Quinoa Garden Salad

 A few years ago, I went to a cooking class at Ashley's house. She's an awesome cook, and she introduced me to quinoa. You know, the ancient, high protein grain raised high in the Andes?  The one with the funny name that looks like it should be pronounced "Key-No-Ah"? But you probably already know that it's "Keen-Wah", right?

Here is my rendition of Ashely's salad. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy this- fresh corn, zucchini, carrots, kale, red pepper, or what ever you've grown or picked up fresh at the farmer's market. Add the lime and cumin dressing and you're good to go. Colorful, healthy, easy to make ahead of time. Yum.

(Thrifted bowl and placemat, Value Village)

Quinoa Garden Salad

Salad:
1 C. Quinoa
Pinch of Sea Salt
1 3/4 C. Water
1 or 2 Cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
Corn- Grilled, Cut from 2-3 large ears (but leave in big chunks)
3 large Carrots, julienned
1 large Red Pepper, chopped
2/3 Cup chopped fresh Cilantro
Kale-3 leaves with stem removed, finely chopped
1 small Zucchini, chopped
1/2 medium Red Onion, chopped (or use green onions)
1 (6-ounce) can Black Olives, halved (optional)

Note: You can add grilled or rotisserie chicken too for a non-vegetarian version

Dressing:
1/3 Cup Lime Juice, fresh squeezed
1 teaspoon Salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1/3 Cup Olive Oil

Prepare Quinoa: In large bowl, wash quinoa by rinsing and draining at least five times until water is clear. (This removes a natural, bitter coating.) Place rinsed quinoa, salt, and water in pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed.

Make Dressing: Whisk all ingredients together, except oil. And oil in slow stream, whisking to combine.

Make Salad: Add cooked, slightly cooled quinoa to other ingredients. Drizzle with dressing, toss well and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If made ahead, cover and refrigerate; bring to room temp to serve.


Make it a Wonderful Day!

Waldorf, Mumbai Style

A traditional salad with an easy twist!
(I used Patak Chutney that comes in a jar. Find it in your international section of the grocery store.)

Mumbai Waldorf

4 medium apples, seeded and chopped
4-6 celery ribs (or stalks or sticks- whatever you call them where you live!), sliced
1 Cup walnut halves, toasted
3/4 Cup mayo or plain yogurt
3 Tablespoons Sweet Mango Chutney (Or more to taste)
1 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Toast walnuts in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until lightly browned. Chop coarsely.
In large bowl, toss chopped apples and sliced celery with lemon or lime juice. Add chopped nuts.
Combine mayo or yogurt with chutney.
Add chutney dressing to fruit mixture.
Move to your favorite thrifted serving bowl; garnish with celery leaves. Or plate individually on salad greens.
Enjoy!

Make it a Wonderful Day!

Spicey Birthday Cake with Caramel Frosting

I just had a birthday. My twin did too! :D

My childhood favorite cake was Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting. Back it the day, it came from a box mix. Remember when frosting mix came in a box too? Mom made both of us our own cake, though Alison wasn't committed to a particular cake. In fact, she doesn't remember that we each had our own cake! (Our childhood memories are so different, we sometimes we think we grew up in different houses!)

Anyway, when Dave asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday, I gave him three choices: his favorite, Ruby's Italian Cream Cake, our stand by, Sour Cream Chocolate Cake, or Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting....Only I didn't have a recipe for my childhood favorite. So he went on line, found a recipe, and made this for me. From Scratch. YUM!

It sank a bit in the middle. And the frosting set up so fast, it had to be patted on in places.
But it was delicious.


Yes, that's a monkey mask with my birthday cake. And there's a wolf mask too. That's what you get when you're an Art-Teacher-Who-Likes-Cool-Folk Art-Slightly Freaky-stuff. The masks were gifts from two of my sons who went to Ecuador recently. Thank you, family, for a great birthday!

Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting
(from Alice Bird, posted by Charlotte J, on www.food.com )

Cake:
2 1/4 C. cake flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/16 tsp. black pepper
3/4 C. shortening
1 C. sugar
3/4 C. brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. buttermilk
Sift together dry ingredients. Cream together shortening and sugars till fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk. Beat an additional 2-3 minute with mixer on high speed. Pour into greased and floured 8-inch round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool.
Frosting:
1/2 C. butter
3 C. powdered sugar, sifted
1 C. brown sugar, packed
4 T. cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Melt butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar and cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cream and continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add additional cream as needed.

Make it a Wonderful Day!

Orange-Carrot Side

(It seems like most of my recipe posts are orange!) But we LOVED this side dish of carrots and oranges, served with broiled salmon, steamed snow pod peas, and rice. Oh, and a spinach salad with apples, lightly candied sliced almonds, and a fig dressing.

Lots of carrots pureed with satsuma oranges, fresh ginger and a touch of honey. Yum!

Orange Carrots on the Side

(inspired by a recipe from Bon Appetit, Nov. 1998 and a big bunch of carrots in the fridge...)

4 pounds carrots, scrubbed or peeled, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

5 satsuma oranges, peeled and sectioned (reserve one peel)

3 Tablespoons of fresh ginger, coarsely chopped

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons honey

1 small stick cinnamon

1/4 Cup butter, melted

Salt and Pepper

Cook carrots in large pot of boiling salted water along with cinnamon stick and orange peel until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and discard cinnamon stick and orange peel.

While the carrots are cooking, place orange sections and chopped ginger in blender or food processor, blending until fairly smooth. Add melted butter, lemon juice, and honey. Blend. Add hot cooked carrots and puree. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6.

Notes to self: I used my stick blender and pureed the carrots right in the pot. I used my small food processor/chopper to puree the oranges and ginger. May be made a day ahead and reheated in a saucepan stirring often, or microwave.

Make it a Wonderful Day!

Citrus Salad

Here's one of our favorite winter salads- sunshine in a bowl!

This fruit salad is one I've made for years after enjoying a similar salad at our friends Rolla and Cornilia's home. It's lighter than a traditional ambrosia salad as it has no dressing at all, just the juice of the oranges and all the sweetness of the fruit.
Make sure to use dates that are soft-I prefer to use unpitted dates and then pit them myself- I think they are more moist.

(I served this along with a Chicken Pot Pie and Green Salad at our December Quilt Group meeting-the fruit was like a dessert before our dessert buffet! You can substitute satsumas for the regular oranges for a milder orange flavor.)

Citrus Salad
5 or 6 large oranges, peeled, sectioned and chopped
1 Cup shredded coconut
3/4 Cup dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup pomegranate arils

Toss in a bowl and enjoy!


Make it a wonderful day!

Give Thanks Sauce

Cranberry Sauce is just the right addition to the traditional Thanksgiving table, and this sauce, with honey, oranges, and spices is extra yummy!

I made the red work bread basket liner years ago, and love pulling it out each year.

Spiced Cranberry Sauce serves 8

3/4 Cup white sugar

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup honey

2 oranges, peeled and chopped (and all the juice)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ginger

dash of cloves

12 ounces fresh cranberries, sorted and washed

2 tsp. orange zest, optional

Boil all the ingredients over medium heat, except zest. Reduce heat and simmer 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add orange zest if desired. Cool and refrigerate.

(I make a batch of plain cranberry sauce too. So I garnish the spiced one with orange peel and whole allspice.)

Make it a Wonderful Day!

Honey Pear Topping

You're going to love this! It's yummy and sweet, but with a hint of ginger to give it some zip.

Local pears and local honey, along with fresh ginger and a touch of lemon juice. Toasted pecans and chopped apples. And a big scoop of cottage cheese. For lunch. Oh, so good! 

And then the next day, I added some pear vinegar to the topping to make it into a salad dressing to use on baby spinach leaves, topped with more of the toasted pecans. (Sorry, no photo of the salad..we were too busy enjoying it!)

Honey Pear Topping

4 ripe pears, peeled and cored

4 Tablespoons mild honey

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process lightly. Use immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate.

For my first lunch, I chopped one seeded apple, and put in a large single serving bowl. Topped with a scoop of cottage cheese. Spooned  a generous amount of the pear topping over the cottage cheese, finishing with the toasted pecans. 

  

For the Honey Pear Salad Dressing...  Add pear or other mild, fruity vinegar to the pear topping, a small amount at a time, to taste. Use with baby spinach leaves or other greens, crumbled gorgonzola or feta, and toasted pecans.

Cilantro Pesto Marathon

I had some fresh basil that needed to be used up, so I thought I'd make pesto. But I also had some cilantro...okay, Basil Cilantro Pesto it is... or should it be Cilantro Basil Pesto? Either way, we loved it! The flavor was a little lighter and brighter than an all-basil pesto. We used it all week- if you don't want some at every meal, freeze it in small portions to add zip to your favorites recipes.

First, I used it to flavor up some homemade chicken vegetable soup.

 And then I tried it as a spread on crostinis topped with baby spinach and a grated Italian Cheese Blend...

And it was great with sliced fresh mozarella and tomatoes with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar...

(Love my thrifted placmat and plate from Value Village!)

 I didn't get a photo of the Pesto Pasta Chicken Bake... Or the yummy breakfast of scrambled eggs with asparagus, red onion, and pesto.  Or the last of it in the spinach soup. Delish in so many ways!

Cilantro Basil Pesto
1/2 Cup Pine Nuts, toasted
2 1/2 Cups Cilantro leaves
1 Cup Basil leaves
1-2 Tablespoons minced Garlic (I used the jarred kind this time, but fresh is great too)
2/3 Cup Olive Oil
3/4 Cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Place nuts and herbs and garlic in food processor and pulse to chop. Add olive oil, pulsing to blend well. Add cheese and pulse. Add a small amount of olive oil if you'd like a smoother texture. Use right away for brightest color.Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. (If you plan on freezing, leave out the cheese until ready to use.)

Spinach and Sweet Pea Soup

I'm a "use-what-you-have-on-hand" kind of cook these days. So I started with shallots, fresh spinach and frozen peas....

... and made a bright green soup to have on a gray, rainy, day.

I started with a pea soup recipe from Emeril, and changed it up once I checked the fridge and pantry.

We had sliced red and orange peppers, grape tomatoes on the side, along with some cantelope. The soup is garnished with crumbled bacon and low fat yogurt, and I quick-fried some spinach leaf strips for a bit more crisp garnish.

Serving it in a thrifted polka dot bowl (Value Village) made it taste even better!

Spinach and Sweet Pea Soup

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 T. oil (or bacon drippings)
3T. flour
1 1/2 C. sliced shallots
4 C. vegetable stock
4 C. peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2C. plain lowfat yogurt, divided
5 C. (approx.) fresh leaf spinach, coarsely chopped
fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp. Garam Marsala, optional

In soup pot, heat oil. Add flour and cook 3 minutes. Add shallots, cooking  until softened and lightly carmelized. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add spinach and peas, cooking for 10 minutes. Puree in batches in blender or food processor. Stir in 1/4 C. yogurt and adjust seasoning. Garnish with crisp bacon and spinach, yogurt, and coarse ground black pepper.  6 servings.

Make it a Wonderful Day!!

Blue Ribbon Bread

I've had this bread recipe for many years. In fact, it was the first bread I ever made, way back in 1976. Dave and I were newlyweds, living in Moscow, Idaho while Dave was in grad school.  I was learning how to cook, and when a friend brought us a loaf of this savory bread, I asked for the recipe and gave it a try.

We loved it, and a few months later, another friend suggested I make some and enter it in the county fair...

...which I did. And I won first prize in the specialty bread section, and I got a blue ribbon.

There was prize money too!!!

$1.50

Yes, you read that correctly. One dollar and fifty cents.

Even back then, that was pretty funny.

Wheat Germ Herb Bread

5 1/2-6 1/2 Cups unsifted unbleached Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Marjoram leaves, crushed

1 tsp.Thyme leaves, crushed

2 packets (or 5 tsp.) granular Yeast

1/3 C. Sugar

1 1/2 C. Milk

1/2 C. Water

1/2 C. Butter

2 whole Eggs

1 Egg Yolk

1 Egg White, beaten

1 1/3 C. Wheat Germ

In large mixer bowl with dough hook attachment, combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and herbs. Mix well.

In saucepan, heat milk, water, and butter until warm. (120-130 degrees) (Butter doesn't need to melt)

Add to flour mixture. Add eggs and egg yolk. Blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Gradually stir in the wheat germ and enough flour to make a soft dough. Continue kneading for another 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Shape into ball and place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down. Divide into 2 parts. Shape as desired into loaves. (I did mine in two twisted rings.)

Place in greased loaf pans (9x5x3) or on greased cookie sheet. Cover; let rise 30-40 minutes. Lightly brush with egg white. Sprinkle with 1 Tblsp. wheat germ. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. (Cover with foil the last 5-10 minutes of baking. Remove  from pans and cool on rack.  Make 2 (1 1/2 lb) loaves.

(Try it toasted and served with your favorite soup and salad...yum!) 

Make it a Wonderful Day!

Art in the Soup

Here are a few more pencil drawings done by my Art Club Artists, grades 1-6. Along with learning about form, we worked on getting a range of values from our regular Ticonderoga pencils. (This little group in the photo below are some of the samples  started as demos with my classes, not finished drawings. Each of the kids made a value scale, first in little boxes, then without.)

I had a variety of papers, some with texture, some smooth.

Peppers, onions, and garlic are fun to draw. I loved how the kids could see that some of the peppers looked like cubes, the onions spheres, and the garlics a sphere with a cone on the top.

After we finished our drawings, I took the veggies home and made "Art Soup"...

Art Soup

Roast the peppers (4 or 5 red peppers)   in a 500 degree oven. Once the peppers are blackened, carefully put the hot peppers in a bowl and seal them in with plastic wrap to steam. (This will loosen the skins.)

While they steam, in a large pan with a T. of vegetable oil, saute the chopped onions (1 or 2), along with carrots (5 or 6) and celery ( 5 or 6 ribs and the leafy celery heart too). Add the garlic (4-5 large cloves, minced) , along with some ginger, and a quart of chicken stock. 

 After the peppers have steamed and cooled enough to handle, peel, seed, and stem. Blend all the ingredients to smooth texture in batches in the blender, seasoning as desired. Serve with a hearty bread and salad greens. 

A Cake for Dave

Dave asked for this cake for Valentine's Day. It's a classic sheet cake, but I used a large circle cutter after baking. The frosting is cooked on the stove, and then poured onto the cake while still warm. It's like a layer of fudge on top of the cake, so some of you may want small portions. (Not me. I'm hooked on butter and sugar- my favorite food group.)

SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE CAKE
Cake:
MIX: 2 C. Sugar 2 C. Flour  and 1/2 tsp. Salt. Set aside.
MELT: 1C. Butter with 4 Tblsp. Cocoa
ADD: 1 C. Water. Bring to boil.
POUR: Over dry ingredients and mix.
ADD: 1/2 C. Sour Cream and mix.
ADD: 2 Eggs and 1 tsp. baking soda; mix.
POUR: Into greased and floured 9x13 pan
BAKE: In a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Cool
Frosting:
BOIL UNTIL BUBBLY: 1 C. Butter 6 Tblsp. Canned Milk and 4 Tblsp. cocoa
ADD: 1 pound Powdered Sugar and 1 tsp. Vanilla.
BEAT by hand or with electric mixer until smooth.
ADD: 1 C. Chopped Nuts
FROST: Cooled cake immediately with warm frosting.

Confession time: I've made this cake TONS of times with no problem. But this one baked unevenly, sinking in the middle. So cutting it into serving-sized pieces was a solution to a not so pretty cake! I didn't get a photo of it garnished with strawberries-but this looked a lot better than serving a crater cake in my old baking pan!


Oh, here's a little gift for Dave wrapped in paper I stamped with my carved eraser. So quick and easy!

Winter Carrot Soup

Another orange soup- though no pumpkin in this one. Instead, lots of carrots, a yam, and even some orange juice!

I improvised this with what I had in the fridge, but we liked it so much my husband asked me to write it down so we could have it again.

Winter Carrot Soup10-12 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red onion, chopped
1 shallot
1 large leek, light to medium part sliced thin, divided
1 yam, peeled and cubed
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2-3 T olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
6 Cups chicken or vegetable stock
Juice of two clementines
Juice of one lime
Fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 to 1 Cup half & half
salt and pepper to taste

In large pot, saute carrot, onion, and 1/2 of leek slices in olive oil until onion is soft. Add shallot and cook for another minute. Add stock. Add yam cubes, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Simmer and stir occasionally, partially covered, until carrots and yam are soft. (About 15-20 minutes)

Remove from heat and use blender or food processor to puree in batches. Return to pan over low heat; add orange and lime juice. Slowly whisk in half & half to desired consistency. Garnish with remaining sliced leeks and freshly grated nutmeg. Makes 6 servings

Pumpkin Hot Cakes

When I was growing up, my dad made Sunday Breakfast. It was usually Hot Cakes with Sausage or Bacon. He made small cakes we called "silver dollars". We ate them with maple syrup and butter, rounding out the meal with a glass of Extra Rich Milk. (That's milk with cream added to it!) No worries, I guess, about calories back then!
These Hot Cakes are a bit different than the ones I grew up with. Pumpkin, apples, and nuts make these perfect for a fall morning. Or have them like we did, for dinner! (Yes, another pumpkin recipe. I can't help it, it's my favorite fall flavor.)

These are so easy to make, and the soft texture contrasts nicely with the crunchy nuts.

And I love these thrifted (Value Village) brown transferware dishes. The fringed napkins were also thrifted, and one of these days, I'm going to do a little embroidery on them. (Or not.)

Pumpkin Hot Cakes

1 Cup of your favorite dry pancake mix (the kind you just add water to)

1 Cup canned pumpkin

1 Cup grated apple

1 Cup toasted pecans, chopped

2 Cups milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix ingredients, adjusting milk to a thick but almost pourable consistency. Cook on a lightly greased hot griddle or pan over medium high heat. Flip when bubbles appear on surface. Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter or with vanilla yogurt.

Make it a wonderful day!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

I like foods with flavor and color, and I love to use healthy ingredients too! This Pumpkin quick bread captures the colors and flavors of fall using whole wheat flour, along with pumpkin and walnuts.

I used this King Arthur flour- It's 100% hard white whole wheat, which has the same fiber and nutrition as traditional red wheat, but a milder flavor. It has all of the wheat germ and bran, and it's not bleached or anything like that. (Oops, didn't mean to do a commercial for them! But I like this flour!)


See all those yummy bits? Sweetened dried cranberries, golden raisins, toasted walnuts, and crystalized ginger. I LOVE the sweet/spicy bits of ginger!



The bowl with nuts in the background is thrifted (Value Village)-that green is one of my favorite colors, so it had to come home with me.

I think I'll have a slice for breakfast, along with my oatmeal and blueberries...

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread makes 3 delicious loaves

3 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

1 1/4 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. Ground Clove

3 C. Sugar

2 C. Pumpkin (canned)

1/2 C. Vegetable Oil

1/2 C. Applesauce (unsweetened)

2/3 C. Water

4 Eggs

1 C. Walnuts (toasted*), chopped

1/2 C. Sweetened Dried Cranberries (Craisins), soaked for a few minutes in water to plump a bit, drained

1/2 C. Golden Raisins

1 Tablespoon Crystalized Ginger, chopped medium fine (edit: I think I'll double the ginger next time!)

Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil, applesauce, and water together in large bowl.

Sift in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and clove. Mix well.

Fold in toasted walnuts, raisins, cranberries, and crystalized ginger.

Pour/spoon into three (7.5x3.5) greased and floured loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

*Toasting really brings out the flavor in the nuts- I think it's worth the extra step. I like to have some toasted and stored in the freezer to sprinkle on oatmeal or to toss on a salad. Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat stirring frequently until just browning, being careful not to burn.

Midnight Brownie Cookies

I needed to make some cookies. Fast.




I looked on line for a cookie recipe made from a brownie mix. I found one with oats and cinnamon. Oats, cinnamon... healthy, right? And I decided to frost them with a cinnamon spiced dark chocolate glaze. Dark chocolate's a health food too, isn't it??

Okay, these won't qualify as fitness fare, but they were easy, tasted great, and the very dark chocolate's color gives them just the right Halloween vibe!

A few ingredients, a few minutes....Bake. Frost. Share with friends!



Midnight Brownie Cookies (adapted from an internet recipe I can't find again! I'll keep looking to give proper credit...)

1 pkg. Brownie Mix
1 C. Semi Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 C. Oats
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 C. Chopped Nuts
1/2 C. Water
1 Large Egg
Midnight Glaze (adapted from Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa label's "Especially Dark Frosting" )
1/4 C. Butter
1/3 C. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/4 C. Milk
3/4 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
To make Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, mix all cookie ingredients together with spoon. Drop by teaspoon* onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. (*a little tip- I sprayed the teaspoons with cooking spray when I prepared the cookie sheets-made for easy spooning!) Don't overbake. Cool for two minutes on the cookie sheets before moving to cooling rack. Frost with Midnight Glaze.
To make Midnight Glaze:
In saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Add powdered sugar, alternating with milk. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Adjust thickness by adding more milk as needed to make pourable. While still warm, use wire wisk to drizzle cookies (still on rack) with glaze, one direction. Repeat in the opposite direction for a second coat.
Serve on a cute thrifted (Value Village) plate with a pitcher of cold milk.