Check Out Quinoa: Quinoa with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

We had a great weekend hosting our cousins who were in town for a post-holiday visit. These newlyweds were unable to make it for Christmas, as the snowy roads weren’t safe for them to drive here. But they had a whirlwind weekend trying to stop by and visit with every family member who was available. We were lucky enough to have them overnight, which meant we went out for a great Creole dinner on Saturday (followed by some live Irish music at a nearby pub), and had a homemade brunch on Sunday morning.

My sister and her family joined us for brunch and I made one of our cousins’ favorites, and my mom provided some pumpkin bread for us to serve them. While the men tinkered outside with an unfortunate flat tire, the women sipped mimosas inside and looked after the kids. (My nephew is always entertained at his “Auntie” and “Unc”’s house with our one and only "toy", the “Big Red Ball”.)

Prior to our guests arriving on Saturday, I spent the day stocking up on the necessary groceries. While in the checkout line at Trader Joe’s (home of ever-friendly employees), my cashier commented on the quinoa I was buying like it was being discontinued in bulk. She mentioned that she liked quinoa but didn’t know what to do with it. I started rattling off several recipe ideas, and as her eyes widened, I tore off some paper from my grocery list, and scribbled down the URL for my blog. This is one of the recipes I mentioned to her, and while I made it a week ago, in the event that she is joining us here online looking for ways to use her quinoa, I must deliver!

I love tomatoes (in any form) and quinoa. I recently did a search for some ideas of how to incorporate sun-dried tomatoes, and found a recipe which I then slightly adapted. This is delicious, and also has a spicy kick! (You could avoid the spice by substituting the Jalapeño with a green bell pepper, and omitting the cayenne.)

Quinoa with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
(Adapted from Lisa's Kitchen)
Ingredients
1 cup of quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 large Jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 cup of corn
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of ground coriander
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Directions
Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and Jalapeño to the pot, and stir cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add spices, corn, quinoa, and vegetable sock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Add parsley and Parmigiano Reggiano, stir, and serve.

Best Chili Ever: Quinoa Chili

Are you sick of quinoa yet? Because I am certainly not! I keep trying out new recipes of this wonder-grain, and I can’t seem to get enough of it. Just the other week my friend, Beth, forwarded me a recipe for Quinoa Chili. I was rather anxious to try it, because I’ve eaten at Beth’s place before, and I know that she is an excellent cook. At a mid-summer dinner that she and her husband hosted me and my husband for, she prepared our entire scrumptious meal from scratch, including the corn tortillas!

The Quinoa Chili goes together easily, and it is delicious! This is the best vegetarian version of chili that I have ever had. It is hearty yet healthy, and I am so thankful that Beth sent this one my way! You can gave fun with the garnishes, and add whatever you like.

Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green pepper, diced
2 teaspoon cumin
1-2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 (14 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (14 oz.) can small diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1 (14 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I sometimes substitute with black beans)

Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet on medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, garlic, green pepper and spices; sauté 5 to 10 minutes. Add rinsed uncooked quinoa and stir in. Add corn, tomatoes, tomato sauce and vegetable broth/water to onion and quinoa mixture. Cover and simmer together 20 minutes. Add kidney beans; simmer another 10 minutes.

If chili is too thick, just add water or more vegetable broth until it is to your liking.

Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, corn chips, green onions.

Corn-Off-The-Cob: Kate's Cilantro Citrus Corn

Corn has long been one of my favorite vegetables. It is one that brings me back to my childhood. I have memories of sitting out on the deck on a hot summer day, shucking ears of corn with my sister. I remember it being so challenging to try to remove all of the silk strands off the corn, but I always tried to get all of them. My mother would boil the corn, and we’d serve it with little plastic yellow corn holders (which looked like miniature ears of corn) that pierced each end of the cob. I’d spread butter all over the corn, and sprinkle it with salt, and the twirl the corn around and eat it from side to side until all of the kernels were eaten.

Twenty-five years later the little yellow plastic corn holders are long gone, but we’re still enjoying corn on the cob, and this evening I sat on my deck and tried to remove the little threads of corn silk. We bought a baker’s dozen from a roadside farm last weekend. I try to buy corn as much as I can during it’s peak season. We toss it on the grill (coated in a little olive oil), and then once it cools I cut the kernels off the cob, package it up, and put it in the freezer to pull out in the upcoming months when fresh corn is no longer available.

While I believe that corn needs nothing more than a little butter and salt (and is actually delicious on it's own), I sometimes add a few more ingredients to incorporate some new flavors. I really enjoy this with cilantro, but you could add whatever herbs you prefer.

Cilantro Citrus Corn
Ingredients
6 shucked ears of fresh corn on the cob
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
2 Tbs. lemon juice
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions
Cook corn by your desired method (boil in a covered pot of water for approximately 5 minutes; or, coat with olive oil and grill on high heat for 6-8 minutes, rotating frequently). Allow corn to cool. Taking one cob at a time, use a large knife to cut kernels off the cob, cutting from one end to the other.

Combine melted butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Toss butter mixture with corn in a large bowl, trying to coat all the corn kernels. Add cilantro, toss gently, and serve.

Still Summer - Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

I’ve hardly been “live” for a week, I’ve only told about 3 people that this little blog exists, and I’ve already received my first request! My husband’s friend and colleague (we’ll call him “Triple T”), has requested that I make and post a dish that is near and dear to his heart and home (and one that I have yet to conquer). I am up for the challenge, Triple T, and your request is in the queue! While this is no Chuy's fish taco, I hope that it will tide you over...

The weather where I live has been unseasonably cool as of late. The air is brisk, the sky is grey, and the breeze is crisp. If the calendar didn’t say August, one might think it was October. I had to hold myself back from delving into my fall favorites (think root vegetables), and embrace the fact that it is still summer and I must capitalize on the opportunity to make the rounds through my summer recipe rotation while I still can. So instead of peeling and seeding a butternut squash, we fired up the outdoor grill and blended some margaritas.

My husband and I are both fans of fish tacos. They offer a lighter way to enjoy Mexican food than some other traditional dishes that consist of heavy sauces and lots of cheese. I have tried several different fish taco recipes without much satisfaction. We tried Ellie Krieger’s a few weeks ago, and it was a home run. The spiciness of the chipotle is balanced by the sweetness of the corn. The lime and olive oil are a simple, yet tasty marinade for the fish. We grilled mahi-mahi, and I used non-fat Greek yogurt (a new obsession of mine) for the chipotle sauce (with extra chipotle because I love spicy food). We also used flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas, as I typically have them on hand.

The different components of the recipe come together pretty quickly, but it does take a bit of time to assemble all of the tacos. If you’re serving to a crowd, you could make this an activity where everyone can assemble their own. Otherwise put out some chips and salsa to keep them happy and occupied!

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream
Ingredients
Fish:
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound white flaky fish fillet, like tilapia, mahi-mahi, or halibut

Chipotle cream:
* 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or 1/3 cup Greek-style nonfat yogurt
* 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 2 teaspoons chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce

* 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* 1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage or lettuce
* 1/2 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
* Lime wedges

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the fish fillets and let marinate for 20 minutes. Put the yogurt into a strainer lined with apaper towel and place over a bowl to drain and thicken for 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill on a preheated grill or nonstick grill pan over a medium-high heat until cooked thorough, about 3 minutes per side. Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the thickened yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle pepper.

Heat the tortillas on the grill or grill pan for 30 seconds on each side.

Flake the fish with a fork. Top each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the chipotle cream. Top with fish, cabbage, corn and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

In Season - Roasted Corn, Pepper, and Tomato Chowder

There are few foods I love more than farm fresh tomatoes in August or September. They are so juicy with an intense flavor. Their color is a deep beautiful red, and they slice with ease. I am perfectly content bringing a bag home from the market, slicing them, and eating them with a little olive oil and sea salt, and nothing more! Despite my pleasure in this simple late-summer treasure, I am also willing to try almost any recipe that includes tomatoes.

My mother recently referred me to a Cooking Light recipe for Roasted Corn, Pepper, and Tomato Chowder. It capitalizes on the season's fresh ingredients, and includes two of my favorites (the other is corn). This recipe is so good that I made it one night, it was gone in two days, and I found myself making another batch that night! And again three nights later! My current dilemma is that all of the fresh tomatoes I have been buying have been going into this soup when I need to be trying some other recipes!

I really have no alterations to this recipe, other than the fact that I roasted the vegetables instead of grilling them (my “grill man” wasn’t home at the time, and it ended up working out great). The recipe recommends serving with bleu cheese and chives as a garnish. I’ve also tried goat cheese, croutons, and it is perfect accompanied by a grilled cheese and light green salad.

Roasted Corn, Pepper, and Tomato Chowder
Ingredients
* 3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
* 3 ears shucked corn
* 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, halved, seeded, and peeled (about 4)
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
* 3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Arrange bell peppers, skin side down, and corn in a single layer on a grill rack; grill 5 minutes, turning corn occasionally. Add tomatoes; grill an additional 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly charred. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Coarsely chop tomatoes and bell peppers; place in a medium bowl. Cut kernels from ears of corn; add to tomato mixture.
3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato mixture; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high, and stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool 20 minutes.
4. Place one-third of tomato mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Place pureed mixture in a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining tomato mixture. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Press tomato mixture through a sieve into pan; discard solids. Place pan over medium heat; cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in salt and black pepper. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 2 teaspoons cheese and 1 teaspoon chives.