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All things food–real food!
Lemon-Scented Quinoa
Lemon-Scented Quinoa Salad
A cool summer salad
Ingredients:
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
Dressing:
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 cup sesame tahini
• Zest of one lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
*an easy alternative to this dressing would be using yogurt, dill and lemon juice.
To Prepare:
1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, make the dressing. Whisk together the garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the hot water to thin a bit and then the salt.
3. Toss the cooked quinoa, beans, cilantro, red onion, and half of the dressing. Add more dressing if you like and season with more salt to taste. Serve garnished with a bit of cilantro.
Quinoa Salad with Cranberries and Nuts
Quinoa Salad with Cranberries and Nuts
Served warm or cold – whatever summer mood you’re in!
Ingredients:
• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 ½ cups green onions, sliced
• 1 ½ cups celery, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup pecans
• ½ cup walnuts
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 8 oz buffalo mozzarella, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 3 T olive oil
• 4 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp ground cumin
To Prepare:
1. Place the rinsed quinoa in boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow the quinoa to cool.
2. Mix together the onions, celery, parsley, pecans, cranberries, walnuts and mozzarella. Note: I’ve been using “candied” pecans for a yummy variation…
3. While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, mustard and cumin. Slowly add in olive oil in a steady stream.
4. Toss dressing with quinoa. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
(recipe adapted from http://cookingquinoa.net)
Ginger Jewel Salad
Ginger Jewel Salad Summer = salads! You can have fun with this delicious and light dish by experimenting with any dried fruits, just try to imagine if it will pair well with ginger and go from there. This recipe uses a festive combination of dried fruits with leafy red romaine lettuce and some little gem lettuce. You can use whatever lettuce looks the most vibrant at the store or from your own garden. Feel free to make the vinaigrette the day before.
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice, made by grating a 4-5-inch piece of ginger into a pile and then pressing it against a strainer to extract the ginger juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine or Champagne vinegar
• fine grain sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon jalapeno, very finely chopped
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup dried figs, stems trimmed, quartered
• 1/3 cup dried pluots, chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• 5 big handfuls of leafy salad greens, washed and dried
To Prepare:
1. In a Mason jar or medium bowl make the ginger vinaigrette by whisking together the ginger juice, vinegar, jalapeno, and a couple big pinches of salt.
2. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the jar, whisking all the while. Stop when the dressing takes on a slightly creamy appearance. Taste and adjust the flavors if needed. Set aside. NOTE: Hold off dressing the salad until just before you are ready to serve it. This will help to keep the lettuce vibrant and lively.
3. In a large bowl toss the figs, pluots, hazelnuts with a generous splash of the dressing. Once they are nicely coated, add the lettuce, a bit more vinaigrette, and a pinch of salt. Gently toss until the lettuce is evenly coated. Taste and adjust if needed. The little bits of fruit and nuts tend to fall to the bottom of the bowl, so before serving scoop them back up from the bottom so you end up with plenty of rice and fruit on top.
4. This recipe also works well with some blue cheese or goat cheese.
Savvy Shopping, Smart Cooking
Eating Better at a Price You Can Afford … What an appealing idea! I am partnering with Wendy Van Wagner of In the Kitchen fame to provide this practical and fun food shopping tour and cooking class– all in one spectacular morning! We’ll meet and shop at Briarpatch from 9 – 10, during which time we’ll review labels and what ingredients to look for, explore grains and legumes and other interesting bulk items, and much more! We’ll then pop over to In the Kitchen for a cooking class (from 10:30 – noon) that will utilize some of the Basic Buy items being offered as an affordable purchase at Briarpatch. You’ll come away with a New Pantry shopping list, information to shop smart and sensibly, recipes, and a happy stomach–as the meal is included in the price! What a deal! Space is limited to 8, pre-registration and payment is required. Register here: http://wendyvanwagner.com. See you there!
Mindful Chocolate Exercise
Some fun with chocolate and mindfulness. A seriously fabulous combination.
Romance! Food! LOVE!
My sweetie and I just savored the most divine meal — an early Valentine’s dinner — since he will be out of town on Monday. I wanted tonight to be special…and it surely was!
My winter CSA box was picked up last eve, rewarding me with a veggie array to create a masterpiece meal. I stopped at Nevada County Seafood on the way home from yoga this morning for two gorgeous, fresh-off-the-boat swordfish steaks.
Ok, here goes: I started with the massive amount of cauliflower greens, after removing them to reveal the luscious head that was nestled inside. To them, I added two giant handfuls of arugula for a quick saute with garlic chunks, in olive oil.
The cauliflower head was sliced thickly, rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper and roasted for ten-ish minutes at 400 degrees.
I cut the CSA carrots into thick strips and briefly sauteed them in coconut oil with grated candied ginger. OH MY! This carrot concoction may become my new favorite veggie side dish. The combo of the coconut oil and its rich flavor with the sassiness of the ginger is simply amazing. I just made that dish up, by the way, as I was contemplating how this meal was going to come together. Brilliant!
A world-renowned chef gave me the instructions for the swordfish. Fish is one food that I struggle with in terms of knowing how to prepare it, and I rarely do cook it because of this. He assured me that rubbing it in olive oil and sprinkling it with salt and pepper, before broiling it for a few minutes on either side was the secret…and he was right. Thank you, Brian! Xoxo. I made a sauce of white wine, butter, capers, and fresh meyer lemon juice. Can I just tell you that the fish turned out to be restaurant quality?! Simply fab!
All of this was happening at the same time, so I was mindful about the what/when/how’s and completely enjoyed the time I spent creating this special dinner to share with my true love. This meal will be remembered by us for it’s beauty — so many colors, textures, and flavors: the fish was lovingly laid on top of the sauteed garlicky greens, over which the lemon-caper sauce was drizzled; the carrots nestled alongside in a gooey, delicious puddle of coconut-y ginger glaze, and the roasted cauliflower took its own proud place on our plates, standing tall in 3-D glory.
We ate slowly, enjoying each other and the spectacular flavors. Sigh. It was magic.
We’re nearly done digesting that gourmet meal. Dessert is planned for 8:30 PM, 30 minutes from now and 90 minutes from the completion of dinner (give or take a few moments of smooching). The piece de resistance will be a decadent chocolate sauce that is simply made by melting an organic dark chocolate bar and after it cools, adding in 1/2 cup of whipping cream. We’ll be dipping–with our fingers–juicy ripe slices of pear and mango into this sensuous sauce. Imagine it. Yes.
Posted in Eat, Recipes | 
Tags: luscious., Nevada City Seafood, recipes, sensuous food | 
No Comments »Cooking for Lovers! A Heartfelt Dinner for Lovers of the Heart and Real Food
Dates for a Date!
Ingredients:
- Medjool dates
- Goat cheese
- Pistachio nuts, chopped
Preparation:
1. Slice open the date, leaving it intact at the bottom.
2. Remove the pit.
3. Smear in some goat cheese.
4. Sprinkle the crushed pistachios on top, allowing them to stick to the cheese.
Roasted Beets
Ingredients:
- 6 – 8 medium sized red and/or golden beets
- ¼ cup Blue Cheese, crumbled
- 10 – 14 Turkish apricots, snipped into small pieces
- ¼ cup candied pecans or walnuts, chopped
- 2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Wash and wrap beets in foil, bake at 400 for 60 minutes. Let cool completely (several hours).
- Wearing kitchen gloves, rub the beets gently and the skin will fall right off.
- Clean up the beet tips.
- Chop into bite sized chunks.
- Add crumbled blue cheese, chopped turkish apricots and (optional) the chopped, candied pecans.
- Drizzle with good quality balsamic vinaigrette (I use fig) and sprinkle a tad of salt and pepper.
Prep time: 20 minutes of before and after baking time; 60 minutes to bake
Serves: 4
Phyllo Spinach Fish Pie
Ingredients:
- 12 -14 ounces tilapia fillets
- Zest and juice of one lime
- 1 bag prewashed baby leaf spinach
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup crème fraiche
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaf, chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup cashew nuts, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh grated nutmeg, to taste
- 5 sheets phyllo pastry
- Olive oil, for brushing
- 4 tablespoons panko
- 4 -6 ounces mild brie cheese
- 2 tomatoes, sliced or 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cube the fish, sprinkle with limejuice and set aside.
- Mix together the spinach, eggs, sour cream, basil, green onions, garlic and cashews, and the zest of the lime.
- Add seasonings to taste.
- Brush a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with olive oil.
- Brush a sheet of phyllo with olive oil, layer in the baking dish, sprinkle with some breadcrumbs, repeat with all the sheets overlapping each time and using the breadcrumbs; you will have lots of pastry hanging over the side of the dish.
- Drain the fish, mix gently with the spinach mixture and pour in the pastry-lined dish.
- Top with the cheese and then the tomatoes.
- Roll the overhanging pastry up and over the edge of the dish, ending up with a tight roll all the way around the pie, then brush the pastry roll with olive oil.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes, before cutting into squares.
Prep time: 35 minutes, Bake time: 30 – 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Roasted Artichokes
Ingredients:
- 6 Artichokes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Dried thyme
- 12 Garlic clove
- 2 lemons, thinly sliced
Preparation:
1. Choose artichokes that are 3 to 4 1/2 inches wide. Break off and discard small outer leaves. With a knife, slice off artichoke tips. With scissors, snip thorn tips from remaining leaves. Trim dark base from stem ends and, with a knife, peel coarse fibers from stems and artichoke bottoms.
2. Place trimmed artichokes into boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and let cool for comfortable handling. Cut artichokes in half lengthwise.
3. Choose a pan in which the artichokes fit close together in a single layer (6 halves fit in a 9- by 13-in. pan); if there are large spaces, the juices will scorch.
4. For each artichoke, pour 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil into pan and add 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. Roll artichokes in oil to coat, and turn cut sides down. Slide 1 thin lemon slice and 1 peeled garlic clove under each artichoke half. Seal pan with foil.
5. Bake in a 375º oven until artichoke bottoms are tender when pierced, 40 to 50 minutes.
6. Turn artichokes over for 5 more minutes of roasting, center-side up.
Prep time: 20 minutes, cook time 60 minutes
Serves: 6
Artichoke Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup(s) mayonnaise, light
- 1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
- 1/4 cup(s) lemon juice, fresh
- 1 tablespoon mustard, dijon-style
- 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground, freshly ground
Preparation:
1. Blend all the ingredients together, season to taste preference.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Roasted asparagus
Ingredients:
- Fresh asparagus
- Garlic, chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
1. Wash asparagus spears and allow the stems to dry. Trim woody bottoms of stems.
2. Place stems on baking tray. Sprinkle chopped garlic over stems.
3. Drizzle with olive oil. Using your fingers, spread olive oil and garlic pieces throughout stems.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bake in 350 oven for 2 minutes, turn stems over, and bake for 2 more minutes.
Prep time: 10 minutes, roast time: 5 minutes
Serves: 3
Red Pepper Cashew Sauce, for Asparagus dipping
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups dry roasted cashews
- 1 medium red pepper chopped into 2 inch pieces (seeds and stem removed)
- 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp chopped shallot
Preparation:
1. Blend all ingredients together.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serving size: about 2 cups
Dessert: Pears with crème fraiche and bananas with chocolate sauce
Ingredients:
- Ripe pears, sliced and peeled
- Crème fraiche, seeasned with fresh nutmeg, a drop of vanilla, or cinnamon
Preparation:
1. Get cozy with your sweetie.
2. Slowly run sliced pear through crème fraiche dipping sauce.
3. Feed to your sweetie.
4. Lick your fingers.
5. Repeat.
Ingredients:
- Firm bananas, peeled and slice into strips
- Dark chocolate
- ½ cup cream
Preparation:
1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and allow it to cool, until tepid.
2. Blend in the whipping cream, mixing well and serve.
3. Eat and enjoy following pear recipe!
This is the meal that we will be cooking up later this week at In the Kitchen at the Cooking for Heart Lovers Class. Yum!
