Quinoa Salad with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

Does it Feel like November?? 

Quinoa Salad with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

Meal in a bowl!

Everyday is Thanksgiving!

Love this combination!

Easy to Prepare!

Win -Win

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• Salt
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 (large) Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 (medium) red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 cups (packed; about 6 ounces) spinach leaves 

How to Make It

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the quinoa and toast over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer the quinoa for 16 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa, spread it out on a baking sheet and refrigerate until it is chilled, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until golden and softened. Let cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, sweet potatoes, apples, parsley, onion and greens and toss well. Serve right away.

Blueberry Mint Juleps

This weekend is the Kentucky Derby.  This horse race is known as the 2 most exciting minutes in sports.  To be fair, we are not really into horse racing here, but we do enjoy some southern cooking.

Mint Juleps are the drink of choice for the Derby.  We thought to lighten it up a bit and bring some spring flavors in by making a Blueberry Mint Julep.  So if you are watching the race or just enjoying the spring weather, make a batch of these cocktails.  Cheers!

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 cup blueberries
6 ounces bourbon
crushed ice
Garnish
mint sprigs
fresh blueberries

Directions
Over medium heat, whisk sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves.
Add blueberries. Cook for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for about an hour. - this can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Assembling the drinks
Fill four glasses with crushed ice.
Add 1.5 ounces of bourbon and 2 ounces blueberry syrup to each glass.

Garnish with mint sprigs and fresh blueberries.

Guacamole

Since this week is Cinco de Mayo we are sharing some of our favorite Mexican dishes.  But in all honesty, do we need an excuse to eat Mexican Food :)

What's more classic than guacamole?  And you can use it is a variety of ways.  You don't only have to dip chips in it.  Try your guacamole on a burger or with fish, add some to your salad.  Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids (the good fat) so go ahead and enjoy!


Ingredients:

2 large ripe avocados, mashed
1 small red onion, chopped finely
1 lemon, juiced
dash of tabasco (or more if you like spicy)
salt and pepper to taste

Baked Tuna Steaks

World Tuna Day

Besides being Yom Ha'atzmaut, today May 2nd, is World Tuna Day. 

One of our resolutions this year and every year was to eat healthy food and make a conscious effort to lose weight. How many of you have made this resolution? 

In celebration of World Tuna Day, here is a great dinner (thanks to poppop cooks).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 - 6 ounce Tuna Steaks approximately 1" thick
• 1 fresh lemon
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• 1 teaspoon salt divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 12 large stalks fresh Asparagus
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set the oven at 400°F. Put the steaks in a bowl that is big enough to handle a little tossing and turning. Now zest and squeeze a lemon into the bowl. Then add the salt, pepper, dill weed and olive oil.
2. Gently turn the steaks over a few times to mix up all the ingredients and evenly coat the steaks. When that's done to your satisfaction line a baking pan, that is just big enough to handle your steaks, with aluminum foil. Use enough foil to stick up higher than the sides of the pan to save yourself some cleanup. Put the steaks and all of the other ingredients in the pan. Use a tablespoon to get the top of the steaks covered.
3. Put that pan aside while you get the asparagus ready. Line a pan, that is just big enough to let all the of the stalks lay on the bottom, with aluminum foil. Again, use enough foil so that it sticks up past the sides of the pan. Cut the ugly end of the stalks off and lay them out in the pan. Cut the onion into strips and add it to the asparagus. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and the grated parmesan and roll the stalks around getting them covered with all that good stuff.
4. Put the pans in the oven and check after ten minutes. The narrower the asparagus stalks are the quicker they will cook. The steaks will get cooked medium well in 10-12 minutes. Poke the asparagus with a fork and the steaks with your finger. The softer the asparagus the more done it is. The firmer the tuna the more done it is. 

Pair this dinner with: 

Chateneuf Semi Dry White Bordeaux  

Enjoy!

Shakshuka

Happy 69th Birthday Israel!

As we celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut, we love to cook traditional Israeli foods.  One of our all time favorites is Shakshuka.  In Israel, Shakshuka is synonymous with breakfast, but you can enjoy it anytime of day.  It's a delicious, flavorful dish of poached eggs in tomatoes, peppers, onions and spices.

You'll need a deep skillet for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 4 cups chopped plum tomatoes - about 16-20
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 - 6 eggs
• chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, seasoning and let mixture simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Crack the eggs into the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for approximately 10 - 15 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are no longer translucent.
3. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all the deliciousness!

Falafel Crusted Chicken with Israeli Salad

Falafel Crusted Chicken with Israeli Salad

Happy Israel Independence Day!!!

What a great way to celebrate here in the United States by making dinner that is reminiscent of the great flavors of Israeli food.
 

Falafel Crusted Chicken

• 2 pounds chicken drumettes (shoulder-wing joint)
• About 3/4 cup dried falafel mix

1. Rinse chicken drumettes. Coat the chicken with the falafel mix. Place chicken on a well greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 475° oven for 10 minutes. Turn drumettes over and bake until lightly browned. about 15 minutes longer. Add salt to taste.

Israeli Salad 
6 cucumbers, diced (persian or english)

• 4 plum tomatoes diced
• 5 scallions sliced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• salt and pepper to taste 

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Toss the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and pepper, together in a bowl. 
Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Enjoy!