Quinoa Salad with Arugula, Asparagus & Avocado Recipe

Ah, Spring! We are enjoying a warm spell right now and the fresh produce reflects the change of seasons with earthy root vegetables giving way to tender bright greens. I am so happy to have sunshine and bright green asparagus to eat! I recently discovered how delicious asparagus is when served raw, in salads. The trick is to shave it thinly with the sharpest vegetable peeler you have, then dress it with oil, lemon and salt so it wilts, just slightly. Asparagus is like the poster child for Spring.



I had eaten quinoa, but never tried cooking it until just recently when I received some samples of it--red, white and black--from Roland Food. Reading about quinoa I discovered while it has the texture of grain, it's actually a fruit. It's also gluten-free. It is very bitter unless thoroughly soaked and rinsed. Fortunately quinoa from Roland Food is already soaked saving me the bother.


Quinoa comes from the Andes, a staple in Peru, Chile and Bolivia where it has been cultivated since at least 3,000 BCE. It is high in protein, calcium and iron and the white variety has a sweet flavor. Most importantly, it has all the nine essential amino acids making it a complete protein. I tried toasting the quinoa, but I like the milder sweeter flavor for this recipe. It has a fluffier almost creamy texture that works well with the strong flavor of the leafy arugula. I really like the addition of dill, but you could easily leave it out or use parsley if you prefer. You could also use a slightly different mix of vegetables.

Note: If you don't plan on serving this salad right away, reserve the arugula and toss it in the salad right before serving.

Quinoa Salad with Arugula, Asparagus and Avocadomakes 2-4 servings

Ingredients

1/2  cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
5 asparagus spears, shaved thin (use a vegetable peeler)
1 handful fresh baby arugula, roughly chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2  Tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

In a medium saucepan combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 12- 15 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed. Meanwhile In a mixing bowl, make the dressing by whisking together lemon juice and oil. Add avocado, green onion and arugula to the dressing.

Transfer quinoa to a medium bowl and allow to cool. Add quinoa to dressing and vegetable mixture; toss with fresh dill and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Enjoy!

Here are just a few interesting quinoa recipes from fellow bloggers:

Stuffed Cabbage with Quinoa & Roasted Sweet Potatoes from Karina's Kitchen
Quinoa Pudding with Macerated Strawberries & Pistachios from Cannelle & Vanille
Quinoa Salad with Tomato, Feta and Parsley from The Perfect Pantry
Quinoa with Roasted Radishes & Pearl Onions from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
Warm & Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa from 101 Cookbooks
Quinoa Pilaf from Simply Recipes

Lemon Mint Granita with Mascarpone Whipped Cream

A frozen lemon concoction is a delicious treat when temperatures start to rise. Beat the heat with icy, flavored crystals topped with a bit of whipped cream and leaves of mint.

Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
3 mint sprigs, plus more for garnish

For the topping:
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2 teaspoons honey

Instructions
To start, make a simple syrup. In small saucepan, boil 1/2 cup sugar with 3 cups water until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and steep mint sprigs for 10 minutes. Place a metal bowl or pan and a metal spoon in the freezer. Let the syrup cool then mix it with the lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour the liquid into the cold container and freeze. Stir it every 30 minutes or so. It will take about 3 hours to freeze. To make the topping, stir together the mascarpone cheese and the honey until smooth in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add cream and powdered sugar. Whip until the cream has soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Top granita with whipped cream and mint leaves.

Italian Sausage Meatballs Recipe

I could eat spaghetti and meatballs every night of the week. Of course my laundry bill would be astronomical. There are cleaning products for removing every possible stain including wine, coffee, ink and blood, but no one has invented a product to remove spaghetti sauce stains. Not yet anyway.

This recipe came about as part of my effort to "eat down the freezer." I had a package of two Italian sausages and some ground beef on hand, but neither were really enough to make a meal. The secret to these meatballs is a combination of pork and beef and also what you use to stretch the meat, plenty of bread and milk. The bread and milk create a very tender texture. Italian sausages have lots of seasoning and fat so you really don't need to add much more in that department though some fresh herbs are nice. I do like using dehydrated toasted onion flakes. I get them from Penzey's and they are great in dishes like this where normally I would want to saute fresh onions. They have good flavor and are a real time saver.

Another trick to this recipe is baking the meatballs instead of frying them. I used to bake them on a lined baking sheet, but they were always flat on the bottom. Now I use the non-stick rack and they are perfectly round! If you don't have a sheet pan with a non-stick rack, I highly recommend you get one. As you can see, they are very useful for much more than just cooling cookies!

Italian Sausage Meatballs
Makes 16 meatballs, 4-5 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon dehydrated toasted onion flakes
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3 Tablespoons fresh Italian herbs, chopped (such as parsley, basil, oregano) or 3 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
Spaghetti sauce, from a jar or homemade

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl gently combine the sausage and beef. Add the bread crumbs, onion, egg, milk and herbs. Combine using your hands, but try not to handle the meat too much. Form into about 16 meatballs. I do this by dividing the mixture into 4 portions and then dividing each portion into another 4 portions.

Place meatballs on a non-stick rack, set in a foil-lined sheet pan and bake undisturbed for 20 minutes. Meanwhile simmer spaghetti sauce in a large dutch oven. Remove meatballs and transfer to the simmering sauce, allow meatballs to cook in the sauce for 10-20 minutes. Serve with pasta or use in a meatball sandwich.

Enjoy!

Fried Risotto Balls with Quick Marinara Sauce

Have left over risotto? Breathe new life into your leftover rice by frying up some risotto balls!

Ingredients
Fried Risotto Balls:
risotto
mozzarella cheese
flour
egg, beaten
bread crumbs
oil, for deep frying
parmesan cheese

Quick Marinara Sauce:
1/8 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
handful of chopped basil
bay leaf
salt
pepper

Instructions
for fried risotto balls:
Heat oil to a temperature of 225 degrees. Have three shallow bowls ready and use one for flour, one for the egg, and one for bread crumbs. Using the mozzarella as the center, form the risotto into a ball around the mozzarella. Roll the ball into the flour, then into the egg, then into the bread crumbs. Repeat as necessary until risotto is used up. Drop risotto balls into oil and fry until golden-brown. Remove from oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with marinara sauce.

for marinara sauce:
Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add tomatoes, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

Osso Bucco and Saffron Risotto

When nights are cool and dark, a hot and hearty dinner warms the soul. Succulent braised veal that practically falls off the bone, served with heaping mounds of cheesy saffron risotto, is the kind of meal that makes you feel all toasty inside.

Ingredients
Osso Bucco:
1 lb veal shanks
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces pancetta, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon whole peppercorns, toasted
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves, toasted
2 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup beef stock
2/3 cup crushed tomatoes

Gremolata:
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup parsley
1 garlic clove, minced

Saffron Parmesan Risotto:
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
3 shallots, minced
pinch saffron threads
1/2 cup white wine
4-6 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Instructions
for osso bucco:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Dredge veal shanks in mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Make a bouquet garni - wrap toasted clove and pepper, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and parsley sprigs in cheesecloth, tie up with kitchen twine, and set aside. In a Dutch oven, crisp the pancetta in olive oil, remove, and set aside. Brown veal shanks over medium-high heat. Remove and set aside. Brown the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Return veal and pancetta to the Dutch oven. Add bouquet garni, 2/3 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 cup white wine and ¼ cup beef stock. Cover and cook in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is almost at the point of falling off the bone. Add more liquid if needed. The liquid should be about 2/3 of the way up the shanks. To make the gremolata, mix parsley, lemon zest, and minced garlic together. Top shanks with gremolata and serve.

for risotto:
Bring stock to a simmer and keep over low heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook saffron and shallots until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice, coating with the butter . Add some salt, pepper, and white wine. When white wine has been absorbed by the rice, begin ladling in the stock. Add about 1/2 cup each time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Keep stirring, and only add another 1/2 cup or so of liquid when the liquid has just about evaporated. Keep adding in stock until the rice is tender but still has a firm bite. The process will take about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the Parmesan cheese, a tablespoon of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle chopped pistachios.

Blackberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Eating blackberries when they are that gorgeous red wine color is the best! They have such a wonderful sour taste. Unfortunately, berries of this color only seem to be available when they are found growing on a blackberry bush. I just don't have as much enthusiasm for blackberries that are that typical bluish-black. However, I wasn't able to pass up a great deal on a quart of blackberries I saw at a market. But what do I do with them? Then it hit me - bake with them!

Ingredients
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ vanilla bean, scraped
1 cup blackberries

Streusel Topping:

1/8 cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1//8 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup chopped almonds

Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the brown sugar and butter. Mix in egg and buttermilk. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Gently fold in blackberries. Pour batter in muffin tin. To make the streusel topping, pulse flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and almonds in food processor. Spread streusel topping over muffin batter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.

What Would Brian Boitano Make?

Is an award-winning ice skater capable of teaching, inspiring and entertaining me, when it comes to food? I had a hard time believing from the promos that Brian Boitano could pull it off, but he does. Brilliantly. Here are the top five reasons why I LOVE the show, What Would Brian Boitano Make?

1. It's all about the food.
Brian Boitano's recipes not only look terrific, but are creative and inventive. Take for example his Chicken Paella Burger made with ground chicken, chorizo and scallops or his Garlicky White Bean Dip. They are dishes I would cook in my own kitchen with ingredients I know, using straight forward techniques.

I know food tastes great when you use tons of butter and cream, but that's not how I cook. Most of Boitano's food is reasonably healthy and I like that. He gets flavor without always relying on tons of added fat, unlike some other Food Network personalities who will remain nameless. His food is home cooked, not chef food, not restaurant food, and yet it's exciting and appealing. He's also not afraid to make things a little bit spicy.

Finally the proof is in the pudding, right? Take a look at the user review of his recipes and you'll see, this isn't just my opinion. His recipes get mostly 5 stars across the board. His recipes clearly deliver.

2. It's funny.
I mean, REALLY funny. If you watch much food television, there is a formula and cliche style often with catch phrases, that gets old. Brian breaks out of that mold and actually pokes fun at the way those other shows come across. You'll just have to watch to see what I mean. He's cheeky and charming and makes me smile.

3. It's real.
Ok, it feels real. I know it's still a TV show but the menus seem plausible and workable. The food is cooked in Brian Boitano's actual home kitchen, not a fake looking set or fantasy kitchen with ultra pro appliances and cookware.

4. It's set in San Francisco.
I love the backdrop of my own town, my neighborhood and even my own local grocery stores. I guess that adds to the "realness" factor for me. How cool is it he's actually my neighbor? I am not sure I will ever get over that fact.

5. It's Brian Boitano!
Let me explain. I grew up around the corner from an ice skating rink. I took lessons and skated weekly for a while. I love ice skating. As someone who generally hates pretty much all sports, this is really saying something. To me, ice skaters are not just amazing athletes but like dancers, they are artists. And now, it turns out at least one of them can also cook!

The new season of What Would Brian Boitano Make? premieres: Sunday, March 7th at 1pm on the Food Network.