Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Olives

This was one of those side dishes we just sort of choose of the Food Network app because we had some quinoa in the pantry.  We hoped it would be a good accompaniment to our grilled salmon but we weren't expecting it to be spectacular.  This stuff was awesome.

Grilled asparagus, tangy kalamata olives and slices of goat cheese are folded in to the quinoa and then the salad is dressed with a light red wine and mustard vinaigrette.  The goat cheese gets all melty and gooey making the quinoa nice and creamy and really very decadent.  I didn't think quinoa could be decadent, but I was wrong.

(Food Network's photo, I didn't take one...oops!)

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Olives, adapted from Bobby Flay
Vinaigrette
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
Quinoa Salad
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups quinoa
1 medium bunch of asparagus, trimmed
olive oil for brushing
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
4 ounces goat cheese sliced thin
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup parsley leaves

In a medium pot, bring the vegetable stock to a boil and then stir in the quinoa.  Bring the pot back to a boil and then cover it and reduce the heat to low.  Allow it to simmer undisturbed for 30 minutes then remove the pot from the heat and let it sit 5 minutes more.  Once done, fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer it to a serving bowl.

While the quinoa is cooking, preheat the grill.  Put the asparagus on and lightly brush them with olive oil and season them with the salt and pepper.  Grill on both sides for about 5 minutes total.  Remove from the grill and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add them to the quinoa.

Make the vinaigrette: whisk everything but the olive oil together in a small bowl.  Slowly pour in the olive oil in a steady stream while whisking constantly to emulsify.

Now add the olives, goat cheese, basil and parsley to the quinoa.  Pour over about half of the viniagrette and fold everything together.  Taste it now (delicious, right?) and add more vinaigrette to your liking.  Don't oversaturate the quinoa, you can serve the leftover vinaigrette on the side to drizzle on top.

Serve and Enjoy!

Grilled Cheese + BLT = Love

I love a good sandwich.  I am very partial to a grilled cheese with tomato soup on a cold winter day and, to me, nothing says Spring better than a BLT.  Yum.  Well this sandwich is both grilled cheese and BLT.  Could a sandwich get any better?  I doubt it!

This sandwich is loaded with awesome ingredients and that is what makes it so special.  Using simple, high-quality ingredients turn a sandwich into a rather gourmet tasting meal.  Brioche, goat cheese, arugula, heirloom tomatoes, apple-wood smoked bacon....all of these are so good alone. And when piled together and lightly fried? Genius, Mr. Flay.

Grilled Cheese BLT, adapted from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook
--for 2 sandwiches
4 slices of applewood smoked bacon
unsalted butter
4 slices Brioche (or other good sandwich bread)
4 slices good quality cheddar cheese (no Singles please!)
4 oz goat cheese
2 green or heirloom tomato slices
salt and pepper
arugula

Put the bacon in a cold cast iron or other heavy frying pan and turn the heat on to medium.  Cook until the bacon is crispy and then remove it to a plate lined with paper towels.  (Bacon generally takes about 4 minutes per side).  Carefully wipe out the pan and then put it back on medium heat.

Use a cutting board to start assembling the sandwiches while the bacon is cooking.  Butter one side of each slice of bread and put them each butter side down on the board.  On two of the slices of bread put the cheddar cheese, then the goat cheese, tomato (salt and pepper the tomato!) and then the bacon.  Put the other two slices of bread on top, butter-side up.  Once the sandwiches are assembled move them to the fry pan and fry them on each side for about 3 minutes.

When the sandwiches are looking golden brown and delicious...remove them from the pan and gently open them up to add a bit of arugula.  Enjoy!


Oh and if you are looking for an awesome brioche recipe, look no further.  Martha's recipe is delicious!

Minestrone Soup

Now that the holidays are over and things have settled down, I feel like we are back to our normal eating/cooking routine.  We are back to cooking a lot on the weekends and making/freezing foods for the kids.  Even though I'm at home all day, I like having simple dinners during the week.  Not only is it less stressful but it also seems to be healthier for us.  Our quick meals during the week are often lighter than the food we indulge in on the weekends.

This weekend I made a minestrone soup.  Mr Pears didn't seem all that thrilled with the prospect of what we called, "a bland soup", but he...umm...ate his words, lol!  This soup is super healthy and packed with a ton of great veggies and beans and a ton of flavor.  It does use a few slices of bacon so it is not a typical vegetarian minestrone, but it could be...and I think it would be just as good.  I just served it with some garlic french bread, and it was a great meal.

This is definitely a weekend recipe, though, in my opinion.  There is lots of chopping to do. But the work does pay off and the recipe made enough soup for us to freeze two batches for later.

So if cutting calories was on your list of resolutions...or if you just want a nice light dinner next week, give this one a try. :)

photo from foodnetwork.com, my darn phone isn't uploading!

Minestrone Soup, adapted from Bobby Flay
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
2-3 large carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced thin, and steamed for 2-3 minutes
1/2 bunch kale, destemmed and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bouquet garni (1 sprig rosemary, 4 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, tied with kitchen string)
2 cans cannellini beans
salt, pepper, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and then add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and bacon and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring.  Add in 4 cups of water along with the stock, cabbage, kale, tomatoes, and bouquet garni.  Bring the soup to a boil then turn down the heat and let it simmer together for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, puree one can of beans in  your food processor or blender.  After 30 minutes of simmering add the puree and the other can of beans (drained) to the soup, stir it together and let it all cook 10 minutes longer.  Taste the soup and season it with salt and pepper.

When you serve the soup sprinkle each portion with some Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Well I really have no great excuses for my recent lack of posting....All I can say is chasing after two toddlers is hard work and I've been lazy!  How about some random pictures of those cute toddlers?

Mommy and Daddy just bought us a jungle gym but we prefer this old lawn chair!

I want to do better though, I enjoy sharing our cooking adventures and I hope you find the recipes helpful/interesting/fun too.

With the Christmas/New Year holidays coming up I'm sure you are doing some holiday cooking or entertaining so hopefully you'll find some cool new recipe ideas here!  Personally, I'm always looking for new vegetable side dishes, so that's what I have today.

I think cauliflower is really under-rated as a vegetable.  It is mild flavored so most people will love it even if they haven't eaten it in twenty years.  It is another good substitute for mashed potatoes;  you could roast it or make a gratin like this one.  This gratin is another Bobby Flay recipe and it is so delicious.  I love love the goat cheese in it.  I hope you like it too!

Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Gratin, adapted from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook
3 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, more to butter baking dish
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces fresh goat cheese, cut into pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Once it is close to simmering, melt the butter in a larger saucepan. Whisk in the flour into the melted butter and cook for about 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Slowly whisk in the hot milk and continue whisking until the mixture thickens, that could take between 3 and 10 minutes, depending on how hot your milk was.  Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the Monterey Jack cheese along with half the goat and Parmesan cheeses.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Delicious right?  And it isn't even done. ;)

Mix the sauce and the cauliflower together in a large bowl then pour it all into a buttered baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top along with some freshly grated pepper.

Bake for 50-60 minutes in a 350 F oven.  Let this cool and set up for about 10 minutes before you serve it.

CousCous... or Not?

I love couscous.  It's a great little side dish; just add it to some hot water, cover the pot for 5 minutes and voila!  It is fast, healthy, and a great vehicle for just about anything.  But that is "regular" couscous.

Israeli couscous, I had never made until last week.  And apparently it isn't really couscous at all.  It is actually a very small toasted pasta...similar to fregula or orzo.  Wow.  Thank you Wikipedia.

ANYWAY.  If you are tired of having the same old side dishes with dinner, this is a must try.  Very flavorful, lemony and fresh, it is also easy and quick to make.

Green Pea Couscous, adapted from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 roasted red bell pepper, finely diced**
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

**You can buy roasted red peppers in a jar in the grocery store, or just brush one pepper with olive oil, season it with salt and pepper, then put it in a 400 F oven for about 35 minutes.  You will need to turn it a few times to char it on all sides.  Then just put the pepper in a small bowl covered with plastic wrap.  After about 15 minutes the skin will peel right off and you can just slice and de-seed it.  Very simple.

Okay, first bring about 2 quarts of salted water to a boil.  Add the couscous and cook for about 8 minutes.  Drain it in a colander and set it aside.

Once the couscous is done you can start the rest of the dish.  Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the lemon zest, juice, and honey.  Stir it together for about 30 seconds.  Now you can add the rest of the ingredients!  Just stir them all in and give it a taste.  Add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve and Enjoy!