Quinoa salad

I made this for dinner tonight as a side and loved it. I thought the flavors were perfect together. (though I did omit the tomatoes since they are not in the garden yet.) Tyler - not so much. His only comment was "how many times do I have to tell you I don't like quinoa?" I think anyone who enjoys quinoa will like this simple recipe - plus everything in is it stuff you probably always have on hand.


Warm Quinoa & Broccoli Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing


A dash of soy sauce and Asian sesame oil gives this easy to put together salad its unique flavor.
SERVINGS
6
COOK TIME 
20
TOTAL TIME 
32
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons water
Salt
1 bag (10 ounces) broccoli florets
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2/3 cup chopped carrot (about 1 large)
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
PREPARATION
1. In sieve, rinse quinoa with cold running water. In 3-quart saucepan, combine quinoa, 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Transfer quinoa to large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, place broccoli and 1/4 cup water in microwave-safe medium bowl; cover and cook in microwave oven on high 4 to 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain; add to quinoa in bowl.
3. In blender, combine carrot, ginger, vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining 3 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon salt; blend until pureed. Add to quinoa, broccoli and tomatoes and toss to combine. Serve salad warm or at room temperature.


Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/533?click=main_sr#ixzz0mGLNoBs8

Carrot Salad

Carrot salad

This is a revised version of the famous carrot salad from the 70's that was loaded with mayonnaise and sugar. It has a great blend of flavors, is light and both Lincoln and Tyler ate it. Must be a winner.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bag (10 ounces) shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, salt and sugar in small bowl.

Combine carrots, cranberries, onion and almonds in large bowl. Add dressing. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Strawberry-spinach salad

I love this salad in the spring time, but this year I found this dressing and it is such a perfect compliment. I have been using toasted walnuts instead of almonds and they are so yummy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 10 ounces fresh spinach- rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before ser

Vegetable Lo Mein

This recipe was very good and pretty easy once you get past the chopping.  I looked everywhere for some good, fresh lo mein noodles (I had some over the summer at the Farmer's Market and have been thinking about them for some time now), but I was unable to find any.  I went to the Super China Market on 90th and about 100 west (right next to the liquor store) to see if they had any.  They did not, but I picked up a huge box of these noodles on recommendation of one of the woman working there. 


They were very good.  They had just enough stick to be able to eat with the chopsticks that we picked up while at the China Market (I have a few chopstick trainers for my kids that I got at Noodle & Co.).  Enjoy! 

Vegetable Lo Mein

Serves 8

This recipe comes to us courtesy of the Renegade Lunch Lady Chef Ann Cooper and her book Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed our Children. Pasta is always a hit with kids and lomein is no different. Teaching children to eat with chopsticks is great fun and opens the door to discussion of other cultures. For protein, tofu, chicken, or pork make good additions to this dish.

Ingredients

3/4 pound lo mein noodles or whole wheat spaghetti
Sesame oil (start with a small amount)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1/3 cup sliced scallions (green onions)
1 cup julienne carrot (2 large)
1 cup thinly sliced celery (1-2 stalks)
1 cup thinly sliced red onion (1 medium)
3/4 cup fresh bean sprouts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Method

Cook the lo mein noodles in boiling salted water until al dente. Cool. Toss lightly with sesame oil to prevent sticking.

Combine the hoisin and soy sauces in a small bowl and mix well.

In a wok or a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon canola oil and quickly sauté the ginger, garlic and scallions until they release aroma, then add the carrots, celery and red onions and briefly sauté before adding the bean sprouts, about 2 minutes.

In a separate medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil and sauté the noodles. When they are hot and look pan-fried or lightly browned, add them to the other sautéed ingredients in the large pan. Add the soy-hoisin mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve.

Nutrition

As provided in Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed our Children Per serving: 188 calories (5 from fat), 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 739mg sodium, 43g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 41g sugar), 8g protein


For a little amusement, read the instructions printed on the box.  My favorite is number 3.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

I have been making my own salad dressing for a while now, but the other day, I was out of half of the herbs that I needed to make the german salad dressing, so I tried out a new recipe. It is now my favorite. So delicious:

Back-to-Basics Balsamic Vinaigrette

MAKES 2/3 CUP

From “Eat, Drink & Be Vegan”

¼ c. balsamic vinegar (see note*)

3 tbsp. pure maple syrup or agave nectar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. (rounded) sea salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 small clove garlic (optional)

3½4 tbsp. walnut oil (see note*) (I used olive oil)

With a hand blender or in a blender, combine all ingredients except oil

and puree. Continue blending while slowly adding oil until emulsified.

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Other flavorful vinegars can be substituted for the balsamic, including white balsamic, red wine, or sherry vinegar.

Instead of walnut oil, try olive oil or a combination of both, with a touch of wasted sesame oil.

I just realized that I never posted the recipe for the German Salad Dressing on this blog, so here it is:

German Salad Dressing
1 c. cider vinegar
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. onion salt
1 T. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. rosemary (crushed)
1/4 T. basil
1/2 tsp. dill
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
Blend in blender

You can blend it with mayo for a creamy salad dressing. I double the recipe and use half for a vinaigrette and the other half mixed with mayo. It's very good on just about anything.

I started experimenting with this because it has so much sugar in it, so I now make it by doubling all of the ingredients, except for the vinegar and sugar.  I only use half the amount of vinegar and then I replace the sugar with honey (about half or so, but I do it to taste).  It's really great on salads, but also on pasta.  This is now a staple in my home to replace ranch dressing.  My kids love it and call it ranch.

Orzo with Roasted Peppers, Olives & Goat Cheese

I have had this recipe for a while and your guess is as good as mine where it came from.  I made it purely out of selfishness because it sounded delicious to me and I knew very well that my husband thinks he doesn't like kalamata olives and that my son doesn't like peppers or goat cheese so much.  Anyway, I was surprised that all of the flavors together really mellowed each other out and it was really quite good.  My kids did not ask for seconds or have it for lunch the next day, but they both finished off their plate without one bit of complaining.  So, that to me = a great recipe.  (FYI-I think I am a little sassier posting recipes when I should actually be in bed)

Orzo with Roasted Peppers, Olives & Goat Cheese

Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, 2004

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Level: Intermediate

Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 yellow bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 12 ounces orzo
• 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives in oil, drained, plus more for garnish
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Roast the peppers over the flame of a gas burner, on a hot grill, or under the broiler, until the skin is black and charred. Remove from the heat and place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 15 to 20 minutes. With clean paper towels, wipe off the skin. Remove the stems and seeds and discard. If necessary, briefly rinse under cold water to remove any remaining charred skin. Dice the roasted peppers and set aside.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook just until translucent, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved peppers and saute for 3 minutes.

Blanch the orzo in the boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beginning to cook, but still very al dente. Drain the orzo, reserving the pasta water, and add to the pepper mixture. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook, stirring, until creamy and the pasta is cooked tender. Finish with another 1/4 cup pasta water if the mixture is too thick. Stir in the olives and goat cheese and mix until the goat cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Thin with pasta water if the mixture is too thick.

Garnish with parsley, olives, and a drizzle of olive oil.