quinoa salad with zucchini, pistachios, mint and feta

Quinoa tossed with any kind of vegetable, nut, herbs or cheese makes a simple satisfying lunch. The very first time I tasted steamed quinoa was in a green salad with shredded carrots, sliced toasted almonds and an Asian style dressing, I was hooked on it's nutty flavor and from that day I have always included a bag of quinoa in my pantry. Quinoa, which is a grain, cooks much like rice, except it takes less time. It needs to be fluffed with a fork after it's steamed and then can easily be added to a salad.

Ingredients for Quinoa Salad with Zucchini, pistachios, Mint and Feta

serves 3-4

1&1/2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

2 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced and chopped

3 scallions, white parts minced

1/3 cup raw pistachios

1 small lime, juiced

extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup minced parsley and mint, plus extra for sprinkling on top of salad

1/2 cup Bulgarian feta, plus extra for sprinkling on top of salad

3-4 cups arugula

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the quinoa; bring the water and quinoa in a heavy sauce pan with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, set aside.

Heat enough oil in a medium skillet to cover the bottom and add the sliced zucchini. Cook and stir until tender and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, place in a large bowl.

Stir in the yellow pepper, scallions, pistachios, lime juice, tablespoon of olive oil and fresh herbs. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Fluff up the quinoa with a fork and spoon into the zucchini mixture, gently stir in the feta, check the seasoning.

Place the arugula in serving bowls and spoon the quinoa zucchini mixture over the top, adding additional feta, drizzle of olive oil and fresh chopped herbs.

Comments

springtime chamomile tea cake with strawberry icing

Good grief, Easter is in the rear view mirror and we are deep into this new year. And once again it's tea time at my house. This chamomile tea cake is a beautiful sweet addition to any tea ritual, especially my favorite, chamomile tea, which I rediscovered in my hotel room in Carmel earlier this fast moving year. I highly recommend a slice of chamomile tea cake with strawberry 🍓 icing with a cup of chamomile tea to just take a moment and slow this year down. Baking with tea is both creative and fun. Earlier this year I made Earl Gray sugar cookies which are made using the same method of infusing the butter with loose tea. For my tea cake I also rubbed the lemon zest into the sugar -another way to lend a pop of citrus to your baking. The strawberry icing is made using freeze dried strawberries, I pulverize them in my spice mill and then they are pressed through a fine sieve into the confectioner's sugar. In addition to using lemon zest rubbed into the sugar for the cake

braised romano beans with heirloom tomatoes and purple leaf sweet basil

Romano beans braised in heirloom tomato sauce, shallots and garlic make an easy summer side dish -excellent served with grilled fish and potato purée. I know because that's what we had for dinner last Saturday night. I happily used purple basil from my own herb pots that are now watered with leftover shower water. We have many more months of drought ahead of us in California and apparently mask wearing when in public, no not in the car. I appreciate our farmers markets more than ever, thank you farmers for romano beans and heirloom tomatoes and also myself for the fresh purple basil. Such a treat to find fresh romano green beans at the farmers market; they hold up to a fairly long, about 20 minute braise and become tender in the tomato broth from the heirloom tomatoes. 🍅 This is one of those simple good veg recipes. Ingredients and Recipe for Romano Beans with Heirloom Tomatoes and Purple Leaf Sweet Basil Serves 2-4 1 pound fresh romano beans, washed and trimmed 2 tablespoon

pear jam with saffron infused honey and cardamom

Pear Jam with Saffron Infused Honey and Cardamom The summer after high school I worked sorting Bartlett pears at the Scotts Valley Fruit Exchange in Lake County California. I thought I would never touch or eat another pear again in my life. But, here I am years years later making pear jam in my kitchen with pears, honey and saffron grown in Lake County. A few weeks ago My husband and I went to visit friends in Kelseyville at their finca, they generously supplied me with the pears from their orchard-Finca Castelero- for my jam. I will never forget getting up early in the morning and riding my bike across the valley from my cousin's house to work a long hot day sorting pears. I remember thinking whoever came up with the idea of creating a cooperative to sort, pack and send pears from family farms, including my cousin's family farm on what is now called Hendricks road, to markets all over the country really had a good idea! I never looked at pears in the grocery store the s

Tarragon and Chives

Search This Blog