Warm Brussels Sprouts & Apple Salad

I know it's been awhile since I've posted. School has been so busy that most of my evening are taken up with homework and my cooking hasn't been exemplary. Very sad. But, I will be done in December so we'll see what kind of an excuse I come up with next ;-)

I really like brussels sprouts, or at least when they are sauteed or roasted. If you've never tried them like this, and even if you think you hate them and will never, ever like them, you should try it this way at least once!

Warm Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad
For 2

• 1 to 1.5 cups of thinly sliced brussels sprouts (just trim the end and slice)
• 1 granny smith or other snappy apple, cored, halved and thinly sliced
• Half a medium onion, any kind you prefer but red would be pretty, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, diced
  
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

Squeeze a little lemon on your sliced apples so they don't turn brown.

Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add a couple pinches of salt and cook a few minutes more.

Add sliced brussels sprouts and cook another 5 minutes. Add apple, garlic, thyme, pepper and remaining lemon juice and cook another few minutes to incorporate flavours. You want the brussels sprouts to be golden on the edges. For example, the picture above shows a salad that still needs a few more minutes. I took a picture early so I could eat the food before it got cold!

Enjoy!

Salads

Summer is the time to take advantage of all the wonderful and fresh produce available. Not only are seasonal and local fruits and vegetables cheaper than when out of season, they are at their peak in flavour. So make sure to visit your local farmers market.

For a hot, summer night meal try a make-your-own-salad for dinner. This way everybody gets just what they like in their salad and it's nice and light for a summer evening. It's also fun for entertaining.

Make-Your-Own-Salad

• Lettuce(s)
  
• Peppers - bell, sweet, hot
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes
  
• Berries
• Cheeses
• Avocados
• Cooked chicken, beef, pork, fish, shellfish, beans or tofu
  
• Onions - sweet varieties are currently in season
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Corn - so good right now!
• Fresh herbs - such as basil, oregano, lavender, thyme, cilantro, parsley, chives, marjoram, or dill
• Olives
• Pickles - various
• Roasted red peppers
• Croutons
  
• etc...

Mustard Vinaigrette

• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

Put all in a lidded jar and shake until emulsified.

Serve various salad ingredients in their own bowls along with dressing(s) and pitas or fresh bread. Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa (keen-wa or keen-oa) is a grain that I wish I would have learned about earlier in life. This super food (almost a perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids) was known as the "Mother Grain" to the Incas and has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years! Since my boyfriend is half Peruvian we figure this grain definitely has a place in our diet! But even if you don't share the same heritage as quinoa you should really consider giving it a shot if you've never tried it. Here's a recipe, you won't be disappointed:

Quinoa Salad

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup sliced mini sweet peppers (you could use chopped bell peppers instead)
• 1/2 cup black beans (canned or already soaked and cooked)
• juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 cup kale, chopped and lightly sautéed
• half an onion, diced and sautéed until translucent
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• chopped jalapenos or serranos - to taste (optional)

Rinse quinoa well and add to a small saucepan with one cup of water (scant 2:1 water to quinoa - so a little less than double the amount of water to the amount of quinoa). Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let cook until most or all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa pops - it will look like the quinoa grew a little white curly tail - see picture! If you are unsure just give it a taste to see if you like the texture. I have found that cooking quinoa in my rice cooker works really well - if you got one, use it!

Meanwhile, sauté onions first, adding kale when onions are almost done. When the quinoa is finished, drain if necessary and immediately squeeze on the lime juice. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine and serve. This salad is also great cold or reheated. I really like bringing this to work for lunch. The bright colours, varied textures and flavours really appeal to me. The beans make this a hearty and filling dish too. It is just so good for you. Try it today and enjoy!

Soba Veggie Salad with Sesame Oil Dressing

I love salads, but I get bored fast eating the same thing (except with pizza!). Day after day of regular tossed salads just isn't exciting enough. Alongside these meatballs, which are pork meatballs with an almond sauce (drool) is a soba noodle and veggie salad with a tasty sesame dressing. I like making different salads as it is a great opportunity to clean out your crisper. With all the fantastic fresh produce available right now, what better time then to get creative with veggies?

Soba Veggie Salad with Sesame oil dressing:
(for 2)

Any of the soba noodles I've ever bought come in packages that contain 4 individually wrapped servings each good for 2 people in this recipe, which makes it easy. Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour. If you can't get soba noodles, you can use vermicelli, it will taste great.

• soba noodles (or vermicelli)
• half an english cumcumber, chopped
• 1/2 cup edamame (fresh soy beans. Peas or beans would be good too)
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• a few green onions, chopped

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Rinse under cold water until cool. Add these to a salad bowl with all the chopped veggies.

To make the dressing, add to a lidded jar:

• 1/2 tsp sesame oil, or to taste (be careful with this, it's very potent!)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (you could use white wine vinegar instead)
• the juice of one lemon
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp red chili paste, or 1 small chopped chile (optional)

Shake the dressing in the jar until all the sugar has dissolved and it becomes emulsified. Toss the dressing with the salad and eat! Hope you enjoy this.

Check out this link to learn more about Soba noodles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soba