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

Ginger Sesame Noodles with Broccoli

Ginger Sesame Noodles with Broccoli

serves 4

From the book "Quick-Fix Vegetarian" by Robin Robertson

2 T. tahini (sesame paste)
1 T. light brown sugar
3 T. mirin (or white cooking wine)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c. tamari (soy sauce)
2 T. water
12 oz. linguine
8 oz. broccoli florets, cut into 1" pieces
2 T. toasted sesame oil
1 T. canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. fresh or bottled minced ginger
Toasted sesame seeds or gomasio

Put the pasta water on to boil in a large covered pot. In a small bowl, combine the tahini, brown sugar, mirin, and red pepper flakes until well blended. Set aside.

When the water comes to a boil, salt it and add the linguine. Cook the linguine until it is al dente, about 10 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of the cooking time, add the broccoli and cook until just tender. When the noodles and broccoli are cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with the sesame oil and set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the noodles and broccoli and the sauce, and toss to combine and heat through. Server hot, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Variation: Substitute asparagus, cut into 2" pieces for the broccoli.

This is so yummy and extremely easy. My kids loved it. I haven't tried the asparagus yet, but that sounds good.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Last year, I really wanted to make a broccoli cheese soup. I had the hardest time finding a decent recipe that didn't have Velveeta or a "cream of" soup in it. I found this from the Food Network. It was very good. I didn't puree all of it because we like to have chunks in our soup. They also suggested homemade croutons for a garnish.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Croutons
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 10 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup yellow onions or sliced leeks (white parts only, well rinsed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Pinch nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded medium Cheddar

In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)
Add the cream and bring to bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, stirring to blend.
Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle croutons over the top of the soup and serve immediately.