Quinoa Squash Salad with Honey Paprika Vinaigrette

October 10, 2011 By 11 Comments

Show of hands, who likes to peel squash? Hmm, no one? Well my friends, do I have a tip for you. Did you know there’s a squash you can roast and eat, skin and all? It’s true, and it’s called delicata squash. While it shows up about the same time of year as the winter squash, it turns out it’s the same species as summer squash such as zucchini and patty pan. Perhaps this is why the skin is edible? Here I’m using it as a base for a recipe to submit to No Croutons Required, a monthly event that challenges bloggers to make a soup or salad using a certain ingredient, this month being squash.

Quinoa Squash Salad

  • 2 medium delicata squash
  • 1 cup cooked red quinoa
  • 2 well-packed cups baby spinach
  • vegetable oil
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the ends off of each squash. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice into semi-circles.
  2. Place squash in a large casserole dish. Lightly drizzle with vegetable oil. Toss to coat. Place in the oven and roast, tossing once or twice, for one hour to one hour fifteen minutes until squash is very soft and starting to brown. Remove from the oven.
  3. Immediately mix the squash with the quinoa and the baby spinach. Add in the Honey Paprika Vinaigrette (see below) to taste. Mix well and serve immediately.

Honey Paprika Vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  1. Whisk together all ingredients except the olive oil, until the honey is thoroughly incorporated and the salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

The salad is intended to be served warm. It helps if the quinoa is also freshly made and therefore also warm. It should take around 20-25 minutes to cook up a pot.

My favorite part of the recipe is the dressing. It’s the first part I thought up. The smokiness of the paprika balances nicely against the sweetness from the honey. Regular paprika will work if you can’t find the smoked kind. I liked an extra sprinkle of smoked paprika on top. Mike preferred it without.

I should also add that I only used about half of the dressing. You can make a full batch, use as needed, and maybe have some leftovers. Or make half the recipe, and it will probably be enough. Before you make that decision, take note of the paragraph below.

Mike and I are the type of people who are happy to eat a salad with only vinegar and no oil. I find standard vinaigrette recipes much too oily. Even though this recipe has a 1:1 ratio of oil to vinegar and water, we still felt it was a bit too oily. If you, like us, are in the pro-vinegar camp, you might want to reduce the olive oil to 2 tablespoons.

This recipe is also making an appearance in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Roasted Artichokes

October 5, 2011 By 8 Comments

Did you know that artichokes have two peak seasons? Most people think of artichokes as a spring vegetable, but they do have another peak in the fall. I decided to make use of artichoke season and try something beyond the standard steamed preparation.

  • 2 large globe artichokes
  • 3/4 cup pearl onions, peeled and ends removed
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • lemon wedges (for garnish)
  • extra virgin olive oil or a few pats of butter (for garnish)

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp, heavy knife, slice off the stem and top of each artichoke. Pull off the tough outer leaves. Trim the ends of any remaining leaves using scissors. Slice the artichokes into quarters lengthwise. Use a paring knife or spoon to scoop out the fuzzy “choke”.
  2. Place the artichokes and onions in a large casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Add a few large pinches of salt and a few good cranks of black pepper. Mix well so that everything is coated.
  3. Place dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, rotating the artichokes one or twice, until artichokes are browned and pierce easily with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven.
  4. Serve immediately, garnished with extra virgin olive oil or butter and some lemon wedges.

(Serves 4)

Like apples, artichokes will discolor once cut. You can dip the artichoke in water with some lemon juice added to stop the discoloration. Or you can work fast and be OK with a little bit of browning.

Depending on how much you pruned when you were preparing the artichokes, the outer leaves will probably not be entirely edible. You can pull the leaves off and eat the lighter-colored end by pulling the leaf between your teeth. The inner leaves should all be OK for eating though.

The pearl onions came about when inspiration struck while I was at the grocery store. At the time I wasn’t thinking about how obnoxious it would be to peel that many. While not difficult it is time-consuming. You could achieve a similar taste by using shallots or small onions cut into fourths or eighths, depending on the size.

I think the artichokes would work great as an appetizer or could work as a main course next to a pilaf.

These artichokes are also being shared in Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Mele Cotte.

What To Do With Beets

September 5, 2011 By 9 Comments

I seem to always have beets around lately. I had a failed attempt at pickled beets. But the pickled turnips were a success. They used a beet, but only one. That left me with the rest of a bunch to use. As much as I love the roasted beet plus goat cheese combo, I wanted to try something different. (And I didn’t want to turn on the oven.) I started thinking of other dishes made with beets. Borscht! It’s been on my list of foods to make for a while now. Since it is summer, I thought a chilled borscht was in order.

Chilled Borscht:

  • 1 1/2 pounds beets
  • 1 medium-large onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 6 cups water or vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • sea salt
  • kefir, sour cream, or plain yogurt (for garnish)
  • hard boiled eggs (for garnish)
  • chilled boiled potatoes (for garnish)
  • extra lemon wedges (for garnish)
  1. Wash and peel the beets. Shred using a box grater or food processor.
  2. Heat a medium-large pot over medium heat. Film the bottom of the pot with oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the beets and the water or stock to the pot. (If using water, add a couple large pinches of salt.) Increase heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until beets are completely tender, 45 minutes to an hour.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in dill and lemon juice. Allow pot to cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

(Serves 4-6)

An optional fifth step would be to skim any hardened fat off of the soup after it’s cooled. You can certainly skip the chilling step and serve the soup hot if you prefer.

In case some of you are not interested in soup, even if it is chilled, I also made a raw beet and fennel salad.

Raw Beet Fennel Salad:

  • 3/4 pound beets
  • 1/4 pound fennel (bulb only), plus snipped fennel fronds for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  1. Wash and peel the beets. Shred the beets and fennel using a box grater or food processor. Place in a large mixing bowl. Zest lemon over mixture.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Whisk well. Pour over beet/fennel mixture. Season liberally with salt. Toss well.
  3. Salad can be served immediately or allowed to marinate.

(Serves 4-6)

I used golden beets as I thought they’d make a pretty sunshine-y salad. What I had not anticipated is that the longer you let the salad marinate, the more the beets lose their color and turn an ugly brown-gray color. If you’re going to use golden beets, I’d suggest serving shortly after the salad is made. Or you could make the salad with red beets, and I think you’d have less of an issue with the color fading.

So go find yourself some beets. While many people think of them as a cold weather food, they are in season right now. You’ll probably have better chances of finding the smaller, more tender ones. If you don’t have issues with firing up the oven, you could also try this Beet Salad with Almonds I posted forever ago. Or make a roasted beet and goat cheese salad. ;)

Also shared in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Full Plate Thursday,  Hearth and Soul Hop, and Wellness Weekends.

Pickled Turnips and Lentil Salad

August 24, 2011 By 3 Comments

You are perhaps wondering how pickled turnips and lentil salad fit together.

When we first moved back to St. Louis, we went with Mike’s parents to a nearby Lebanese restaurant. I ordered a kabob. When it came out it had a little pile of hot pink vegetables on top. After some taste-testing we determined that they were pickled turnips. And they were good. I did my best to ration them out so I could have some in every bite. The kabob was tasty, but the reason I’m telling you this story two months later is because of the pickled turnips. They stole the show.

If it’s not obvious, I’ve been thinking about them ever since. I wanted to make the turnips, but I needed something to serve them over. Lentils always strike me as a Mediterranean food (especially since the mujadara). I figured I’d season them up with Mediterranean spices and use them as a base to show off my beautiful turnips.

And if you’ve been wondering, “but why are they are hot pink?” it’s because they’re pickled with a beet to give them color.

For the pickled turnips:

  • 4 small-medium turnips (~1 pound)
  • 1 small-medium beet
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  1. Wash and peel the turnips and beet. Slice into rounds about 1/4-inch thick. Pack into a quart jar, interspersing the beets between the turnips.
  2. Heat the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-heat until salt is dissolved. Pour over the turnips and beets. Push the garlic down into the jar.
  3. Seal the jar and refrigerate. Allow to sit 4-5 days before opening.

(Makes 1 quart)

For the lentils:

  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon za’atar
  • pinch of crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup dried brown lentils
  • 2 cups water
  • sea salt
  • olive oil
  1. Heat a medium-sized pot over medium-heat. Film the pot with oil. Add the onions and garlic, cook until onions are golden and just beginning to brown.
  2. Clear a spot in the pot and add the cumin, coriander and red pepper. Allow to become fragrant, about half a minute, then stir into the onions. Stir in the lentils, water, za’atar, and a large pinch of salt. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are tender and the water is mostly absorbed, about 45 minutes to an hour.
  3. Once the lentils are tender, remove from heat, angle the lid over the top of the pot and allow to rest about 10 minutes.

To assemble the salad:

  • 1 large head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 large lemon, cut into wedges
  • 6-10 slices of pickled turnip (1-2 slices per serving), sliced into strips
  • cooked lentils from above
  1. Divide lettuce between bowls. Spoon a generous helping of lentils over the lettuce. Place turnips strips on top. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

(Serves 4-6)

I kept the seasoning for the pickled turnips pretty basic. Many recipes include a dried chili for some heat. Celery leaves were another common ingredient.

I mentioned za’atar before in my falafel recipe. It is a spice mixture from the Middle East. While the spices can vary, my mixture includes oregano, thyme, savory, sumac and sesame seeds.

The salad is equally good with warm or cold lentils. I find that a squeeze of lemon is all I need for dressing.

I’m sharing this recipe in My Legume Love Affair. This month it’s hosted by Preeti of Relishing Recipes. It’s also appearing in Full Plate Thursday, Seasonal Sunday and Wellness Weekends.

Chilled Carrot Soup

August 15, 2011 By 1 Comment

There’s a farmer’s market in the nearby park that we’d been hearing about since we moved to St. Louis. I finally made my way over there this week, and I found some lovely carrots. (And blueberries, but they didn’t last long enough to end up in a dish.) I thought I’d do some experimenting with a chilled summer soup.

  • 2 pounds carrots, washed and cut into rounds
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and cut into rounds
  • 2 cups water
  • pinch of crushed red pepper
  • sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • lemon wedges, for garnish
  1. Heat the carrots, ginger, water, crushed red pepper, a large pinch of salt and pepper in a medium-large pot. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes, then remove from heat.
  2. Carefully pour soup into a blender. Add the lemon juice. Remove the middle piece from the lid and cover with a towel to allow steam to escape while blending. Puree until smooth. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender.)
  3. Put soup in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely. (If you need to cool the soup immediately, place soup in a metal bowl, and place the bowl in an ice bath. Stir until soup is completely chilled.)
  4. When ready to serve, spoon soup into bowls, garnish with lemon wedges.

(Serves 4)

When I originally wrote this recipe, I included some onion. It wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t thrilled with it. Until I tried it the next day, then I liked it more. Still, I wanted to try it again without the onion. I made another batch and tried them both side-by-side. Initially, I felt without the onion was better. But then again, maybe not. I finally decided I like it without the onion a smidge more. Hence the recipe is written without onion. If you really love your aromatics, start by cooking some onion until soft, then continuing with the rest of the recipe.

I also went back and forth on how “carroty” I wanted it to be. I was using fresh farmer’s market carrots, and I wanted to taste them. But I think keeping extra lemon wedges or lemon juice on hand so everyone can season to their liking is a good idea.

This recipe is also shared in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Wellness Weekend.

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