Ingredients
2 cups of quinoa cooked in 4 cups of water, cooled
1 16 ounce can of chick peas, drained
1 quart of grape tomatoes, halved
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
6-8 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
1/4-1/3 cup of fresh mint, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Mix thoroughly and let it sit at least a few hours before serving to let all the flavors meld.
Great gluten-free option as long as you make sure you use gluten free vinegar.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Guacamole Quinoa Salad
Here's a new salad I made for a recent party and it was a big hit. It's gluten-free, vegetarian, and the leftovers are great (if there are any).
2 cups dried quinoa, cooked per package directions
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/3 cup scallions, diced
1/4 cup of cilantro, minced
Juice of 2-3 limes, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
3 avocados, cut into bite-sized cubes
Cook and cool the quinoa, and fluff it with a fork. Mix in the olive oil, salt, cilantro, and lime juice.
Toss in the scallions and tomatoes and let it sit for a few hours before serving to let the flavors meld.
Right before serving, cut the avocado and toss it into the salad gently, so as to keep the pieces mostly in tact, but if some "mushes" into the quinoa, that's great too.
Enjoy!
2 cups dried quinoa, cooked per package directions
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/3 cup scallions, diced
1/4 cup of cilantro, minced
Juice of 2-3 limes, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
3 avocados, cut into bite-sized cubes
Cook and cool the quinoa, and fluff it with a fork. Mix in the olive oil, salt, cilantro, and lime juice.
Toss in the scallions and tomatoes and let it sit for a few hours before serving to let the flavors meld.
Right before serving, cut the avocado and toss it into the salad gently, so as to keep the pieces mostly in tact, but if some "mushes" into the quinoa, that's great too.
Enjoy!
Layered Greek Dip
I have to credit my sister-in-law Holli for this gem of a recipe -- she brought it to a party at my house and it was a HUGE hit with everyone. And it's so easy to make -- even if you can't cook at all, you can make this and impress people at your next party.
I think a large shallow bowl works best for this in terms of presentation and function, but do feel free to use whatever type of bowl you prefer.
The first layer is 8 ounces of hummus.
Then sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped artichoke hearts over the hummus.
The next layer is 8 ounces of tzatziki sauce.
Then sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped roasted red peppers.
Follow that with 8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese.
Top that with 1/2 cup of minced flat leaf parsely.
Zest one lemon over the top of the parsley and sprinkle with chopped kalamata olives, to taste.
Serve with pita chips and enjoy!
I think a large shallow bowl works best for this in terms of presentation and function, but do feel free to use whatever type of bowl you prefer.
The first layer is 8 ounces of hummus.
Then sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped artichoke hearts over the hummus.
The next layer is 8 ounces of tzatziki sauce.
Then sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped roasted red peppers.
Follow that with 8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese.
Top that with 1/2 cup of minced flat leaf parsely.
Zest one lemon over the top of the parsley and sprinkle with chopped kalamata olives, to taste.
Serve with pita chips and enjoy!
Monday, February 8, 2016
French Onion Soup
This is such an elegant soup that always impresses and is VERY easy to make. A great first course for a dinner party, or as an accompaniment to a sandwich or salad.
5 pounds of yellow onions
1 stick butter (salted or unsalted)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
32 ounces low-salt or no-salt beef broth (or vegetable broth)
1/4 cup sherry
Extra salt and pepper to taste
To prep the onions, peel them, cut in half, cutting through the bottom stem piece that will hold the onion halves together, and then slice them thinly. They need not be paper thin, so don't worry about being too precise.
Melt the butter in a pan large enough to hold all the sliced onions, and add the onions to the melted butter. Sprinkle them with 1 tsp. of salt, which will help them release their water. Keep the heat on medium, toss the onions throughly in the salt and butter, cover tightly with a lid, and let them cook for 10 minutes. Then stir them up, cover and cook for 10 more minutes.
At some point, you'll notice that the onions start to brown ever so slightly - at this point, turn the heat down to medium or low, and start checking them after every 5 minutes. Leave the cover off because you will have a lot of water released from the onions and you want it to evaporate. After about 35-40 minutes, they will have all turned a nice rich light brown, will be the texture of marmalade, and they will be perfectly carmelized.
At this point, add the pepper, thyme, broth and sherry. Bring it up to a low boil for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes.
Then taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper and add to taste.
When ready to serve, ladle the soup into an oven-safe mug, bowl or ramekin. Cover with toasted bread or croutons, and add some shredded cheese to the top -- Swiss or Gruyere are very traditional, but you can use whatever you like best -- I love mozzarella or smoked gouda.
Place under a broiler just long enough to let the cheese melt, and serve.
Enjoy the rewards of your culinary labor!
5 pounds of yellow onions
1 stick butter (salted or unsalted)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
32 ounces low-salt or no-salt beef broth (or vegetable broth)
1/4 cup sherry
Extra salt and pepper to taste
To prep the onions, peel them, cut in half, cutting through the bottom stem piece that will hold the onion halves together, and then slice them thinly. They need not be paper thin, so don't worry about being too precise.
Melt the butter in a pan large enough to hold all the sliced onions, and add the onions to the melted butter. Sprinkle them with 1 tsp. of salt, which will help them release their water. Keep the heat on medium, toss the onions throughly in the salt and butter, cover tightly with a lid, and let them cook for 10 minutes. Then stir them up, cover and cook for 10 more minutes.
At some point, you'll notice that the onions start to brown ever so slightly - at this point, turn the heat down to medium or low, and start checking them after every 5 minutes. Leave the cover off because you will have a lot of water released from the onions and you want it to evaporate. After about 35-40 minutes, they will have all turned a nice rich light brown, will be the texture of marmalade, and they will be perfectly carmelized.
At this point, add the pepper, thyme, broth and sherry. Bring it up to a low boil for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes.
Then taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper and add to taste.
When ready to serve, ladle the soup into an oven-safe mug, bowl or ramekin. Cover with toasted bread or croutons, and add some shredded cheese to the top -- Swiss or Gruyere are very traditional, but you can use whatever you like best -- I love mozzarella or smoked gouda.
Place under a broiler just long enough to let the cheese melt, and serve.
Enjoy the rewards of your culinary labor!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)