Quinoa Tabbouleh

Soo... this is a little different from your typical Tabbouleh. Quinoa replaces the traditional bulgur for something new. It's pretty tasty, I promise.

My favorite way to serve this tabbouleh is wrapped in pita with a generous amount of hummus. Because hummus  makes everything better, right?

Quinoa Tabbouleh
Adapted from this recipe.
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 c. dry quinoa
• 1/2 c. lemon juice
• 1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 c. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 English cucumber, finely chopped
• 1/8 to 1/4 c. finely chopped mint leaves
• 3/4 c. finely chopped tomatoes
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil.

Meanwhile, toast the quinoa: In a small skillet over medium-high heat, add quinoa and toast, stirring occasionally for about three minutes. The quinoa should be fragrant - sort of nutty.

Transfer the quinoa to the saucepan (containing the stock) and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook about 12 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed all the stock. Remove from heat and allow the quinoa to cool.

While the quinoa is cooling, whisk the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa with the parsley, cucumber, mint and tomatoes. Add the lemon juice and olive oil dressing to taste and toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper, or additional lemon juice as desired.

Chickpea Salad with Lemon Caper Dressing

I'm not so good at keeping up with this blog thing, am I?

I'm constantly cooking, and constantly taking photos which I intend to add here. My problem is the writing part. I love flipping through cooking blogs, although admittedly, I do not typically spend much time on the lengthy back stories associated with the delicious recipes. Just the facts, er, recipes please. There are of course, some exceptions - I follow many blogs that are beautifully designed and even more beautifully written, where you kind of get a feel for the person behind the blog.
So why don't I just stick to the massive recipe catalog websites, with a single photo, the recipe, and ratings? I much prefer the aesthetics of someone's personal blog. I appreciate the art and prose that is put into a cooking blog. I respect the person who is comfortable adding the stories. Flipping through a blog is like looking through someone's personal recipe book. And I love love the photography.
There was a time, years ago, where I actively worked on my photography skills. That hobby seemed to fall to the wayside when I got to college. At that point I found myself as a full time student with a full time job to pay for it. Free time was largely spent sleeping, doing homework, and drinking with friends in that order. And now, an AS, a BS, two minors, and nearly three years in the "big girl job" later, I think I'm going to try and  pick it back up. I hope you, dear reader, stick around to watch that progression. Of course, I won't hold it against you if you don't want to read the stories.

I've been on a bit of a lemon kick lately. One of my favorite resturaunts in the Capitol Hill area of D.C. - Cava Mezze, has a tomato salad with the perfect lemon caper dressing. That is the inspiration for the dressing for this dish. If you happen across a Cava Mezze in your travels, please go, and let me know what you think.

Chickpea Salad with Lemon Caper Dressing
Servings: 2-3

For the salad

• 1-2 c. greens of your choice. I used a spring mix
• 2 tbsp walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 c. crumbled feta
• 1/2 c. roma tomato (or any other meaty variety), diced
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Lemon Caper Dressing

• 1 tbsp. greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. capers
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp. sunflower oil or EVOO
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and add walnuts. Roast walnuts for approximately 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and allow the walnuts to cool.

Meanwhile, mix the lemon zest and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Add the capers, oil, salt and pepper and whisk together.

In a separate bowl, add the yogurt and gradually whisk in the lemon mixture.

Toss all salad ingredients together and top with cooled, toasted walnuts.

To serve, plate the salad mix and drizzle lemon caper dressing on top!

Chickpea Shawarma

I have a love-hate relationship with running. Mostly hate. Well, probably all hate.

I just got back from a little vacation up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, (a surprise from my guy - isn't he the cutest?) where we happily spent days hiking in the mountains. It was hot, sweaty business, but totally worth it for the amazing views that greeted us along the way. The views were the reward.

View from Sharp Top Mountain, as a cloud passed around us. If you've never stood in a cloud before, I would highly recommend it!

But running is another story. Something about hauling my butt down the sidewalk in 86 degree weather, past fast food places smelling of trap grease and identical townhomes doesn't serve well to motivate. Boooorrrrring. Maybe I need a new running route. Maybe I just need to stop running. I'm kind of leaning toward the latter. That's acceptable, right?

So after yesterdays lovely run, my guy and I whipped up these tasty chickpea shawarma pockets to refuel. They were amazing. The pockets are stuffed with spicy curried chickpeas, and topped with creamy garlic and lemon tahini dressing. Add in some freshly picked tomatoes and escarole from the garden, and you're ready to stuff your face! Today the house still smells slightly of curry, and I'm entirely ok with it. In fact, I'll probably make it again later in the week, because it's perfect for lunches at work.

I had homemade tahini on hand, but feel free to buy it pre-made. However, it's super easy to make yourself, and definitely cheaper!

Chickpea Shawarma
Servings: 2-3

Ingredients

For the chickpeas:
1.5 Tbsp. sunflower oil (or any other high temperature oil)
1 Tbsp. curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. onion, minced
1 - 15oz. can chickpeas, drained
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp. greek yogurt

Tahini Dressing:
1 tsp. tahini (pre-made is fine, instructions to make it yourself are included below)
2 Tbsp. yogurt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. onion, minced
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste

To Assemble:
Pita bread
Escarole, shredded (or any preferred greens, really. I just pulled what I had in the garden)
Sliced cherry tomatoes
Sliced onion (optional)

To prepare homemade tahini:
Note: you will have extra! It will store in the fridge for ~1 month

Ingredients
1 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup olive oil, more if needed

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a small baking pan with parchment paper and add seeds. Toast sesame seeds for about 6 minutes. Remove from oven and toss the seeds with a spatula, then return to the oven. Toast for an additional 5-6 minutes.  Do not allow seeds to brown.

Once removed from the oven, allow seeds to cool - roughly 20 minutes.

Pour sesame seeds into a food processor and add oil. Blend for 2 minutes, or until a smooth paste forms. The paste should be thick, but pourable. If the paste is too thick, add additional oil by the teaspoon until a reasonable consistancy is reached.

Prepare Tahini Dressing

In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Set aside.

Cook the Chickpeas

In a frying pan, add oil, curry powder, garlic and onion. Saute over med-high heat for roughly 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add chickpeas and vinegar. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and yogurt.

Assemble Pita

Slice a pita in half to use as a pocket. Stuff the pita with chickpeas, shredded escarole, sliced tomato and onion.

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

I love going to the farmers market on Saturdays. Currently restricted to growing on my small (though space efficient) porch, I get serious garden envy as I wander by each booth, brimming with fresh greens, vibrant berries, and giant heirloom tomatoes of all colors and sizes. I happened to pick up some of the latter on my latest trip.

The goods, courtesy of the local farmers market. 

 I knew these would make a lovely bruchetta. This conclusion was reached in part because I didn't want to dilute them with a dressing, or lose the individual flavors by cooking them into a sauce or something. The more important part though, was that I wanted to start eating them sooner rather than later, and this bruschetta recipe is super QUICK and EASY.

Have you heard the saying "You are what you eat. So don't be fast, cheap, easy or fake."? There are times when I beg to differ. This is one of those times. In fact, I strive for fast, cheap and easy meals, but have a few  additional requirements - healthy and fresh. I would argue that these items are not mutually exclusive. And who doesn't want to be healthy and fresh? Haha.

So enjoy this awesome bruchetta, and call it what you wish. I opted for parsley in lieu of basil because it's what I had on hand. It still turned out great, and it's a good alternative for the basil-phobes out there.

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Servings: 12

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp fresh parsley, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. sweet onion
1 c. heirloom tomatoes, your choice
A splash of white wine vinegar
Salt to taste
French bread

Instructions
In a bowl, add the olive oil, minced parsley and garlic. Finely chop the onion and add to the bowl. Mix.

Add in the diced tomato and white wine vinegar. Salt to taste.

Slice the french bread, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Toast or broil the slices. Remove from oven and top with bruschetta to serve.

What to Grow in July?

Wheatgrass! Because why not?

Soak some wheatgrass seeds in water overnight. 8-12 hours is fine. Water level should be somewhat above the level of the seeds, as they will expand.

Sprout the seeds for the next 24 hours. Use an old glass salsa jar and drill holes in the thin metal top for drainage. Rinse the seeds with water at intervals three times a day. Do not leave standing water in the jar for this part. The seeds will be damp, but try and strain most of the water out.

When the seeds have sprouted (you'll see a small "tail" on them), find a shallow planter (or repurposed plastic bowl served well in a  previous life holding cat food. Oh, drill drainage holes in it first.). Fill with ~1 inch of soil and spread the seeds on top. Do not cover the seeds with dirt. 

Place a paper towel or opaque container over the seeds to keep them wet. Water generously, once daily for the next three days.

On the fourth day, uncover grass. Keep watering once daily and place in a shady spot. Keep away from direct sunlight. I put mine 5 feet away from a north facing window, and blocked the north side of the planter with a tall book. Worked great!

Harvest after a week or two. The wheatgrass is ready when the blades split. As you can see, mine is not ready yet!

Add it to smoothies for the iron and vitamins, or feed it to your cat!

Let me know how it goes!

Radish, Cucumber, Cauliflower and Microgreen Salad

Another Monday. Admittedly, it's a bit of a struggle to convince myself to cook during the week. More often than not, I'm working 10 hour days, and definitely strive for simple and quick dinners when I finally make it home.

This is one of those dinners. 

Fresh, raw spring veggies with a simple garlic and dill vinaigrette. I raided the garden for chives, pea shoots and radish sprouts. 

Radish, Cucumber, Cauliflower and Microgreen Salad

4 servings
Ingredients
For the salad:
1 cucumber
12 radishes
A handful of chives, chopped
4 tablespoons cauliflower, minced
2 c. pea shoots
1 c. radish sprouts

For the dressing: (You will have extra dressing!)
3/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. roasted garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced or 1 tsp. dried
Kosher salt and ground white pepper to taste

Prepare the Dressing
In a bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and mix.
Allow dressing to sit for 1/2 hour before serving.
Whisk before adding to salad.

Assemble the Salad
Slice the top and bottom off the cucumer and radishes.
Using a spral slicer, slice the cucumber and radishes into ribbons.

For each salad: plate 1/4 of the cucumber and three radishes. Top with 1 Tbsp. cauliflower, 1/2 c. pea shoots and 1/4 c. radish sprouts. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Drizzle dressing on top.

Optional: My guy added feta on top. It's wonderful either way!

Roasted Radish Naan Pizza with Ricotta, Microgreens and Balsamic Reduction

In the last post I got on my little soapbox about how great pea shoots were. Today I'd like to humbly suggest that you save yourself some money and grow your own microgreens too. You have a porch or a sunny window, right? Then you can grow your very own microgreens!

I hate having to buy large amounts of sprouts at the store, only to throw half away. Even with two people in the house, we have a tough time finishing a box of alfalfa sprouts. By growing my own, I grow what I need with no waste, and no wasted cash. Win win.

It sounds like some additional research is needed based on what I could find, but initial indications are that microgreens can contain up to 40 times the amount of vitamins and nutrients as their grown counterparts, depending on what you're growing.

Trendy new "superfood"? Yes.
Delicious and packed with healthy goodness? Easy and cheap to grow yourself? Also yes!

You can buy sprouting seeds online. 4 oz. of seeds will go a looong way, and the options are endless. Personally, I can vouch for radish and alfalfa sprouting seeds. They're easy to grow and just take a few days. I ordered some red amaranth last week as well, so I'm sure you'll see those in a recipe soon enough.

This super fancy microgreen planter was made by drilling drainage holes in the bottom of an old plastic bowl.

Back to the recipe. I had some radish sprouts that were ready to use. I was really hoping to have some french breakfast radishes from the garden too, but they didn't turn out well. (Too hot, perhaps? It is mid-June.) So I settled on some purchased from the market. You win some, you lose some.

Anyway, so I had some things on hand, and needed to make lunch. Here's what I came up with. A super messy naan pizza (I suggest you have a fork handy) heaped with toasty roasted radishes, and a creamy peperoncini and roasted garlic spiked ricotta. (Mmmm...) For a little kick and a little crunch, this pizza is sprinkled with goat cheese and a generous helping of radish microgreens.

This recipe is for one piece of naan. I served this with a spring salad, so my guy and I split one piece. Adjust the ingredient portions accordingly depending on how much you need.

Ingredients:
1 c. radishes, sliced in half
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 c. low fat ricotta cheese
1/2 Tbsp. peperoncini, minced
3 cloves roasted garlic, although I'm sure regular garlic (minced) will work just fine, just saute it a bit first.
1 slice pre-packaged Naan Bread
1 Tbsp. goat cheese
a small handful of microgreens (I used the radish variety)
Balsamic reduction to taste

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400F.

Arrange radishes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing half way through. The radishes are done when they're brown on the edges and relatively tender.

In a bowl, mix the ricotta, minced peperoncini and roasted garlic. Mash the roasted garlic in the mix as necessary.

Brush the remaining oil over the naan. Spread ricotta mixture on top, and add the roasted radishes.Sprinkle goat cheese over the pizza. Toss back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and top with microgreens. Drizzle with balsamic reduction prior to plating, or just allow everyone to add their own.