Quinoa and Black Bean Salad (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend.  I apparently caught a case of spring fever, which left me completely unable to do any schoolwork.  I did, however, get a good hike in and hosted a last-minute Memorial Day barbecue at my apartment.  I’m generally intimidated by the idea of “hostessing”.  I feel that my apartment isn’t big enough, clean enough, etc., etc.  And for all the cooking that I like to do, I still get extremely nervous about inviting others to eat at my table.  Maybe that’s because I don’t actually have a real table for people to eat at (I told you my apartment was small).  But this weekend I forced myself to overcome my fears and I invited a few friends over to grill with me and hang out on my patio.  And to accompany the bratwursts and corn on the cob, I made a big quinoa and black bean salad.

Somehow, I knew this was just the thing for a Memorial Day get-together.  It was easy, healthy, and, most importantly, delicious.  I was happy to see that it was almost completely gone by the time my guests left.

The recipe is an amalgamation of a few similar dishes I found around the web (especially this one and this one).  I modified based on what sounded good and what I thought my guests would like.  This would be wonderful to take for picnics and potlucks all summer long.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
makes 6 servings

Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 10 oz. bag frozen corn, thawed
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
-  3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice from 1 lime
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin

Start by cooking your quinoa.  Place rinsed quinoa and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover the pot for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to sit for another 5 minutes.  If you have time, allow quinoa time to cool before adding other ingredients.

In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, black beans, avocado, tomato, and corn.  You may add the cilantro now as well, if you would like.  Some people dislike the taste of cilantro and so another option is to leave it on the side so that those who want it can sprinkle it on their salad.

Make the dressing.  Mix together the olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and cumin.  Pour over the salad and stir until well-incorporated.  Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

 * I added this post to this week’s Gluten-Free Wednesday, Wellness Weekend, and Full Plate Thursday.

Salmon Bisque (Dairy-Free)

Believe it or not, this last week has given us several days of what I would call “soup weather”.  Overcast skies, a chill in the air, drizzling rain.  We even had spectacular thunder and lightening storms the last two nights in a row.  I liked them.  The dog did not.  So while other bloggers are posting their favorite rhubarb or spring salad recipes (which really do look good), I’m curled up on my couch with a blanket and a bowl of soup.

Despite the visions of butter and heavy cream usually conjured up by the mention of “bisque”, this recipe has neither.  And I can tell you that it doesn’t need either one.  The salmon adds a richness all its own and a couple small potatoes makes for the perfect amount of body.  The pictures here show it topped with a dollop of greek yogurt, but it’s just as lovely without.  Perhaps you could even add a swirl of olive oil for some extra healthy fats.

One other nice thing about this soup: It helped me finally figure out what to do with a certain specialty salt that I’ve had in my kitchen for almost a year!  You see, last summer when my parents visited, my mom bought a large container of a nice coarse gray salt.  The flakes (chunks is actually probably a better word) had a nice taste and look to them but I just didn’t know how to handle them.  They were too large to use for most cooking applications and too fancy-seeming to just dissolve into soup or broth.  I put my container on the top shelf of my pantry and forgot about it.  Then, a couple of weeks ago, our neighbors gave us a very belated Christmas present of 3 gorgeous salt vials.  One of them contained the same coarse gray salt from Guerande, France (the same place fleur de sel comes from).  Now, it seemed, I was really going to need to find an appropriate use for this unusual salt.

Well, I think I finally did it.  When a few flakes are added to a warm bowl of thick soup like this one and then mixed in, it creates pleasant little pockets of saltiness with some crunch where the salt didn’t dissolve completely.  I think this would also work nicely with a lentil or split-pea soup.

Question: Have any of you received gifts for the kitchen that you weren’t quite sure how to use?  What did you end up doing with them?

Salmon Bisque
makes 4 servings
adapted (slightly) from Tartelette

Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 leeks, white parts only, cleaned and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 small red potatoes, sliced
- 2 Tbsp extra dry vermouth
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lb skinless salmon, cubed (I found some for a good price in the frozen section of Trader Joe’s)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- greek yogurt, olive oil, and/or salt for serving

Heat olive oil over medium in a large pot.  Add vegetables and sautee, stirring so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  Add vermouth, vegetable broth, and salmon and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and puree in a blender or with an immersion blender (let the soup cool a bit if your blender is not designed for hot liquids).  Garnish as desired and serve.  This soup keeps for a few days in the refrigerator.

*I added this post to this week’s Sugar Free Sunday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Hearth and Soul Hop, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, and Mix it Up Monday.

Sardine Rillettes

I am so excited to share this recipe with you today!  I know, I know…sardines.  I have to admit that this little fish came into my life only recently and with some hesitation on my part.  I knew that sardines were supposed to be one of the safest and most sustainable seafood choices on the market.  I also was aware that they were one of the best sources of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids available.  And compared to wild Alaskan salmon (another healthy and sustainable option), they are a steal.  But, still, I wasn’t sure I was ready to venture into sardine territory.

Then, canned sardines went on sale at the grocery store and I decided it was now or never.  I bought 2 cans.  The first can was used to make fisherman’s eggs, which is basically a hot dish of sardines topped with baked eggs.  It was pretty good, but I can’t say I was completely won over.  The sardine rillettes won me over.  Think of it as a pate that you can serve on crackers or toast.  It’s deliciously creamy with little bites of shallots and herbs and a nice briny flavor from the sardines.  A little bit of lemon juice freshens everything up.  That’s the fancy description.  Another way to think of the taste is that it’s kind of like tuna salad, all grown up.

I enjoyed mine spread generously on some gluten-free multi-grain bread from a local bakery.  It’s also nice to have a little sprinkle of fleur de sel for the top and perhaps some pickled vegetables (I used some peperoncini but there are probably better options).

And so, I would like to present to you…sardines that I think you will like!

Sardine Rillettes
makes about 1/2 cup
adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients
- One 4.3 oz can sardines, packed in olive oil (I used Wild Planet brand)
- 1/3 cup cream cheese
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 1 scallion, finely chopped, white and light green parts only
- juice from half a lemon
- about a tsp each of fresh chives and parsley, finely chopped

Place all ingredients except sardines in to a bowl and mix with a spoon until smooth.

Remove tails from sardines, if necessary.  Split them down the center and remove the backbone.  Note: While I’ve learned that I like the taste of sardines, I can’t say the same about their smell on my hands hours after I’ve eaten them.  Try to avoid getting too much oil on your hand to avoid this problem.  Or you could use gloves if you have some.

Add sardines to cream cheese mix.  Using a fork, break them up and stir them in.  Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Lisa’s Grilled Cheese

I’m a week and a half into my 3 week “detox” with no sugar or refined flour.  I’d like to be able to tell you that it’s been easy.  I’d like to be able to tell you that I’m suddenly craving only broccoli and carrots.  But I’d be lying.  The truth is that I can’t wait to bake some cookies and eat them.  Luckily, there’s another blogger out there who has made the same dietary changes I’m now attempting (only she did it permanently!) and she shares her wonderful wisdom and recipes with the rest of us at Thrive Style.  If you haven’t found Lisa’s blog yet, I suggest you check it out.  You’ll find tons of great recipes, nutrition advice, and bits of life.

Recently, she’s been perfecting her grilled cheese, which is made with coconut flour flatbread!  It’s incredibly easy and adaptable, and it’s perfect for satisfying the monster cravings I’ve been dealing with this week.  I’m going to send you her way for the recipe, which I pretty much followed exactly.  The only change I made was omitting the pizza seasoning because I didn’t have any.  For fun, I also added just a bit of fresh basil and arugula.  Thanks, Lisa, for this recipe revelation!

Coconut flour flatbread grilled cheese.

Made with grass-fed sharp cheddar cheese!

On an unrelated note, Jeremy left this morning for a 3 week tour with a band he plays in.  My apartment is already starting to feel empty.  Luckily, I still have this guy to keep me company!

Ancient Grains: Einkorn Pilaf with Lemon

I have a new grain to love in my life.  It’s called einkorn (or einkorn farro) and it’s basically an ancient version of our modern wheat.  Before I get into the health benefits, I want to let you know that it is chewy, nutty, and 100% delicious.

Ok, so now that we have the matter of taste cleared up, I’m going to make the case for why you should think about including einkorn at your next meal.  You may have heard that our modern version of wheat is a genetically altered strain that was created to increase yield and profit.  The problem is that it is also much worse for us than its ancestors; it spikes our blood sugar, causes heart disease, and makes us gain weight.  Dr. William Davis makes a good case for this in his book “Wheat Belly“.   Now, I can’t say that I’m ready to jump off the wheat wagon completely.  I like my pizza and bagels (though I’m on day 7 of my 21-day “no sugar or white flour” challenge!) and I don’t want to envision a future in which I never eat those things again.  BUT, it’s interesting food for thought and a good reason to explore some alternative options.  Along with its good taste, einkorn packs a nutritional punch!

Source

Eat up!

Served with a pork chop and spicy arugula salad.

Einkorn Pilaf with Lemon
makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients
- 2 cups einkorn farro, soaked overnight and rinsed
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- bay leaf
- 1 medium carrot, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped into small cubes
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced then roughly chopped, white and light green parts only
- zest of 1 small lemon
- salt, to taste

I recommend soaking the einkorn overnight.  This increases digestibility and shortens cooking time.  If you do not have time to soak it, keep in mind that your cooking time will be increased.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and stir to coat with butter.  Sprinkle with a little salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.

Add einkorn, broth, and bay leaf.  Increase heat to medium-high and cover pot with a tightly fitting lid.  Cook for about 15 minutes, until einkorn is soft but still chewy, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium.  Add the carrot, stir, and cover pot to cook for 5 more minutes.  Add the bell pepper, cover pot, and remove from heat.  Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Before serving, add scallions, lemon and more salt, if needed.  Serve warm.

* I added this post to this week’s Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Real Food 101, Just Another Meatless Monday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Foodie Friday, and Monday Mania.

Salmon en Papillote + Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus

I’m on Day 5 of my 21-day resolution not to eat added sugar or white flour and it’s going pretty well.  Honestly, it’s been better in some ways and worse in some ways that I had imagined.

The good stuff: I don’t have to agonize over the “should I or shouldn’t I?” of certain eating choices.  If someone brings bagels or cookies to school, I can simply tell myself that I’m not going to be able to have any this time and remind myself that bagels and cookies will still exist in 3 weeks.  It simplifies things and I haven’t felt too deprived yet.  Then again, it’s only day 5 and I have raided the kitchen pantry for handfuls dried cherries and walnuts the last several nights in a row.

The not so good stuff: It can feel socially isolating to completely avoid any food category.  My resolution is definitely not as restrictive as it could be, but it can still be difficult to navigate certain social situations.  For example, I know my boyfriend is going to be a little put out when we go to our favorite wood-fire pizza restaurant later tonight and I just order some olives and a salad.  He’ll get over it, but this shows how sharing food is an important part of many intimate relationships.  Also, it’s hard to learn how to stay fueled and full when the majority of “empty” calories are taken away!

And I’ve been unusually tired all week.  I don’t know why.

Luckily, there are a great many meals that one can enjoy when avoiding sugar and processed flour.  In keeping with my recent french obsession, I made Salmon en Papillote for dinner a few nights ago.  I cannot even begin to describe the delicious smells coming out of my oven as it cooked.  It was simple to make but came out looking quite impressive. I also made Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus to round out the meal.

Again with the grainy iPod photos. I promise I’m getting my real camera back soon.

Layers of goodness.

Lovely asparagus.

A perfect spring meal.

As always, enjoy!

Salmon en Papillote
serves 2

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- about 3/4 lb fillet of wild-caught salmon, cut into 2 pieces
- 8 large basil leaves
- salt
- pepper
- 1 lemon
- 1-2 green onions, white parts only, finely sliced
-  2 sprigs thyme

Heat oven to 425F.  Cut two 12″x12″ pieces of foil and set aside.

Start by cooking the tomatoes.  Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add washed tomatoes.  Cook just until their skins are beginning to wrinkle, 7-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the salmon packets.  In the middle of each piece of foil, place 3 basil leaves side by side.  Drizzle them with a little olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper.  Place the salmon on top of the basil leaves, skin side down (if they have skin).  Spoon the cooked tomatoes onto the foil next to the salmon.  Drizzle the salmon with a little more olive oil and sprinkle some more salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the packets with a little lemon juice and lemon zest (about 1/4 tsp zest per packet).  Scatter green onion slices over the salmon and tomatoes and place a basil leaf and thyme sprig on each piece of salmon.

Now, close up the packets.  You’ll want to seal them tightly enough that steam does not escape during cooking but you’ll also want to “tent” them so there is a bit of space above the salmon.

Place packets on a baking pan and bake for 7-10 minutes.  I left them for 10 minutes and felt they were almost overdone.  I will try 8 minutes next time.

When they are done, remove the salmon from the tin foil and plate along with the tomatoes.
Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus
serves 2

Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus, woody stems removed and peeled, if desired
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- a few pinches coarse salt
- 3 Tbsp almond flour (finely ground almonds)
- 3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425F.  In a small bowl, combine almond flour and parmesan cheese.

Place asparagus in a shallow baking dish and toss with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and top with cheese mixture.  Bake for about 10 minutes, until asparagus is tender and topping is just beginning to brown.  Serve immediately.

Shrimp, Avocado, and Lime Salad

Monday was perhaps the hottest day we’ve had so far this year.  While I spend the majority of the winter yearning for summer to come again, I forget what it feels like to be wilting on the couch in one’s little box of the apartment (no A/C, of course), wondering just how anyone could be expected to get any work done in this heat.  That was Monday, a preview of what’s to come.

The last thing I wanted to do was fire up the stove or turn on the oven.  Luckily, I had some pre-cooked Oregon Bay Shrimp I had bought on sale from the grocery store.  According to Seafood Watch, wild-caught Oregon shrimp are the best choice for sustainability.  And since this salad required absolutely no additional heat in my apartment, I’d say it was the perfect meal for the day.  I served it on cucumber slices but it would also be lovely on tortilla chips or a green salad.

I’m so sorry for the grainy photo! I left my camera in Fort Worth and am waiting for my mom to mail it to me. Thanks, Mom!

Shrimp, Avocado, and Lime Salad
makes about 3 cups

Ingredients
- 3/4 lb pre-cooked Oregon Bay Shrimp, picked through for stray shells
- 2 small avocados, diced
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- juice of 2 limes
- scant teaspoon salt (add more to taste, if needed)
-  1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine well.  Serve immediately or chilled with cucumber slices or other crudités.

Raw Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies

With any luck, this is the last sweet treat that you will see here for the next 3 weeks.  In response to the approach of summer and the slight but constant bloat in my belly, I’ve decided to jump into a 21 day sugar detox.  This is not a well-planned or well-researched detox.  Some more seasoned and hardcore detoxers might even call it a “detox lite” because it’s not as strict as it could be.  Nonetheless, I decided that doing something that feels possible for me for 21 days is better than doing nothing.

My version of the sugar detox goes like this:

Not OK: sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup (or any products containing these…bye Clif bars!), white or refined flour, fruit juices

OK: pretty much everything else, including whole fruit

I’m going to focus on eating vegetables, fish, eggs, and healthy fats like olive and coconut oil.  These won’t be all that I eat, but I just stocked my refrigerator and pantry with exciting personal detox-approved items including broccoli, asparagus, spinach, cucumbers avocados, bananas, lemons, olives, wild-caught salmon, Oregon bay shrimp, and sardines packed in olive oil.  And some Mary’s Gone Crackers crackers.

In the meantime, these healthy (but brown rice syrup containing) cookies are going in the freezer.  They’ll be waiting for me 21 20 days from now.

Raw Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies
makes 30 cookies
adapted from Rawmazing’s recipe

Ingredients
- 2 cups almonds, soaked and dehydrated if possible
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut, pulverized in the blender
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/3 cup peanut oil (I think I’d like to try coconut oil next time)
- 1/4 cup fresh strawberries

First, make the filling.  Put the strawberries in a blender or food processor and puree.  That’s it.  Set aside.

Place almonds in the food processor and pulse until finely ground.  This could take several minutes.

Add coconut and chia seeds.  Pulse to combine.  Add brown rice syrup and oil and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse, wet sand.

Using a tablespoon measure, form the dough into small balls.  Press a hole in the center and fill with strawberry puree.

Dehydrate and 115 degrees for 8 hours.

* I shared this post on this week’s Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Whole Food Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Mother’s Day Brunch

Hi y’all!  It’s been a bit quiet around the blog this week because I’ve been on vacation in Fort Worth, Texas to see my little sister graduate from her Master’s program.  She’s now an official speech pathologist and I think she’s ready to be done with school for the rest of her life.  I just wanted to send out a quick post to share the Mother’s Day brunch that she and I put together this morning.  It’s not often that we have the whole family together on Mother’s Day and this was a delicious way to celebrate.

Asparagus, mushroom, and goat cheese egg bake.

The asparagus layer.

Then the mushrooms and goat cheese.

Scones.

With strawberries and mimosas.

The egg bake recipe can be found here at Closet Cooking.

And the scones are here at Chocolate and Zucchini.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Mother’s Day!

Anna’s Pesto Trapanese

Today’s recipe comes from “The Splendid Table“, a public radio show (or podcast) about all things food and cooking.  I guess I decided that the multitude of cooking blogs I follow and the cookbooks that I’m always bringing home from the library just weren’t enough.  Plus, I can’t read cookbooks while I’m jogging or riding my bike.  In my exploration of the world of food podcasts, I’ve found that this is one of the best.  I’m trying out of few others ones right now and may have to share a list of my favorites in a future post.

But for today, I’m just going to focus on this pesto.  This is something that I think will be in heavy rotation in my apartment this summer for a couple of reasons: 1) The sauce does not require any cooking.  No slaving over a hot stove.  2) While most pestos use mostly basil, this one is tomato-based.  I loved the fresh, sweet taste of fresh tomatoes in my pasta.

I’m lucky enough to live near a place that sells freshly made (not dried) noodles and so I served the sauce with fresh angel hair pasta.  You can use any pasta you would like, though.  You could even try spaghetti squash or zucchini ribbons!

Anna’s Pesto Trapanese
makes enough for 4 servings of pasta
adapted from The Splendid Table

Ingredients
- 10 oz fresh, ripe cherry tomatoes
- 8 basil leaves
- 1/4 cup almonds, toasted
- a few slices of peperoncini
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Gran Padano cheese

1. Place tomatoes, basil, almonds, peperoncini, and salt into a high-speed blender or food processor.  Blend for about a minute until you have a fine puree.

2. Turn the blender or food processor on low and slowly add the olive oil until incorporated.

3. Toss the pesto with your noodles.  Add cheese and toss again.

* I added this post to this week’s Fat Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.