Quinoa Tabouleh

KEEN-wah. Perhaps you've heard of this funky healthy grain? While some are skeptics, I am in love with this groovy south american wonder. It's full of protein and produces a subtle nutty aroma as it cooks. You can serve it hot as a replacement for rice or mix it cold into virtually any salad. Best of all - it keeps me full! As a chronically hungry person, being full without feeling weighted down is fantastic.

You can find quinoa in pre-flavored boxes, which are pretty tasty and easy to prepare. Or, just buy it in the bulk food section and follow my directions. Try it out! If it doesn't seem right the first time, try again. It's worth it!

Quinoa Tabouleh

Ingredients

1/2 cup Organic Royal Quinoa (unflavored) - makes about 1.5 cups cooked
2 -3 cups of hot water
Bunch of flat Italian parsley - roughly chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes - sliced in half
Half a cucumber - diced
Fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Lemon zest
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Fresh feta to sprinkle on top

Preparation

In a small pot on medium heat, I added the dry quinoa and toasted for 2 mins with a little olive oil. Before the grains brown too much, add enough water to cover and set a timer for 10 minutes. Stir and cover.

Every 3 minutes, check on the quinoa and see if the water has been absorbed. The grains will expand as they absorb water, so keep adding water half a cup at a time.

After 10 minutes, taste a little bit to determine the texture. Like rice and pasta, undercooked quinoa feels too chewy and hard. When it's just right it will be soft, but not limp.

Once you reach this consistency, drain any unwanted water, turn off the stove, and let the quinoa sit covered.

While the quinoa is cooking, chop your veggies and add to a medium bowl.

Once the quinoa is cool, mix with veggies. Add lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Add a little more olive oil if desired, sprinkle with feta and serve! I toasted some thin flat bread in the oven and used it as chips.

I hope you enjoy this nutritious lunch as much a my mom and I did!

Pear Parmesan & Rocket Salad

This simple combination of fresh flavors makes this salad a great item to bring to a BBQ. The arugula in Australia (known as "rocket") is a little less bitter than the variety I commonly buy in Texas. The leaves are also a longer and have a sweeter taste with less pepper. If you find arugula too overpowering on it's own, I suggest doing a 50/50 mix with baby spinach leaves.

Pear Parmesan & Rocket Salad

Ingredients

1 green pear
Shaved parmesan
Arugula (which the Aussie's call 'rocket')

Preparation

Thinly slice the pear lengthwise, place on top of arugula, and add shaved parmesan. Dress with you favorite balsamic or red wine vinaigrette!

Mango and Blueberries for Brekky

First post from Australia! I've been enjoying the produce of Western Australia, along with tea and biscuits, lots of nutella, and delicious lamb. My Grandma introduced me to Kensington Pride mangoes. These tiny mangoes grow in one of her friend's backyard. They are succulent, juicy, dark orange, and have a more concentrated flavour than mangoes in Texas. I dare say they are tastier than the variety I ate in Jakarta. To sum it up - they are amazing and I have been eating the same breakfast or "brekky" in the compulsively shortened Aussie lingo.

Mangoes and Blueberries with Greek Yogurt

Ingredients

1 Kensington Pride mango (or about a cup of any yummy mango)
Handful of blueberries
1 scoop organic greek yogurt - unsweetened
A drizzle of local honey

This 'recipe' is barely a recipe, just mix and eat!

Pizza toppings

I love good pizza. Thin crust, interesting toppings, a variety of herbs - when these elements are combined, it's hard to go wrong. After another dough-session, I decided to put care and thought into my pizza toppings. The results were phenomenal.

Roasted Portabella, Red Pepper, and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

1 large portabella mushroom (locally grown, if possible!) sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 red onion, sliced lengthwise
1 recipe simple tomato sauce
Handful shredded mozzarella
Fresh herbs - basil, rosemary, parsley - any will do!
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preparation

Turn the oven to broil and place the whole red pepper on the top rack. The skin will char. Rotate the pepper to get a good char all over. Remove from oven with tongs and place into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the pepper steam.

Turn the oven to 375. Put the sliced portabellas in a baking dish. Toss with olive oil and add herbs and salt. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes (until tender).

In a pan, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil on medium high. Add the onions and let them caramelize about 10 minutes.

When all your toppings are out of the ovens and pans and bowls, assemble your pizza! I recommend putting the onions underneath the cheese b/c otherwise they tend burn.

Tomato Sauce for pastas and pizza

Making your own tomato sauce for pastas and pizza is a simple and healthy way to control what is in your food. Most bottled sauces are loaded with sugars and preservatives. I like to keep cans of Italian style whole tomatoes, organic tomato paste, and organic crushed tomatoes stocked in my pantry. Canned tomatoes don't have any preservatives and are often more flavorful than fresh ones because they were canned at their peak ripeness.

This recipe is more of a general guideline to making simple tomato sauce. Feel free to spice it up with fun ingredients, spices, and herbs.

Simple Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 can of whole Italian-style tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 can tomato paste * for pizza sauce or if you prefer a thicker consistency
Basil (preferably fresh)
Garlic - finely chopped
1/2 white onion - finely chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Variations
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon diced capers
Fresh parsley or marjoram
Splash of balsamic or wine
Sautéed carrots or red bell peppers

Preparation

In a sauce pot, saute the onion with 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, but be careful because garlic burns easily. Add the tomatoes, juices, herbs, and fun ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Adjust the consistency by adding a little water or wine or adding tomato paste. Simmer sauce for 5 minutes, taste, adjust seasonings and voila! It's ready to be used.

If you want a smoother sauce, you can put it in your blender. Also, you can do this recipe with fresh tomatoes, but you must skin and seed them first.

Pancetta Sage Vinaigrette for Gnocchi

Gnocchi is the perfect recipient for a variety of sauces. A traditional tomato sauce would definitely suffice, but there are so many other options available. A simple sage butter would compliment the sweet potato gnocchi, but I like something more tangy. This multifunctional vinaigrette is not the most healthy, but your taste buds will be thanking you.

Ingredients
*Note: I cooked this for a group of 8 people. Cut down the recipe if you are cooking for fewer people.

6 slices of pancetta (available at the deli counter at Central Market)
1 bundle of sage, roughly chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinaigrette
3-4 shallots, minced (substitute with red onions)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Preparation

Heat a heavy pan on medium heat for a minute or so, then add the pancetta. Pancetta is basically the Italian's version of bacon. It is cured and dried, but usually not smoked so it produces a different flavor. Cook the pancetta on both sides until it gets crispy, but don't burn it. Because pancetta is so thin, it may only take a minute or two.

Remove the pancetta from the pan and place on a paper towel. Now, it's time for the fun. Add the minced shallots to the pancetta fat and brown lightly. Yes, you want to use the pancetta fat! Then, add the red wine vinegar and deglaze the pan. Add the chopped sage, a pinch of salt, and some freshly ground pepper. If the sauce needs more oomph, add a little olive oil.

Taste it & if it's to your liking, toss with the gnocchi.

Penne with Asparagus in a Ricotta Basil Sauce

Every cook knows that there comes a time when you have to create dinner with whatever leftover items are in the fridge. For me, the items were asparagus, ricotta, a very large tomato, and some wilting basil. Luckily, I found a box of whole wheat penne in the pantry. Overall, the creation turned out quite delicious and was ready in under 30 minutes. The meal turned out to be better than the sum of its parts... and there were lots of leftovers for lunch!

Penne with Asparagus in a Ricotta Basil Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 Box of whole wheat penne
1 bundle of asparagus
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Fresh tomato
2 garlic cloves
Basil
Salt & Pepper

Preparation

Blanching the asparagus:
Chop the asparagus into 1 inch diagonal pieces, keeping the heads intact. Turn on the stove and boil salted water. While the water is boiling, fill up a large bowl with cold water and ice. We will use this to "shock" the asparagus. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. I always taste one to make sure it's the right consistency. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and put into the ice bath. This step stops the asparagus from overcooking. After a minute, drain the asparagus and put aside.

Now, add the pasta to the same boiling water and cook according to the directions on the box.

While the pasta is cooking, roughly chop the tomato, basil, and garlic and pulse in food processor (I have a small chopper that I love). You can always substitute the fresh tomato with a can of crushed tomatoes or just chop finely.

When the pasta if finished, pour out the water and put the pot back on medium heat. Add the tomato mixture and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta and asparagus and mix. Now, stir in ricotta cheese (you may use more or less depending on how much pasta you cooked). Taste, salt, pepper and add a little more basil on top for a garnish.

Quick. Easy. Makes about 6 servings.