Quinoa w/Orange

Quinoa.  What a wonderful grain. I know we all eat our fair share of it when we eat gluten free.  It is a grain everyone should try because it is a complete protein.  I have tried it many different ways some hot some cold. I like to mix it up with the different colors - red, black and white. This time I added oranges and orange juice.

It can become difficult to keep some of these grains interesting because we use them so often. Just keep trying different things and you will eventually come up with a combination that surprises you.  Here is how I did this one.

Quinoa w/Orange

1 cup quinoa rinsed and cook in 2 cups of water - cool
1 cup celery chopped
1 cup orange bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup red onion chopped fine
6 cherry tomatoes sliced
1 orange peeled and cut into pieces
Handful of chopped parsley
1/2 tsp smoked Spanish Paprika, optional
Blend fresh squeezed orange juice with olive oil.  I used Moroccan olive oil. I did one part orange juice to 2 parts olive oil

Mix the quinoa and all the vegetables and fruit.  Then stir in the orange juice and olive oil blend to your taste.

Try it my way or as usual create your own.

Spring Chicken Salad

Let's go lively into spring with color.  Our taste buds and eyes are canvassing for excitement.  Spring....that time of year we start thinking about asparagus, flowers, color and everything new.  I already have been eating that spring vegetable we love, asparagus. I am waiting for our annual hunt and gather for it.  Actually, I don't really hunt and gather, I just drop my husband off in his favorite field and pick him up when the bag is full.

Today it is a chicken salad.  We found this great smoked chicken at a local store that makes their own.  So I thought some kind of chicken salad would be great.  Then I started thinking about roasted bell peppers.  I had this gorgeous tomato which tastes like the ones you get in summer from your garden and magically a salad is created.

Roasted red bell pepper sauce

1 red bell pepper, blackened on an open flame or grill then placed in a brown bag for 10 minutes
1/4 cup chicken stock gluten free
1 tsp sunny Paris (Pensheys Spices)shallots, chives,green peppercorn,basil,tarragon,chervil,bay leaf and dill weed
Or any spice you like
Dash of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Take bell pepper from bag and clean off black char, take off stem and seeds and rough chop.  Put in food processor with stock and spices and blend until smooth.  Adjust thickness with more or less stock.

For the salad I combined lettuce, tomato, smoked chicken and a dab of brown rice.  Topped it all off with the roasted pepper sauce.

Create your own spring treat.  Spring the time for a re-awakening of our zest for food and life....just like the spring chickens.

Grains

From left to right.  Green lentils, red quinoa, millet, buckwheat, orange lentils, purple sticky rice, red rice and brown rice.

Whole beautiful colored grains.  I just went to my pantry and pulled this variety out.  This wasn't even all of them - I forgot the wild rice, black quinoa and white quinoa.  With all these choices why is anyone eating white potatoes and white rice. Everywhere you turn there is something discussing whole grains.  Get them in your diet your body will appreciate it.

I made purple sticky rice also called black thai rice.  Try this one. Often it is cooked as a dessert rice. I had it once that way in a Thai restaurant.  I just cook it in water and add seasonings. I like it because it is a sticky rice.  Just 2 cups of water or broth to 1 cup of rice. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes.  Do not stir.  Turn off heat and let sit 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.  Some people use a rice cooker, I never have yet.




With all the beautiful colored food choices who needs white food.

O'Chard

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

If you're enough lucky to be Irish....You're lucky enough.

I had such a hard time deciding what to post today.  I am married to an Irish laddie.  Michael is his name.  The O' kind of  Irish.  He likes corned beef and cabbage.  That is what we have for this day.  I am not posting that because it is so basic you really don't need a recipe.  I am doing something green instead.  Swiss Chard.

We are counting the hours to the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade.  This year Michael's Godchild is in the parade in her high school band.  She is on the bus right now with eyes and mouth wide open.  I remember that feeling when I first went to New York.  Have fun Courtney!

Now for the green of the day.  More of you are venturing into this healthy, richly textured and colorful leafy food.  I have some version everyday.  You can eat them raw, cooked in stock for a long period of time or just steam them.  Try baked kale for something interesting.

This recipe originates from Spain, that wonderful region of the world you can smell just thinking about it.  What an exciting place to visit.  All that great Serrano ham just hanging around in all the taverns and restaurants.  A place to go visit more than once, just like New York City.

I typically have ingredients like this around.  This is quick and easy .  You could do it with other greens, but try it for the first time with the chard.  Eat it as a main dish or use as a side dish.

Sauteed Chard

2 large bunches of Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (1/4 inch thick) slice Serrano or other dry cured ham, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water to soften, about 1 hour, drained

Cook chard in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes.  Drain and press out water. You could cook it longer if you like it that way.

Heat olive oil in skillet over med high heat.  Add Serrano and saute a minute or two.   Add the pine nuts then the chard and raisins.  Stir.  Cook to desired texture.  Serve hot.

Try this next time you are looking to make something with greens.

When Irish eyes are smiling,
'Tis like a morn in spring.
With a lilt of Irish Laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
~Author Unknown

Fish Tacos

Tacos, tacos, tacos.  How much do we LOVE tacos.  I like beef, pork, chicken and of course fish tacos.  Let's talk fish tacos.  I did some research on the origin.

Some say it originated in Ensenada, Mexico.  I had my first fish taco there - oh the memories.  When we lived in San Diego we went to Ensenada often.  They say Rubio's Fish Taco started in 1983 and got the recipe from Ensenada.   When we lived in San Diego Rubio's Fish Taco is where we ate ours.  That was in the 80's.  How exciting is food when you can connect it to your life that way.  We make history and connections with our food everyday.  Just think - what you eat today will be tomorrows memories.  EAT SOMETHING WORTH REMEMBERING!

Since I have been making fish tacos for so long and so many ways, I thought it was a good subject.  I have used many varieties of fish.  When I do the grilled type I like Tuna or any firm ocean fish.  Otherwise just use regional fish.  Here in the Bayfield area and other parts of Wisconsin whitefish is popular.  Another Wisconsin favorite is perch.  When I can't find any fresh fish I have used frozen cod.  My pictures here feature two different fish varieties from two different taco meals.

Where ever you live, there must be a fish you can use.  Try the fish taco - you might like it. 

Fish Tacos

Any fish - grilled or Sauteed crispy.
For a thick batter use white rice flour with cumin and chili powder, salt and pepper and enough club soda to make a batter consistency then fry in oil until crispy.   Or lightly dust with white rice flour and saute.
Soft corn tortillas
Cabbage shredded
Cilantro chopped
White onions chopped
Fresh Limes
Salsa or hot sauce or both

Cook your fish whatever style you like.  Mix the cabbage, cilantro and onions together.  Heat the corn tortillas.

The way I assemble is salsa on tortilla then the fish then the cabbage mixture.  Add salsa and hot sauce and fresh lime juice.  If you can use dairy a blend of sour cream and salsa is nice. I always serve with guacamole and pico de gallo. Plenty of recipes for both of those find one you like.

Fish tacos - eat them often and you will find your favorite way.  Enjoy. 

Soup and Salad

Soup and salad, Bayfield and Hawaii, yin and yang, black and white, winter and summer.  Contrasts that create balance.  As I enjoy the beauty of winter here in Bayfield, I can't help but think of the contrast of living in Hawaii and enjoying all those great flowers. It is common this time of year to start thinking of warm places.  I guess we refer to that as cabin fever.

This post is about soup and salad.  Soup that wonderful dish we prepare when we are looking for comfort and salad that crispy side dish that can transport us to anywhere. Together they create a balance. It doesn't matter what soup or what salad, there is just something about the combination.  This combination is as extreme as the contrast of Bayfield and Hawaii.  This soup is my version of French onion soup.  The salad is a combination of greens, avocado, seaweed and seared tuna.

French Onion Soup

I omitted the bread and the cheese.  Add it if it makes you happy.  I think it is very good without. This is a good soup to prepare when you have a homemade stock for a much more intense flavor.  Really good sweet yellow onions are a must.

6 large sweet yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced

olive oil
8 cups of beef stock
1/4 cup of sweet vermouth
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan saute the onions in olive oil over medium high heat until the onions are caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.  This is the important part of the soup.  Do not burn.   Add the stock and the sweet vermouth, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  That's it.

So as our calendars are progressing to March, enjoy what winter is left and make your favorite soup and create a salad that reminds you of someplace in contrast to where you are.

Snacks

I thought I would do snacks today. What I call snacks.  Little morsels of beautifully colored foods you eat between meals.  I tend to eat about 5 times a day.  My three main morning, lunch and dinner with nibbles or snacks between.  Our bodies work ultimately on a variety of food choices.   Maybe if I share some of mine it will get you thinking about yours.

The sweet potato featured here is just the pulp (I cooked it in the microwave) topped with fresh ground turmeric, ginger spread (a product by Ginger People), and the pulp from juicing beets, carrots and cucumber.(bottom left)

The half eaten avocado is topped with the vegetable pulp again and I had a piece of flat bread with it.(top left)

The smoothie is coconut milk, half of a banana, and 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries.(top right)

The applesauce (in the purple dish) is topped with raw sunflower seeds that I ground into a meal.(bottom middle)

The chips and salsa are basic except the salsa is my own I can in the summer from the tomatoes in my garden.(bottom right)

So simple, so good.  We all have different needs when it comes to food choices so if these don't work for you try your own creations. Just have fun and explore.