Quinoa Tabbouleh

This recipe is from Bon Appetite with a few tweaks. Perfect summer dish!

1 c quinoa, rinsed well
1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more
1 lemon, juice
Zest of one lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c olive oil
2 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/4″ pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2/3 c chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c chopped fresh mint
1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced

Bring quinoa, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer quinoa to a large bowl; mix in 1/4 c dressing.

Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, and scallions to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining dressing over.

Advertisement

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

This is my favorite salad! Ok it is probably the strawberry balsamic that I love! I switch up the nuts, lettuce, with what I have on hand.

Ingredients:
3 – 5 c lettuce, Arugala, etc
4 TBSP toasted nuts
1 c fresh strawberries
2 TBSP strawberry balsamic
4 oz goat cheese crumbled
2 tsp olive oil

Toss greens with olive oil and balsamic. Toss in the rest of the ingredients.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side.

Pasta with Herbed Cream Sauce and Lobster

On the west coast lobster is an extra special treat. This recipe allows the subtle flavor really shine through. I love the tangy flavor of creme fraiche, so I always have some on hand, it can be easily substituted for heavy cream. I also had some marscapone cheese so I added a little bit of that too.

1 TBSP olive oil
1/8 c tomato paste
12 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/3 c dry white wine
2 TBSP champagne vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh tarragon sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
4 oz creme fraiche
2 oz of marscapone
6 oz lobster or crab meat
1/2 lb fresh fettuccine or linguine

Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low. Add tomato paste; stir 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, wine, vinegar, garlic, tarragon, thyme, and parsley. Add cream and lobster meat, boil 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer just until lobster flavor infuses cream, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Add pasta to the sauce, toss over medium-high heat until sauce coats pasta, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to large shallow bowl and serve.

Serves 2.

Gold Rush Cocktail on the Rocks

On a warm summer night we needed a refreshing beverage to celebrate the end of another week! This was perfect! I served on the rocks, but it would be equally tasty served chilled in a martini glass.

Ingredients:
.5 oz lemon juice
1.5 oz domain canton
1 oz bourbon

Combine in a rocks glass. Add ice. Enjoy.

Serves 1