I made a post out of what I had on hand! Congratulations, self! I have wandered from my grocery budget lately. I can pinch pennies on most things, but get me to a market and I feel like I am spending monopoly money. The same girl who holds on to gift cards that have under a fifty cent value... yeah. Lately, I've been coming home with pretty bottles of red wine from Trader Joes and the things is, I prefer white wines, I don't even like red wine! They're inexpensive bottles, but that's beside the point. So, of course I cried out of guilt, punished myself by drinking the red wine I don't even like (this is a confusing punishment, I'm aware), and am pretty sure I snapped out of the grocery addiction.
I tend to become a bit unmotivated when the weather warms up, and I'm certainly not turning on our ancient oven which heats up the entire upstairs. I have loads of green beans from my CSA basket, and admit they're not really a vegetable I would purchase otherwise. The green bean isn't known for being the most versatile ingredient - sort of akwardly lanky and reminiscent of your grandma's, creamy holiday casserole. But as a hater of waste and in my renewed frugalness, I dressed them up enough to be a dish I would bring to a backyard dinner party, or something I would take a bite of while passing the fridge for a snack.
The green beans stay crisp from a quick blanch, and the quinoa adds a bit of protein to fill you up. If you like your salads to be a little easier to eat, simply chop up those lanky beans to bite size pieces. Ignore the oven, have a tasty salad and it's the weekend again, party people.
GREEN BEAN + BLACK QUINOA SALAD // Serves 4-6
I made my dressing with a lemon infused olive oil because I had some and I am obsessed with it, but it is not necessary. Use that if you have it, and if you'd like a bit of citrus, add a bit of fresh lemon zest when tossing everything together.
// Dressing //
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic or champagne vinegar
2 tsp. agave nectar or honey
2 cloves garlic, grated
Handful of basil leaves
1 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup quinoa (black or red is pretty, but any color works)
1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed
4 scallions/green onions
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed, roughly chopped
In a blender or food processor, whirl all of the dressing ingredients together. Taste for salt and pepper and set aside in the fridge.
Bring 1 cup water to a boil and add the quinoa, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and leave the cover ajar to cool.
Blanch or steam the green beans until just barely tender. Drain well. Give them a rough chop. Add green beans to the cooled quinoa. Thinly slice the scallions and add them, and half of the chopped hazelnuts to the bowl and toss with desired amount of the dressing. Finish the salad with a few grinds of fresh black pepper and the rest of the hazelnuts. We could add some shaved parm here. Serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge. The leftovers hold up great.
Adele's newest album. If I wasn't pursuing a career in food, I would try out to be her back up singer. I'm already practicing in the car as it's always smart to have a plan B.
Perusing recipe ideas on Pinterest (Introduction to this organizational wonderland from my sister in law whose offspring can also fall on this list).
Positive, encouraging emails from you party people. I appreciate letters/emails so so much.
Dried beans from Rancho Gordo. Most specifically the Runner Cannellini Beans. Big, creamy, pillowy white beans. Never thought I would be so particular that I would be mail ordering beans, but, here I am.
The last Meyer lemons from my parents tree. Homemade Apricot Jam. Puffins Cereal. Lessons learned. Love.
Because I want to offer more meal ideas, I will point you over to Lovely Morning for these fabulous looking veggie burgers. That tasty recipe and some of these baked fries and you've got yourself a filling and tasty dinner!
Because I know you are thinking what I thought, "will this work with yams/sweet potatoes?". I tried it. They have a higher water content than a russet, so they don't quite crisp up like russet. I still ate them, of course, but comparatively, they need a few minutes longer in the oven and were still a tad soggy in texture. Tasty? Yes. Crispy pomme frite? No.
1 Russet Potato (about 10 oz.)
1 Tbsp. Melted Coconut Oil or Ghee
Heaping 1/2 tsp. Curry Powder
Few generous pinches of Salt
Cucumber Dip
1/3 Cup Seeded and Finely Diced Cucumber
1 Tbsp. Chopped Mint
1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley
1/2 Cup Whole or Lowfat Greek Yogurt
Salt + Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 415'
1. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the potato into 1/8'' slices, lengthwise. Pat them dry with a dishtowel or paper towel. Layer up like-size pieces, and cut them into small matchsticks, more narrow than a ballpoint pen.
2. Toss the matchsticks gently with the curry mix. Matchsticks should be coated, but not soggy. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and put lay as many as you can in a single layer, this will have to be done in shifts. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Bake them on the middle rack for 10-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Watch them closely, you want them to have some brown spots, but not turn to charcoal. Mine were super thin, so they got a bit charred.
3. While they bake, mix the diced cucumber, both herbs, yogurt and a pinch of salt and pepper together and set aside.
4. Eat them hot from the oven with the yogurt dip. You can use the same parchment for the second round, or prepare a second baking tray and put it in as soon as the first batch is done. Repeat process of spreading them out in a single layer with a few pinches of salt on top.
Fresh produce makes me giddy. I worked at the organic farm on campus while in college up in San Luis Obispo, and I mark that as the time that I both taught myself to cook, and started to give a second thought to what I was putting in my body. Our wage came in the form of a CSA basket, and every week there was some new type of sprout or a unique type of mushroom. It's fascinating to me - the variety, nutrition and flavors of produce. That fascination can bring a fury of emotions when I read articles on food politics or watch things like Food Inc. or Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution. You matter. What you eat matters. Believe it.
The combination here is a result of last weekends farmers market visit. I use the lemon thyme from my herb garden all the time, but this lemon basil we came across was the most fragrant thing I've ever smelled - only soft notes of traditional basil, more of a lemongrass scent. Hugh keeps commenting on the amazing smell, and he usually saves those compliments for bacon, caramelized onions or double chocolate chip banana bread.
I also happen to be collecting rainier cherries, grabbing them at every trip to the market, as their season is short. I put these two great finds together in a wheat berry salad with a bit of gorgonzola, but this cocktail is the stunning outcome I wanted to share with you. So pretty! I love pretty drinks. Especially pretty drinks that aren't super sweet, full of simple syrup and soda (anyone? memories of their 21st birthday? maybe something with a marschino cherry? or for my sister, 'dirty bananas,' family vacation in Jamaica circa 2008?). All to say, this is just clean and light and springy and I hope you find a reason to treat yourself to a pretty cocktail. Cheers.
RAINIER CHERRY MUDDLER // Makes 1 Cocktail
Cherries have been on the dirty dozen list, as they are challenging to grow without pesticides. Purchase organic if you can, or be sure to clean them well.
The end result here has some fibrous pieces and bits of turbinado in the glass, it adds character. You could pour it through a mesh strainer if that bothers you.
8 Rainier Cherries
Few Leaves of Lemon Basil
2 tsp. Turbinado Sugar*
2 oz. Vodka
Crushed Ice
Sparkling Water
1. Pit and halve the cherries. Put the cherries, lemon basil and turbinado in a glass (or pitcher if making more than one), and muddle it with a muddling tool, or the bottom of a wooden spoon. Get aggressive, you need to get as much juice out of the cherries as possible.
2. Fill a glass with 3/4 full with crushed ice. Add the vodka and muddled cherry mix and fill the rest of the glass with sparkling water.
* I find that rainier cherries aren't quite as sweet as bing cherries, making this drink quite light. If you like a little more tart or sweet flavor, add a splash of cherry juice to the glass.
