Quinoa Greek Salad

This salad is so refreshing and easy you can not go wrong. I was never a grain girl but in the last few years all this good stuff started to taste good.

It really is all about your adding the spices and flavor's you like. This is a great salad for a party to trick people into tasting it! Halla!

Ingredients


1  cup of quinoa, rinsed
1 tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
dash lemon zest
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup Raw (not cooked) spinach
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olive
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar




Directions:

Cook the quinoa. This is easy but important to know most recipes call out for too much liquid making the quinoa to mushy. Here is a great tip from Once Upon a Chef  "The ideal ratio is 1 cup of quinoa to 1-2/3 cups of liquid" Follow the direction's using this ratio of liquid to quinoa. Remove from heat. Cover and leave on the stove for about 5-10 more minutes more.



     Yes I could have used a smaller pot.

Ok - Ok I know it is a stock pot!!

Shhhhhhh
 




While quinoa is setting, combine the chopped spinach, tomatoes, parsley and lemon zest together in a separate bowl.

Drain any remaining liquid from the quinoa and then place the spinach mixture over it and cover until spinach slightly wilts-about 5 minutes.

 In a small bowl combine extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and toss with the quinoa salad mixture. Top with Kalamata Olives and enjoy. I add more lemon cause I'm a lemon head. Enjoy this on a warm summer day it is so refreshing. Hum white wine sound good with this.

Cucumber-Shrimp Salad

Shrimp and Cucumber Salad this is so cool and delicious. Crunchy Cucumber's and fresh Shrimp. You could add a twist to this recipe by grilling fresh shrimp. Which I did.


It is such a pleasure to have the cooler weather here it makes me long for cold salad. Here is another Vintage recipe from my book collection.
Betty Crocker's Dinner Parties ... 1972. Ok Vintage to some of you.

 Ingredients

2 medium cucumbers
1 cup cleaned cooked shrimp
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted

* Tweaked stuff at the end of original recipe


 Pare cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place in a bowl. Add shrimp. Mix vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and salt. Pour over the shrimp and cucumber slices: Toss. Cover and refrigerate



Just before serving add sesame seeds and toss. Use a slotted spoon to drain salad and add to plates.


*** Here is my twist on this classic. I took my uncooked shrimp, cleaned them and pan fried the4m. I only cooked them for a minute just cooked. You never want to over cook shrimp they get so chewy.

Just follow the recipe but after you cook the shrimp add about half the dressing put them into the refrigerator to cool. Prior to adding them to your already made salad. Once cooled add them to the salad and pour the remaining dressing over the salad.




                                                Sprinkle with some fresh dill and enjoy!

Sweet and Tangy Cabbage Slaw

Well my friends I went out into my garden getting ready to pick my cauliflower and so I do. I head over to the compost pile to remove all the leaves and clean it up prior to getting it on to the kitchen counter.

So off comes a few layers of leaves and more and more and then it dawns on me this is cabbage dumb dumb. This let's you know that I am not the sharpest blade in the garden.





I was laughing so hard I forgot what the hell I was doing. So off to the kitchen I waddled. Thinking how beautiful my cauliflower cabbage is. I am going to make a zesty little slaw. I prefer my slaw with no creamy dressing. Personal preference. Note to self label garden !

This recipe will serve about 12 people. Had I known how great it was I would have made more. It was gone in a flash. It is nice to roast your peanuts prior to adding them. Just put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or aluminum and put in an oven set at 350 degrees cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them every oven is different.I would do this prior to any other stuff.

 Let us start with the Dressing:

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 cup of white sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red peppers

In a small saucepan on the stove top over medium heat combine all the ingredients Except the olive oil. Stir and keep on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the olive oil. Let the mixture cool down. I pop it into the refrigerator for a few minutes.


While that is getting a bit of a chill let's create the Slaw:



1 head of red cabbage - chopped
1 head of green cabbage - chopped
4 to 6 scallion onions sliced
6 to 8 sliced cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup of raw peanuts - roasted
(I used pine nuts)









Combine the chopped ingredients pour the dressing over your slaw and stir. I let mine sit overnight. It gathers all the taste. It is nice if you can let it sit for at least one hour or so.







How delicious does this one look!