly fabulous because the herbs and veggies are fresh. The quinoa showcases the lingering taste of summer.

I must admit that this particular recipe came to be because I was trying to use up leftover chicken and some other fresh ingredients that needed to be used before they went bad. It was a happy success of great flavors.

Balsamic Chicken Quinoa

• quinoa (cook 1.5 c. of quinoa)*
• 1 pound grill chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 c. coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 T. fresh oregano
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly grated Asiago cheese

Mix all the ingredients together except for the Asiago cheese. Adjust vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with freshly grated Asiago cheese sprinkled over the top of the salad and crusty sourdough bread on the side.

*If you missed the instructions how to cook quinoa, here are the simple instructions: Put 1 part quinoa and two parts water into a heavy saucepan. For instance, for my family of six, including 4 grown sons, I use 3 c. of quinoa and 6 c. water.) Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. After it boils, turn down and simmer just under boiling point for 15 minutes. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and remove from heat. Let the cooked quinoa sit for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and then figure out what you’re going to do with it!

If you missed yesterday’s recipe for Lime Cilantro Shrimp, be sure to check it out!

Barb

I’ve discovered the coolest grain: quinoa. Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-WAH and originating in the South American Andes, is actually related to beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds! Quinoa looks like little seeds…because it actually IS little seeds. These little seeds are quite amazing–very high in protein for a seed and completely gluten-free. Quinoa has some interesting nutritional value that has made it a staple food in the Andes for millennia.

The quinoa that I’ve found is either dark maroon or tan. If I find other interesting colors, I’ll let you know. I buy my quinoa at local health food store from their bulk bins. Most stores in this country process the quinoa to remove the waxy coating called saponin. If, for some odd reason you end up with quinoa that still has the saponin on it, please google how to clean the quinoa. The saponins are very bitter and will ruin the quinoa.

Assuming that you have already-cleaned quinoa on your hands, it’s time to cook the quinoa. This is really easy and takes about as long as it takes to cook white rice. In fact, cooking quinoa is very similar to cooking white rice.

Put one part quinoa and two parts water into a heavy saucepan. (For example, for my family, I used 3 cups of quinoa and 9 cups of water….and my saucepan was LARGE.)

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. After it boils, turn down and simmer just under boiling point for 15 minutes. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and remove from heat. Let the cooked quinoa sit for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and then figure out what you’re going to do with it!

I was very pleased with the two different variations that I ended up with. The first dish used the maroon quinoa.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Salad

• red quinoa (cook  1.5 c. quinoa)
• the juice of 3 limes
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. sesame oil
• 1 T. lime zest
• 1 pound of shrimp, cooked and peeled
• 1.5 c. chopped cilantro
• 1/4 c. chopped mint leaves
• 3 chopped green onions
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into 3/4″ cubes
• Salt to taste

Stir all the ingredients together and let stand for about 30 minutes before serving.

I served this with a cup of seafood chowder and it was delicious. The mint leaves give your tastebuds a little jolt of surprise. If you can’t find mint you can leave this ingredient out. I liked it because it was unexpected and WOW!

The quinoa has a mild, nutty flavor that lends itself nicely to salads and sidedishes. It tends to take on the personality of whichever ingredients it hangs around with.

For another version of quinoa salad, check out Balsamic Chicken Quinoa. (This link will go live on Thursday morning, 10/1.)

If you’ve ever used quinoa and have ideas to share, I’d love to hear about them. Quinoa is my new favorite food!

Barb

Not always does a good night sleep and a hearty breakfast help you get your shit together and get on with your day.

OK, ok! Easy. I’ll just speak for myself then.

In my defense, it doesn’t help that my TASK BOARD still says it’s Saturday, while at the same time, I’ve  been convinced since last night that today is Friday (the day I’m taking Jason on a date to a secret location). Meanwhile, a strange man with a nice, deep voice says to me on the radio that today is Wednesday, September 30, 2009. Hmmm.

My reality today is convoluted to such an extent that I bounce from one place to another with a heavy chip on my shoulder. I know I should be writing now, but the very thought of it makes me spin 180 degrees on my bare heels and go sweep the neighbor’s stoop. Next, I focus on my hands as they scream for attention, and suddenly I find myself performing a home manicure – a task I normally dread like the chicken pox. Once the bright red polish is splashed all over my nails, it’s the silence in the room that gets me at last.

I fan my  froggy fingers out over the keyboard of my computer, open iTunes and break out the jams. It’s not until The Last Shadow Puppets begin to play that I decide it’s time to turn the volume UP,  prepare my stage,  move the chair out of the range of my high-kick, place Cosmo on the balcony of our bed and GET MY GROOVE ON. While the music blasts from the speakers, I jump and throw my hands in the air, stretch in all directions, bounce my shoulders, bend to the sides, thrash my hips back and forth, and give the “dance” MY ESSENCE. Gasping for air, I look at Cosmo, and a bright smile wraps it’s way around my glossy face like a red bow on a Christmas gift. He just yawns at me with mere disapproval: “Mother, REALLY??!”

After being scolded by my very own dog, I curl my tail under my own bottom, shut down the music box, and shuffle my feet to the kitchen hoping to get some LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING from an oozing, chocolate mini-cupcake. One thing leads to another, and within minutes, I’m prepping lunch. On the menu today… an Avocado Turkey Sandwich with a side of a Quinoa Salad. I’m confident after this meal I’ll have a work out that would make Michael Phelps crawl out of his pool humiliated and in tears.

Speaking of Sammies, they play an important role in our household, especially since Jason returned to work and I took on the temporary role of “little wifey”, which nota bene suits me shockingly well. The part I play entails my rising at dawn along with my beau and tending to his feeding needs. While Jason assures me he’s perfectly capable of getting a bowl of cereal in the morning, I won’t have such nonsense and proceed to fill his bowl with a cherry picked mix of breakfast grains topped with a rainbow of sliced fruit, all soaked in an ocean of almond milk.

While the boy crunches away, I move on to the next task at hand which consists of assembling his lunch and dexterously fitting the mountain of food into the 2 compartments of his teeny-weeny lunchbox.

If there are no leftovers from the previous night’s dinner (which is the case 3 out of 4 times), I grab from the refrigerator whatever I can hold in my arms and build a Mothership of all Sandwiches. I start with two slices of HEALTHY bread, which unfortunately in many cases tend to taste like old tennis shoes. Particularly the low sodium Ezekiel Bread which is as exciting as a chess match!

Let me pause here for a second. If it wasn’t for a pile of SPARKLING NEW jeans that are an entire two (2) sizes smaller than the last pants I bought, I would be slathering both sides of ciabatta bread with mayonnaise and topping it with 1-inch thick chunks of chicken, beefy slices of mozzarella, tomato and a basil leaf. I have wet dreams about  Italian breads, rustic French baguettes and country rolls. In fact, I’m drooling a little bit right now with nothing more than the mere image of them!

How do I turn that ugly ducking of Ezekiel Bread into Cinderella? I have a trick (or two) that (lucky for you) I’ve decided to no longer keep to myself.

My secret is to make the sandwich relatively MOIST, but not soggy. Second, you want to keep it versatile and exciting. The sky is the limit when it comes to building a sandwich! Think outside the box. Instead of always going for the good ‘ol mayo, use a low-fat version mixed into a coherent cream with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Or forget about mayo altogether and spread a little hummus on your bread topped with slices of heirloom tomato and pickles under an umbrella of a few spinach leaves. You can buy a flavored one, or just make your own Hummus. The EDAMAME DIP you just tried this week for the first time will go swimmingly with a few thin slices of low sodium turkey, maybe a little of Monterey Jack and a slice of Tomato, all sprinkled with finely chopped chives and packed between the slices of bread.

Being Polish, I bring my Polish twist to the table, and when the sandwich is for here and not to go I like to keep it open. It’s an ideal surface for a tablespoon of cottage cheese, green onions and crunchy Persian cucumbers. That’s today. Tomorrow, get yourself a ripe avocado, slice the meat and spread it generously over your bread. Cover with turkey/chicken/ham, and top with thick slices of hard-boiled egg – don’t forget to sprinkle it with a dust of salt and pepper. The next day, make a Tuna Salad and use it as filling in your sammy. And if you grew up convinced radishes taste like dirt, here’s your chance to bring back the magic and believe in Santa  all over again – slice one radish and hide it between the layers of your tuna sandwich. Not only will you have that extra crunch, but also vitamins and minerals you’ve deprived yourself all your life.

Have you ever tried Mascarpone cheese? It’s good not only in a Tomato Sauce for your pasta, or in cakes, but can also serve as a foundation for your – exactly! – next day sandwich. You can cover it with slices of meat, cheese, roasted peppers, onion, cucumber, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, and fresh herbs (basil, dill, mint, tarragon, etc.) Same thing goes for Pesto. You can have an exciting, delicious sandwich every day at work, and it will never taste the same. Bring a smile back to your SAMMY.

One last thing to keep in mind - do NOT overcrowd the guy. Don’t pile up everything under the sun onto your slice of bread.   After all, you want to be able to wrap your mouth around that bad boy, don’t you?

I could go on, and I’m positive there will be more opportunities to talk sandwiches. Hell, I’ll make sure of it. Today’s article will at least get you started. It’s like opening Pandora’s Box of Sandwiches. From now on the ideas will never stop coming. They will flood your mind, your lunchbox, and your kitchen. You’ll feel overwhelmed with the creative powers that will suddenly take over and you’ll start feeding your coworkers, your neighbors, and even your dog. Each Sammy will be a Gourmet Concert of Wild and Exotic Flavors clasped within the crunchy arms of two slices of toasted bread waiting to be domesticated in your mouth.

Now go and unleash your inner Sandwich Snob. Then tame the beast with your creations. Have fun with it!

Eggplant Parm

"One-pan Parm"

Heirloom Tomato, Watermelon and Feta

Quinoa Salad

Sometimes it’s cook OR blog, not cook AND blog. That being said, a game of blog catch up is in order. Here are a few of the meals from the last week(s).

The Eggplant Parm really needs a new name since nary a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano made it into the dish. Just lots of fresh mozzarella layered between pretty lavender farm-share eggplant, farm peppers, tomato sauce and basil.

The “Parm” was a one-panner– baked in the same pan used to saute the eggplant and veggies (see photo).

My favorite part of the tomato-watermelon-arugula salad is the contrast of light and dark greens and pops of pink. My theory that cheese brings all salads together hasn’t failed me yet. Here the addition of feta reminds me of the tradition (Southern?) of sprinkling salt on your watermelon that I learned from a kid in some backyard in Oklahoma. I wouldn’t be too shocked to see foodie offspring begin to sprinkle feta on their watermelon wedges. Just like Mommy.

The quinoa salad comes from the Modern Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook by Peter Berley. It is loaded with vegetables, dressed in an apple cider vinaigrette, and studded with toasted sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds. You can substitute whatever is in season for the vegetables and herbs. My adaptation follows:

Quinoa Salad

For the Salad:

• 1/3 cup hulled sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup hulled sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• Kernels from 2 ears sweet corn
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 bunch red radishes (8 to 10), trimmed and cut into matchsticks
• 1 large carrot, grated

For the Marinade:

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Coarse sea salt
• Freshly milled black pepper

1. In a medium saute pan, stirring over medium heat, toast the seeds until golden brown. Pour them into a bowl and set aside to cool.
2. In a small saucepan, bring 6 cups of water and a large pinch of salt to a boil. Add the quinoa and simmer 14 minutes or until done. Drain in a mesh colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain.
3. In a pot fitted with a steamer, combine the corn kernels with the red onion. Steam for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Remove to a colander and rinse under cold water; drain.
4. To make the marinade, in a large mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, cilantro, scallions, jalapeno pepper, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper to taste; whisk.
5. Add the toasted seeds, quinoa, steamed vegetables, red pepper, radishes and carrot to the marinade. Mix well and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marry the flavors. Taste for seasoning, add more salt and black pepper, if desired.

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

My Quinoa Salad was inspired by a trip to the Bar Harbor Farmers Market this past weekend (every Sunday during the summer. Gorgeous produce from all over the area, well beyond Bar Harbor. The shallots really caught my eye because they had no dry skins like we see in large markets. The heirloom tomatoes (which are THE only ones I buy whenever I can) were gorgeous in all colors.

So I chopped orange cherry tomatoes, shallots, cucumbers, shallots and yellow peppers while my Quinoa (purchased at A&B Naturals) was cooking (soak in water for 15 minutes, in a fine mesh sieve or strainer, then bring to a boil, cover and lower to simmer and cook for 15 minutes).

Then when the Quinoa was cool, I added the vegetables, julienned fresh basil, tossed in a nice amount of crumbled feta and made a light dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper and tossed with a fork to fluff. A delicious, healthy snack, lunch, or salad full of protein!

I found this recipe on the 101 Cookbooks blog – a blog that is well worth following, by the way.   The dressing sounded intriguing, but I’m doing a cleanse of sorts, so I altered it a bit to meet my needs.  I used it on a chopped salad, but I also like it with quinoa and vegetables and as a dip and I think it would be great on a veggie burger too.  See below for some recipe suggestions…

By the way, I use a Magic Bullet to make this and other nut-based dressings, as well as for a variety of other things like chopping flaxseeds and other nuts and seeds, blending frozen fruit into a quick frozen treat, etc, etc.  Yes, it’s one of those “as seen on tv” things.  I received it as a gift from my sister-in-law and I have truly used it at least once a day since then.  You don’t have to wait for the infomercial if you want to buy one; I have seen them around town at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and Costco. 

Walnut-Miso Dressing

• 1 cup walnuts, soaked and dried or lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup mellow white miso
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• water, 1/4 or more
• salt and pepper, to taste

Blend walnuts, olive oil, garlic, miso, and apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup of water in a blender (or Magic Bullet:)  Add additional water to achieve the proper consistency – thick, but pourable for a dip or a bit thinner, but not watery, for a dressing.  Add some pepper and just a bit of salt, then taste and adjust if necessary. 

Walnut-Miso Quinoa: Add diced, crunchy veggies like carrots, red and yellow bell peppers, and sugar snap peas, along with lightly-steamed broccoli and cooked white beans to some cooked quinoa and dress with walnut miso dressing.

Chopped Salad: Crunchy salad greens, chopped roasted beets, diced raw carrots, chopped steamed broccoli and garbanzo beans placed on a cutting board and roughly chopped, then tossed with walnut miso dressing

Tempeh Burger: Cut one cake of tempeh into burger-sized patties and put in a medium saucepan with about 1/2 cup water, 3 Tablespoons tamari, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and 1 clove of garlic, chopped.  Turn heat to high until the liquid boils, then turn down to medium and steam the tempeh until the liquid is absorbed.  Grill, saute, or bake tempeh, then serve on a bun with lettuce, tomato and walnut miso dressing.  If you don’t have buns, serve over brown rice with green beans (below) on the side, then drizzle with walnut miso dressing.   

Walnut Miso Green Beans: Saute a shallot in olive oil until lightly browned, then add green beans and a pinch of salt and continue to saute, until green beans are tender-crisp.  Drizzle with walnut miso dressing and enjoy!

Some days are pure magic.

MAGICAL MOMENT #1:   Nature and The Chicklet
Like when the sun shines and the breeze kicks up just enough to blow her little pixie hair bangs about her forward… just enough to make her throw her little hands in the air and chuckle with her smoky -I-need-a-nap giggle. Just magic. These are the moments that I thought we would never experience, to be honest. The little ones – even the ones when she is wearing so much more than she actually put IN to her mouth. These little moments are the ones we longed for all these years.. and maybe that is what we all long for endlessly: time to be and enjoy.

MAGICAL MOMENT #2: My Love… Always Magical to Me
Having Zoe here is certainly making me readjust my schedule. I love it. but to be honest, I miss baking and cooking more than I thought I would. Last night I practically BEGGED my husband NOT to cook and clean everything. (Can you believe this… I was truly BEGGING for him NOT to pitch in like this? Yes.. I married a dream boat!). Alas, the little imp was restless and I had play duty. Cooking was definitely all him but at least I got to request my favorite grilled chicken with corn on the cob. I even had him grill a little extra chicken so my lunch would be less “grab-whatever-is-there-NOW” and more healthy and planned.

Well, I shouldn’t say more healthy. I eat great. Being a gluten-free Mom certainly has it’s advantages and disadvantages. NOT being able to grab something to eat through a drive-through is BOTH. It’s much healthier for my body that I can’t but it *IS* hard when I forget to pack something for *me* to eat during the day. I’m great at packing things for the Chicklet… but me? Yea. I often don’t think that I will get very hungry. Three days ago, however, I found myself with a serious urge to start eating my own elbow. Oh, buggers, was I wickedly hungry!

MAGICAL MOMENT #3:   A Miracle… of sorts
Since that was hardly a possibility, I munched on a pack of sweetened Korean rice crackers that I miraculously stowed in my purse one day for the Chicklet but she didn’t want/need them. (Let’s hear it for not having time to clean out your purse!) While I munched, I plotted: how to get back cooking and baking again. And my first step: begging… failed. But the second? Having my Love grill a little extra so I had easy lunch fixings? A snap!

MAGICAL MOMENT #4:  Discovery
My other little learning curve happy-factor was figuring out that I could use my rice cooker to make quinoa! Hooray! Although my husband is Chinese, he has never seen the “need” for a rice cooker. No one is his family has one – they all just have a dedicated pot to cooking rice. And they are right. It’s not a *need*, but DANG, it is SO helpful when I can’t stand in the kitchen to watch a simmering pot because there is a little more action taking place in the living room with the kid. My Love has even declared our gift to ourselves this winter of a rice cooker as a good call now that the little girl is here. He, too, has no desire to stand around a pot when we can be playing with her!

A couple little tips for you rice-cooker owners, however, about cooking quinoa in your rice cooker are as follows:

• Use the measuring cups that come with your cooker if you want precision, otherwise just be sure to measure the quinoa and don’t eyeball it until you get a hang of it.
• Wash and rub your quinoa grains together *WELL* in a fine mesh sieve before draining and adding to your cooker. NOT washing quinoa makes for a very bitter bite.
• Add enough water to meet the “white rice” or “regular rice” settings on your cooker.
• Cook on the “White Rice” or “Regular Rice” setting.
• Don’t leave the quinoa to stay warm in the cooker for longer than 90 minutes or so. The smaller grained quinoa will continue to cook and can burn in your cooker if you do.

What veggies do you have in your fridge that need to be eaten? That’s what you could use in this salad. OH, it so hit the spot today. It was lovely to have a *lunch* and not to try to munch something – ANYTHING – over the kitchen sink while the little one meanders about foot.

MAGICAL MOMENT #5:  Left Overs can be Magical too!
Use up your leftover veggies and grilled meats. Or use some tofu instead to make it vegetarian. Try olive oil instead of butter to make it casein free. Whatever you do, munch on, people! It’s summer! There are magical moments that require our keen eyes, healthy bodies and joyous hearts!

Ohh yea…. Quinoa Salad Magic! I hope you try it too!

Gluten Free Quinoa Salad
Everything but the kitchen sink or the baby.
Serves 2.5 for lunch
You can find a printable copy of this “recipe” here.

Ingredients:
2 mini-cucumbers, cut into fourths then cut diagonally OR one half of an English cucumber (seedless) prepared the same
1 small tomato, roughly chopped
1 cooked/grilled chicken breast, chopped
3 Tablespoons roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
6 – 8 black or green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 large handfuls of baby spinach, sautéd in a little olive oil with garlic (1 teaspoon minced garlic)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (for the spinach)
1 cup quinoa -washed and prepared following your “white rice/regular” setting on your rice cooker or as you prefer
salt/pepper to taste
DRESSING:
3 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted
zest from one small lemon
juice from said small lemon + 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice to taste
2 teaspoons agave nectar (or honey, if you prefer)

Directions:
1. Prepare your quinoa as you prefer or with your rice cooker as following: Wash one cup of quinoa thoroughly. Rub together the quinoa while cool water runs over it in a fine mesh sieve. Put into your rice cooker and add water for one cup as though it were white/regular rice. Set your rice cooker to cook as though it were white/regular rice as well. Remove the quinoa from the rice cooker within an hour of it being done. Unlike rice, the rice cooker will continue to cook the quinoa (the grains are smaller) and it will eventually burn if left too long. Pour prepared quinoa into a medium/large salad serving bowl. Set aside.
2. Once the quinoa is prepared (or your daughter is down for a nap and the quinoa is done already), quickly sauté your two handfuls of spinach in a drizzle of olive oil. Add 1 – 2 teaspoons minced garlic to the sauté. Remove from heat and put prepared spinach into the salad bowl.
3. Clean and roughly chop the following ingredients: mini cucumbers, small tomato, roasted red pepper, cooked/grilled chicken breast, and the olives. Place chopped ingredients into the salad bowl.
4. PREPARE the DRESSING: Melt the butter. Zest the small lemon into the melted butter. Squeeze lemon juice into butter. Taste. If you would prefer, add a bit more lemon juice (we add about 2 teaspoons more). Add agave nectar (or honey, if you prefer) and whisk together.
5. Pour dressing over the quinoa and chopped vegetables and toss. Add salt/pepper to taste.

Enjoy!
-Kate

Quinoa with Roasted Peppers and Carmelized Onions

Submitted by: Greg Boynton
Haute Touch Catering
303-725-2654
www.hautetouch.com

In his own words:

Here is the recipe for the quinoa dish I (Haute Touch Catering)did for a Food Network wedding 2 years ago. Take the time to do this right and you will be rewarded with a deep earthy quinoa which will stand apart from any you have had before.

Start by caramelizing one large yellow onion.
Cut into 1/2″ squares, add salt and pepper to taste and lightly coat with olive oil. Sweat them in a pan for 45 minutes covered making sure not to color. Sweating is very slowl cooking while keeping covered with a tight fitting lid. The water in the onion turns to steam and the sugar turns into a sweet onion syrup. Stir occasionally to prevent coloring.

After onions are cooked, add in 1c. quinoa and 1 3/4 c. water, s&p to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes depending on how you like it cooked. Add more water if you don’t like it aldente.

Adjust seasoning to taste. Season prior to boiling so that the flavor cooks into the quinoa giving a deeper flavor.

Once cooked, add in roasted peppers, caramelized onions, blanched asparagus and 1/2 cup each chopped Italian parsley and whole Thai basil leaves.

Top with citrus seared tillapia or other mild white fish.

Finish with a tapenade of tomato, your favorite chopped olives, shaved fresh fennel, shaved parmesean cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil

Keep in mind that the olives are salty, so don’t season to heavily.

This is a great summer dish which goes well on a buffet.

Quinoa Pilaf

Submitted by:

David Wells, Chef / Nutracoach

www.nutracoach.com

Here is a basic quinoa pilaff that i like to make as a base item and then add different variations depending on the crowd and venue.

I usually add at least 8 cups of chopped fresh and raw herbs and veggies to this base, veggies would depend on what i plan to serve with it etc. Adding a lot of fresh and raw veggies tomatoess, cucumbers, peppers,celery, carrot~whatever you like, even grilled and chopped one to accompany a grilled protein etc.

Quinoa Pilaf

Makes approx 4- 5 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes
cooking time: 15-20 min.

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 sticks celery, peeled and diced
• 1 Tbs. garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup quinoa thoroughly rinsed.
• 2 cups H20 or seasoned vegetable stock
• Fresh herbs: basil, chives, oregano, parsley (optional)

In 4-quart sauce pot, saute garlic, onion for two minutes (med heat)
Add carrots and celery stirring for approx 5 minutes
Add quinoa, sauteeing slightly approx 3 minutes
Season with salt and pepper
Bring to a boil, immediately lower to a simmer
Give a final stir, and cover with tight fitting lid
Cook on low for 15 minutes.
Turn off and let stand for 10 minutes before serving

Quinoa Tabouli

Submitted by:

David Wells, Chef / Nutracoach

www.nutracoach.com

Some Nutritional Benefits
Excellent source of: iron, magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and other minerals. Good source of vitamin B complex and fiber. Quinoa is one of the two only grains that are complete protein.

Yield: 12 (1 cup) servings
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T garlic, finely chopped
• 1 sm. onion, diced
• 2 T Wholearth Spice blend of choice
• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed under cool water for 30 seconds
• 3 ½ cups vegetable broth or water
• 2 small cucumber, diced
• 4 small tomato, diced
• 2 bu. parsley, chopped
• 1 bu. mint, chopped
• 2 lemons, juiced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat olive oil to smoking point.
Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
Add rinsed quinoa and sauté until lightly coated with oil.
Add spice blend of choice.
Add vegetable broth or water and season with salt and pepper.
Bring quinoa up to boil, cover with tight fitting lid, turn down to simmer.
Cook for 15 minutes; remove from heat, let stand to cool for 30 minutes.
Add all other ingredients and let stand in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Plate and serve.

My friend, Jessica, put together a nice little salad based on quinoa (KEEN-wah), a protein-  and fiber-rich grain (or technically, pseudo-grain).  Its flavor is slightly nutty and delicious with fish or anything grilled.

-box of quinoa*
-1 cucumber
-1/2 box grape tomoatoes
-1/2 red onion
-1 bunch fresh cilantro (or substitute fresh parsley)
-at least 2 Tbsp. olive oil
-sea/kosher salt and pepper to taste

1.  Prepare the quinoa as directed.

2.  Chop cucumber, tomato, onion, and cilantro.

3.  Mix together vegetables with quinoa, dress with olive oil (adding more as needed), and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Be careful not to oversalt. 

Enjoy!

• If you make this from unpackaged quinoa, you might try these proportions: 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed well to 3 cups water.  Combine quinoa and water in large covered pot. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

Lately quinoa has been on my mind. It’s one grain (seed, really) I never paid much attention to, till I tasted a fresh salad of it with cubed cucumbers and tomatoes. The salad looked like tabbuleh. It  had sharp accents of thinly sliced red onion and was seasoned with plenty of olive oil and lemon juice, and a little mint. Strewn on top were halves of skinned almonds. Quinoa has a characteristic, faintly nutty taste.  It’s different and pleasant. I liked it.

And I like the idea of an almost neutral-flavored, versatile grain that’s packed with nutrients, notably protein, amino acids, and minerals. So I’ve been experimenting with it.

I thought it would work well as a basic ingredient for stuffed vegetables, and so it proved. Here’s my Butternut Squash Stuffed with Quinoa. It took about  1/2 hour to make and was a hit with the family. It’s a satisfying dish, giving you the comfortable feeling of having eaten well.

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Quinoa

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish.

Ingredients:

1  butternut squash (dalorit in Israel)

2 tsp. olive oil

salt, pepper, cumin, and ground coriander seed – a few pinches of each

1/2  cup raw quinoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup cilantro or parsley

1 small onion

4 halves of sun or oven-dried tomatoes, put to soak in 3/4 cup  plus 1 Tblsp hot water .

The water from soaking the tomatoes

more salt and pepper to taste

2 Tblsp. olive oil for sauteeing

optional: Parmesan cheese to grate over the finished dish

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 F – 190 C.

1. Cut off the end of the squash. Slice it in half. Remove the seeds. Cut most of the flesh out. I find it easiest to do it like this:

2. Rub 1 tsp. of olive oil into the cavity of each half. Drop pinches of salt, cumin, and coriander over the halves, and rub the spices in. Grind some fresh pepper over them.

3. Put the squash halves to bake, cut side up. They will need about 20 minutes.

4. Put the dried tomatoes in a small bowl and rehydrate them in the 3/4 cup hot water. Allow them to soak 5 minutes.

5. Remove the tomatoes from the water and save the water. Put the tomatoes aside.

6. Rinse the quinoa very well in running water, stirring and turning it over with your hand till you see no more “suds.” These suds are caused by bitter natural substances, saponins, that repel birds and insects in the field- and people at the table. Quinoa tastes good only if you rinse it before cooking.

Cook the quinoa with the 1/2 tsp. salt and the water from the tomatoes. Just put it all into a small pot over a low flame, cover, and let it steam till it’s done – about 15 minutes.

7. Chop the flesh of the squash.

8. Peel and dice the onion.

9. Rinse the cilantro or parsley and chop it up. Since nettles are in season here, I used nettles.

10.  Scissor or chop the tomatoes up coarsely.

11. Sauté the onions in a little olive oil, till they’re golden.

12. Add the chopped squash to the frying pan and cook, stirring often. The squash and onions should cook up within 15 minutes.

13. Add the chopped cilantro or parsley and the tomatoes.  Stir. Cook till the greens are wilted.

14. Tip the contents of the frying pan into the pot where the quinoa cooked. Stir everything up well. Taste, and add s&p if needed. You may like to drizzle a little more olive oil into the mass.

15. Remove the squash halves from the oven and let them cool slightly so you can handle them. At this point, the flesh should be tender and slightly charred.

16. Spoon the stuffing into the squash shells. Mound it up. If you wish to keep it pareve (or for vegans), the dish is now ready.

But a generous amount of Parmesan cheese grated over the stuffed squash puts a great finish on it.

If they’ve gotten cold, just pop them back into the hot oven for a few minutes.

Eat them with a spoon for scooping out the filling and the flesh of the squash.

I didn’t mean to help. I didn’t have a choice, really. I was shimmying back up the airplane from the lavatory, and she was just there. Our eyes met, and we started to do that little aisle dance. This time, I remembered my belly. Only, before I had a chance to turn baby into the space between two seats, the woman leaned into me, fainting. She had time to grab a headrest, but the other hand flailed. I grasped it, and we sank together to the floor in a slow motion hug.

She came to right as we reached the floor. She opened her eyes, bewildered by what had happened.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I’ve never fainted before. But I think I can get up now.”

“No,” I countered. “I think you’re just fine right here. Let’s just hang out for a few minutes.”

So we sat.

She seemed young and fit, but she was clearly frightened. Her second hand went to mine, and we just looked at each other, all four of our hands resting on my knees, down on the carpet near everyone’s feet. It might have been five minutes before a flight attendant arrived with water, who knows – but in that span of time, the woman stopped shaking, and her head seemed to clear, and she just looked at me, thankful.

Eventually, I realized that I was still in a low squat, and my legs were screaming, and baby was squished. The flight attendant had fetched someone with better credentials than being in the right place at the right time, so I excused myself, stepping right over my new friend, and that was that.

It was a good reminder that we are, all of us, simply human, first. That we can’t always explain why we come together, but sometimes just have to be thankful that we do. And that sometimes, a touch says what words can’t.

Our trip to New England wonderful. It was snowy, and then warm, and then really good and stormy, and delicious, the whole way through. We walked on wintry beaches, and made lobster stew, and went snowshoeing, and cooked with friends, and held babies. I didn’t even bring my computer, which meant time reading, and – on someone else’s machine – joining (gag) Facebook. And we even had a little surprise baby shower. I got to whack the head off a duck-shaped pinata.

But in most cases, we never got to see the people we love quite as long as we wanted. Each visit ended with a rushed, sort of sorrowful hug, and pledges for the year to come, and in each case, we had to be satisfied with the assurance of that touch. You can guarantee long-distance love, but it’s hard to promise time.

Still, gosh, was it good to come home. Ten days is quite a long trip. And almost as soon as we landed, Seattle reminded us that we belong here. My mother drove my sister back up for college, so we saw them. Kate stopped by with Ric, and Dave and Kelly officially moved into a house just down the street from us, and Melanie and Kevin came to stay the night during the snowstorm. Here, too, we saw each of our friends for too little time.

That’s just the way it works, though. There’s never enough time.

But however precious little there is, I appreciate spending visits in the same rhythms life normally offers. I don’t like the pomp and circumstance of How are you?, and Oh, it’s been ages!, and Do you really have to leave so soon? I’d much rather ignore the distance, and help myself to a cup of tea. I like going straight to where I know the teabags are in a house I haven’t stepped foot in for months, and plopping down as if I’d been there the day before.

I had lunch with Melanie and Kevin, before they left, and it was like that. I came home from a morning working, and they’d cleaned our kitchen, like they might have in their own house. We made lunch together, six hands pitching in. It certainly wasn’t fancy, but it was healthful, and tasty, and as they walked out the door, heading back to California, we hugged, and hoped to see each other soon.

That’s all you can do, I guess.

Warm Quinoa, Vegetable and White Bean Salad (PDF)

Arugula, grape tomatoes, zucchini and Parmesan cheese make this a nutritious lunch or dinner that’s perfect for wintry weather.

TIME: 20 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 zucchini, chopped into 1/4” half moons
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained, or 2 cups cooked beans
2 lightly packed cups arugula
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley

Bring the broth and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Set aside.

While the quinoa simmers away, heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the oil, then the onion, and cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and tomatoes, and cook another 5 minutes, until tomatoes are soft. Add the beans, arugula, and cream and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the arugula has wilted and the beans are warmed through. Stir in the cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup of the cheese and the parsley, and season to taste.

Pile the salad into bowls, top with remaining Parmesan, and serve immediately.

This is my lunch, with my new telephone. (I know. That’s a telephone. I have trouble believing it myself.)

I was on the fence about the iPhone. Or so I thought, until someone showed me Urbanspoon’s new application. It’s ohso fun. You shake your phone, and it tells you where to eat dinner. Don’t like what it tells you? Shake again. The best part? It works in more than 50 cities, which means the next time I go to London, I don’t have to scribble fifteen thousand restaurant names and their respective addresses into my A to Z map. (That’s pronounced “zed,” you know.) I can just hop off the tube, lock in a neighborhood, and shake away.

The only problem is that no one goes out to dinner every night. At least, no one I know.

Which means someone, somewhere, needs to tap into a giant list of really good recipes (Cookthink? Epicurious? Are your coders on summer vacation?) and plop them into an iPhone app. Call it iMarket. iCookDinner. iWhatever. Or, God forbid, call it something without that poor i, which is so overused it’s beginning to look more like punctuation than an actual letter.

Imagine: You walk into a grocery store, or a farmers’ market. You lock in your parameters – a season, say summer, or an ingredient, or an ethnic cuisine, or “under 20 minutes” – and you shake. It comes up with dinner for you, complete with a shopping list and a pretty picture. Maybe a few serving suggestions, too. No typing. No searching. Just dinner.

This is, effectively, what my brain does every time I walk into a grocery store. The other day, when I walked into my local co-op knowing I wanted to make a tasty, packable lunch for a friend in the hospital, I left with ingredients for a red quinoa salad with tomatoes, olives, feta, and herbs, easy as that. Maybe your brain does it, too. But not everyone is born pre-programmed for dinner decisions.

I can hear you: Keep that idea to yourself, woman! It’s genius! You could make a killing!

It is, if you ask me. And I could.

But it’s so not my bag. So, uh, you coder people. Get moving.

Herbed Summer Quinoa Salad (PDF)
Think of this as a summer salad template. Add anything you can dream up – I’d have added marinated artichokes, if I’d had them, along with chopped leftover green beans and zucchini, or even chickpeas. It’s the kind of thing you want to be in your refrigerator every time you open it, hungry, at 3 p.m. I believe it tastes best sitting in a chair on a sunny porch.

You can use red or white quinoa; I think red is simply more interesting to look at.

TIME: 20 minutes active time
MAKES: 6 servings

1 cup red or white quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 pint assorted baby tomatoes, halved
1 cup pitted nicoise or Kalamata olives, chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta (about 1/3 pound)
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and boil for 5 minutes. Cover the pot, set aside, and let rest for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. (If there’s a little extra water remaining, just pour it off.)

Transfer the quinoa to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to blend, and season to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I hate waiting for fruits/veggies to ripen! Such is my major frustration with mangoes, avocadoes, bananas, , etc. (Apples & carrots, FTW!!). Three weeks ago I bought a mango to make Mango-Avocado Guacamole and after 2 weeks (seriously!) of waiting for it to ripen, I manically hacked into it with a machete (okay, just a knife). It was still hard as a rock and I forlornly threw it out. Later that day I found 3 mangoes at the grocery store in the “50% off because these are so ripe they are about to go bad” section. Victory against the mangoes! Two went into the guacamole and with one to spare, I made Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango from Veganomicon:

It was colourful and nutritious, to be sure, but 3/5 for taste. I couldn’t even detect the mango. This is only my second Veganomicon experiment, the first one being my wildly successful and often-repeated Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Streusel Topping. I think I’ll probably shelve this recipe and try another one from the book.

Happy Canada Day long weekend everyone!

-Maureen

I love potlucks! Where else can you enjoy multi-ethnic cuisine and about a dozen different desserts all in one sitting? Sunday marked the second annual Sacramento Food Bloggers Potluck, and it was a first for the SacFoodies. Jenna and I were thrilled to be invited by hosts Elise and Garrett. From wild duck sausage and Portuguese salted cod to a decadent flourless chipotle chocolate cake and a summery cherry crisp, it was a smorgasbord of good eats and great company (much of the good company is listed in our blogroll to the right).

Jenna brought fresh picked cherries which were a perfect balance of tart and sweet. I’ve been playing around with quinoa a lot lately and thought it would be a nice side dish, especially when I heard there would be a vegan attending and assumed he may not be diving into the grilled antelope or Indonesian pork meatballs with peanut sauce (both of which were fab!).

Following is my recipe for Veggie Quinoa Salad. The beauty of this salad is that it’s super versatile and easy. I’ve tried it with artichoke hearts, white beans, carrots…you name it. Also, I recommend cooking the quinoa in stock to make it more flavorful. I used vegetable stock here, but I typically use chicken stock.

Veggie Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 pound roasted asparagus*, cut in 1” pieces

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Add quinoa and stock to rice cooker and cook according to rice cooker directions. After quinoa is cooked, add to large bowl and let cool.  Next, add bell pepper, onion and basil and mix thoroughly.  Then, add the asparagus and gently fold into the quinoa. After the salad is well mixed, pour in vinaigrette. Chill for at least 2 hours.

*Roasted Asparagus:  Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare asparagus by rinsing it and cutting off the bottoms (maybe 2 inches). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper and gently toss asparagus with your hands to make sure each piece is coated with oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 12 minutes. Let the asparagus cool in the roasting pan at least 30 minutes before cutting it and adding to the salad.

Makes 8 servings

By Kim Bedwell