Quinoa Salad with Cucumber

Inspiration:
A search for a new rice/pasta/other salad to take for lunch, and Martha Stewart's Living.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• Coarse salt
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

1. Bring water, quinoa, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet, and let cool on a wire rack.
2. Combine shallot, vinegar, and red-pepper flakes in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil until emulsified.
3. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl, and stir in cucumber, parsley, and vinaigrette. Season with salt.

Notes:
I substituted white wine vinegar for the champagne vinegar and used a regular cucumber.

While this was ok, I think it would be even better with some feta or ricotta salata cheese added-- or kalamata olives or diced red bell pepper.


Liz's Rating: 7.5/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette

Inspiration:
Food & Wine

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. In a blender, combine the lemon zest and juice, shallots, mustard, vinegar and garlic and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Pour the vinaigrette into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
   

Recipe Notes: This vinaigrette is also great drizzled over grilled fish, chicken or vegetables.

Notes: I will be making this again and again. I can't wait to try it with cooked veggies, chicken or fish.

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10
Brother-in-law Chris: "This tastes like it came from a restaurant!"

Spicy Pork Po'Boys

Inspiration:
Food & Wine

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 medium kosher dill pickles, very finely chopped
• 1/2 small shallot, minced
• Four 8-inch soft baguettes, split
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (I despise iceberg lettuce, so I substituted mixed greens.)
  
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Hot sauce, for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat a grill pan. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix the ground pork with the paprika, thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Form the pork into twelve 1/2-inch-thick patties. Grill the pork patties over moderate heat, turning once, until they are cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
2. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with the Dijon mustard, pickles and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise on both sides of the baguettes.
3. Place 3 pork patties on the bottom of each baguette and top with the lettuce, tomato and a few splashes of hot sauce. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Food & Wine's suggested beverage: "Juicy, blackberry-rich Southern Australian Shiraz: 2006 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill."

My Notes: This was really easy! The pork patties did not taste that much different than a spicy pork sausage blend, so you could buy bulk sausage if you want a super-quick dinner. Tim loved the sauce so much, he gave this recipe an 11 out of 10.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 11/10

Spicy Cashew Salad with Chilies, Cilantro, and Lime

Inspiration:
Quick & Easy Thai
as well as green onions from our CSA

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh raw whole cashews (about 1/4 pound)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions:

1. Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels, and place it by the stove, along with a slotted spoon or an Asian-style wire-mesh strainer. Heat 2 or 3 inches of vegetable oil in a medium skillet or wok over medium heat until a raw cashew begins to sizzle a few seconds after you add it to the oil, 4 to 5 minutes. Keep one raw cashew handy by the stove to help you judge the changes in color as the nuts cook.
2. Gently add cashews and cook, stirring gently and often, until the nuts turn a soft, pale golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop the cashews out onto the prepared plate, using a slotted spoon or a wire-mesh strainer. Let them drain and cool a little while you set out a medium bowl and a small serving platter.
3. Turn the still-warm cashews into the bowl and toss with salt. Add the shallots, green onions, and chili flakes and toss well. Just before serving, add the lime juice, toss well, and mound on the serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, with small spoons for eating, or as finger food.

Recipe Notes:
"You may think that cashews are nearly perfect already, but try this simple preparation and you will agree with me that sometimes a good thing can get even better. Raw cashews are widely available in Asian markets at a reasonable price, and they keep a long time uncooked. You can add a big spoonful of dried shrimp, if you like them, and offer a plate of small lettuce cups so your guests can scoop up these delectable cashews bite by bite."


My Notes:
First, the obvious: except for the title, cilantro is nowhere to be seen in this recipe! I am not sure how that happened. Cilantro would be a good addition to this dish, approximately 3 tablespoons of chopped leaves. Otherwise, I would leave this recipe as-is; it's very good.


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Linguine and Collard Greens with Bacon

Inspiration:
So I had collard greens from our CSA, and I was going to cook them "Brazilian style" (a Mark Bittman recipe) to go along with some pork burgers that my friend Helen and I picked up at the farmers market. Well luckily today at work I mentioned my dinner to her, and she told me that my "pork burgers" were actually breakfast sausage patties. Hmmm. I am glad I found out before I served Tim breakfast sausage on a bun with condiments. (Thanks Helen!) So I scrambled for a way to use up my collard greens and found this recipe from Gourmet.

Ingredients:

• 10 bacon slices (1/2 lb), chopped
• 3/4 cup pine nuts (1/4 lb)
• 1/4 lb shallots, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes (heaping teaspoon if you like spicy food, less if you don't)
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 lb collard greens, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 lb dried whole wheat linguine
• 1 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, made with a vegetable peeler from a 6-to 8-oz wedge

Instructions:

1. Cook bacon in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat from pot. Add pine nuts to pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
2. Add shallots to pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add oil and half of collard greens and cook, stirring, until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Add remaining greens and salt and continue to cook, stirring, until greens are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more. Add water and cover pot, then simmer greens, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 15 minutes.
3. While collard greens are simmering, cook linguine in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
4. Drain linguine in a colander. Add drained linguine and tomatoes to pot with greens and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Season pasta with salt and pepper and serve topped with bacon, pine nuts, and cheese shavings.

Recipe Notes:
Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 50 min
Servings: Makes 4 to 6 main-course servings.

My Notes: The richness of the bacon, pine nuts and cheese pairs well with the bitterness of the collard greens. This is a different kind of recipe, but it's good!

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
("Well having bacon in it gives it an extra point. I really like it.")

Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette for Two

Inspiration:
A recipe from our CSA's newsletter (Our farmer's wife is a chef.)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced shallot
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• pinch ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups mixed greens, washed and dried
• grape tomatoes, chopped carrots, green onions, celery, other salad fixings (optional)
  

Instructions:

1. Combine vinegar, shallot, mustard (if using), salt, and pepper in a bowl with a fork. Add oil, then whisk or mix with fork until smooth, about 30 seconds.
   
2. Place greens in large salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until greens are evenly coated. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes: The dressing will separate after 5 or 10 minutes, so use immediately or mix again before tossing with greens.

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10