Strawberry Arugula Salad

After laying in bed for two straight days with a head cold I decided I needed to get out of the house and do something productive...

Of all the things I SHOULD have done (laundry, grocery shopping, taking the dogs for a much needed long walk) I decided to say screw it and go strawberry picking instead.

Priorities.

Plus.. strawberies are FULL of vitamin C, which in turn will help boost my immunity, so I think I made a very wise decision. 

I ate my fair share while I was picking.  You know how it goes: Pick one, eat one. Pick two, eat two... You think I would have learned my lesson when I chomped down on a piece of sand from my unwashed "stolen" berries, but no, I just kept eating more.

So.... by the time I got home I was kinda sick of berries, but those fresh picked babies have to be eaten pretty quickly or else they get all nasty.

I had to think of some ideas...

Strawberry shortcake? Unless homemade buttermilk biscuits and fresh whipped cream appeared at the snap of a finger, it wasn't gonna happen.

Strawberry margaritas?  No tequila in the house. Note to self: buy some tequila.

I wanted some greens for dinner (no brainer), but had to use my berries. A salad... with strawberries? Yes, please!

Strawberries and spinach are a classic combination, but I'm not a huge fan of raw spinach and I had some arugula on hand, so I went with it.  Throw in some toasted nuts and a little cheese (I used walnuts and feta in this case) and make a simple vinagrette and you have a damn tasty lunch or light dinner.

Strawberry Arugula Salad (makes 2 large salads)

5 oz. arugula (one of those clamshell containers worth)
2 c. strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
6 oz. feta cheese

Honey Champagne Vinaigrette:

2 t. honey
1 1/2 T. champagne vinegar
2 1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Combine honey, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper in a small jar and shake until emulsified.  Place the arugula and strawberries in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. Divide between two plates and top with the walnuts and feta.  Drizzle the remaining dressing on top, if desired.

Little Quinoa Patties

Quinoa in patty form.

Genius.

I've made patties with lots of different grains: millet, oats, bulgar and couscous, but never thought of using quinoa.

I stumbled upon a recipe for quinoa patties in Supernatural Everyday and had to make them at once!


Little quinoa patties (makes 12) supernatural everyday

2 1/2 c. cooked quinoa at room temperature
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. chives
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. fresh parmesan
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 c. whole grain bread crumbs
water if needed
1 T. extra virgin olive oil or butter

Combine quinoa, eggs and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in chives, onion, cheese and garlic. Add breadcrumbs and let sit for a few minutes to absorb some of the moisture. (err on the very moist side.. add more breadcrumbs if too wet, more egg or water to moisten).
Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium low heat. Add 6 patties, cover and cook 7-10 minues, until bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip and cook for another 7 minutes, until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Quinoa mixture keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

First time around I served 'em with some fresh pea shoots from the farmers market and some feta cheese with a little champagne vinaigrette drizzled on top.  Perfection.  Filling but not too heavy.

The next day I served them along a huge salad with spicy mesclun mix and mustard roasted potatoes.  The potatoes were like crack, thanks Deb from Smitten Kitchen!

Mustard Roasted Potatoes (from Smitten Kitchen) 

Makes 10 servings
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick or 1/2 ounce) butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
3 pounds 1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter mixed unpeeled red-skinned and white-skinned potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch-wide wedges

Position 1 rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Whisk mustard, olive oil, butter, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, lemon peel, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add potatoes; sprinkle generously with freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat. Divide potatoes between prepared baking sheets, leaving any excess mustard mixture behind in bowl. Spread potatoes in single layer. Roast potatoes 20 minutes. Reverse baking sheets and roast until potatoes are crusty outside and tender inside, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes longer.

Transfer potatoes to serving bowl.

pizza with zucchini, corn, feta and cilantro

The full title should actually read: thin crust pizza with zucchini, fresh corn, red onion, jalapenos, lime, feta, cilantro, and black wax pecorino romano with roasted garlic oil.
Yeah, there is alot going on here.

Fortunately, this is one of those recipes that comes together in no time. A little bit of slicing and dicing and a quick, no rise pizza crust and you are good to go. It honestly takes less time than ordering takeout... unless, of course you live next to a pizza joint.  But I'm guessing you don't.

This came together based on one of the pizzas at the famous Berkeley, California institution, The Cheeseboard Collective http://cheeseboardcollective.coop/pizza.
If you live in Berkeley or any where near Berkeley (I'm talkin' a 60 mile radius), do yourself a favor and hit up the joint.  It is probably hands down one of my top three pizzas evah.
And...I'm a New Yorker so I don't play when it comes to pizza..

This recipe is pretty versatile. Use as much or as little toppings as you prefer.  I heart vegetables and cheese so I went a little heavy on both...

Thin crust pizza with zucchini, corn, feta and cilantro (serves 2-4 people)

1 batch thin crust pizza (i like this one: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/recipe-homemade-thin-crust-pizza-045499)
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1-1/2 c. fresh corn (about 2 ears)
1/4 small red onion, sliced
1/2 c. feta, crumbled
1/2 c. grated pecorino romano
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced
2-3 T. roasted garlic oil or extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper, to taste

Roll out your pizza crust.  Spread a layer of garlic oil on the bottom, just enough to coat the dough. Scatter the jalapenos on the dough. In a small bowl, toss the zucchini, corn and red onion with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Pile the toppings on the dough, followed by the feta.  Bake on a pizza stone until the edges of the crust are browned and the cheese is nice and melty. Top with the grated pecorino, cilantro, a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of roasted garlic oil or olive oil.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper on that pie and you're in business.

quinoa salad with radishes and snow peas

Things I love about summer:

Walking bearfoot in the grass. Drinking iced tea. White wine, sangria, cold beer and mojitos.  Sitting on the stoop. Fire pits. Farmers markets. Sandles.  Swimming in lakes. Minimal clothing.  Not having to wait 30 minutes to warm up my car. Longer days. Ice cream. Sunskissed skin. Walks with the dogs in the park. Canoeing. Swimming. And.... meals like this. 

Unfortunately the last few days have felt less like summer and more like hell (literally).  Temperatures have been creeping into the upper 90's and most of my free time has been spent sitting in my air conditioned apartment.  My appetite has been waning due to the heat and I am having little motivation to do anything with my oven. But.... a sistas gotta eat!

I broke out the quinoa, since it only takes 15-20 minutes to cook.

Quinoa  (keen-wa) is an amino acid rich seed that has a fluffy, nutty texture when cooked.  It's gluten free, super duper high in protein and is a complete protein as well (contains all 9 essenial amino acids). It's also a great source of fiber, manganese, iron and phosphorus. Holla!

Quinoa in it's natural state contains has a bitter coating of saponins which can make it taste icky. Give it a rinse in a fine mesh strainer before you cook it and you are good to go.

I make salads with quinoa as a base all the time.  I had some veggies and herbs left over from the farmers market so I chopped them up while the quinoa was cooking.

Quinoa with radishes and snow peas (serves 2-4)

2/3 c. quinoa
1 c. snowpeas, sliced on a diagonal
3/4 c. radishes, sliced
1/4 c. fresh mint, chopped
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 t. cracked black pepper
1/4-1/2 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. feta cheese

Bring 1 1/3 c water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer.  Add to water, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
Serve over some lightly dressed salad greens or eat as is.