Quinoa Salad

A recent visit to Costco and looking at their prepared quinoa salad got me thinking about making my own salad. The quinoa salad at Costco is in a large tub, has too much dressing and is a large amount that has to be consumed within two to three days. Lastly, the DH is not a fan of Costco’s quinoa salad.

I decided to make a salad that would provide four servings, include crunchy vegetables and be adaptability by interchanging vegetables that you had available in the fridge or garden. An option to add to the salad is feta cheese. I didn’t add any to the recipe but since we have leftovers, I will add some to the plate tomorrow when I have some of the leftovers for lunch.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup dry quinoa

3 celery stalks, chopped

4 radishes, chopped

1/2 medium size apple, chopped

1/2 fennel bulb, chopped

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice or lemon balsamic white vinegar 

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Adding the vegetables to the quinoa.

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. Let cool. You can make the quinoa ahead of time and store in the fridge. 

2. Using a large bowl, add the quinoa and the chopped vegetables. Combine well.

3. Add salt and pepper and combine well.

4. Add the vinegar or lemon juice and oil. Mix well.

5. Adjust seasonings if required. I used lemon balsamic white vinegar and added an additional tablespoon of lemon juice as I wanted a bit more of lemon flavour.

ORANGE BRAN MUFFINS

Years ago I first tried this recipe given to me by my sister-in-law. I even posted it back in 2010. She made some changes and I made the updated version today. The idea about making these muffins today started with having a box of naval oranges in the fridge. They are a high fibre muffin and you can make modifications. The recipe calls for bran muffin which I didn’t have in the cupboards so I used oat bran instead. I used a mixture of cranberries and chopped dates for the dried fruit. You need to use a blender to pulverize the orange and mix the orange with some of the other ingredients before you add the wet batter to the dry ingredients. I didn’t have buttermilk and instead used milk and added half a tablespoon of vinegar to sour the milk. I let the milk and vinegar sit for about 10 minutes. This recipe makes 2 dozen muffins. I halved it and made 14 muffins. It is a great muffin to have for breakfast or for a snack.

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the over to 375 degrees F.

1. Mix together in a large bowl:

1 cup flour

1.5 cups wheat bran

1/2 cup hemp hearts

1 cup ground flax

1 tbsp baking powder

1.5 cups cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates

2. Into a blender add the following and blend until the orange is pulverized.

2 oranges, cut up with skin on, seeds removed

1/2 cup oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

3. Pour the wet batter from the blender into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Combine without over mixing the batter.  

4. Either spray muffin tins or use muffin tin liners and fill each muffin well to about three quarters or more full.  Bake for about 18 minutes to 20 minutes.  

5. Makes 2 dozen muffins. 

SALMON NOODLE CASSEROLE

 

I have always liked a noodle casserole dish; it is comfort food. Cooking a dish that includes protein, vegetables and noodles makes a good supper when served with a starter or side salad. I wanted to make a dish that is not high in carbohydrates or calories. Specially I was looking for a dish that would count as two carbohydrate servings based on serving size. Both the DH and I are watching our intake of carbohydrates. I find that 85 grams of uncooked pasta generally provides four servings of carbohydrates and if cooking for two, the split works out well. 

I have made this dish either using salmon or tuna and both work in this recipe. I use a few different kinds of vegetables and you can add or vary what you add. For example, you could add some green peas or shredded carrots or sliced mushrooms. Instead of adding a shell style pasta, I will sometimes break the spaghetti in threes when adding to the boiled water. Breaking the spaghetti into smaller pieces makes it easier to combine with the other ingredients. I do add Parmesan cheese and Panko crumbs to the top of the casserole before baking as it provides a nice crispy crunch. I still use some favourite Corel baking dishes that have lasted for quite a number of years. 

You can see how it browns on top and makes a nice crispy finish. 

SERVES 2 to 3 depending on appetite. 

INGREDIENTS:

85 grams uncooked pasta, eg shells or spaghetti

1 tbsp oil for sautéing  

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of Paprika

Canned salmon or tuna, 213 gram can/7.5 oz, drained

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or other favorite cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Panko crumbs (optional)

Medium size casserole or baking pan

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease/oil a medium size casserole dish or baking pan. Set the dish aside.

Heat a pot of water to boil and add the pasta. If using spaghetti, I like to break the spaghetti into small pieces when adding to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the pasta until a la dente. 

While the pasta is cooking the vegetables can be sautéed. Add the oil to a non-stick frying pan and heat the pan to medium high. Add the onions, celery and pepper and reduce heat to medium. Sauté for five minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, reduce the heat to low. Add the spinach and combine.  

Mix the flour, milk, salt, pepper and paprika in a small bowl. Add to the frying pan and combine. If the sauce is too thick add some water from the pot cooking the pasta. Add the canned salmon or tuna to the frying pan. Combine with the sauce and vegetables. Drain the water from the pasta. Add the pasta and the grated cheddar cheese to the frying pan. Combine well. 

Pour the salmon vegetable pasta mixture into the casserole dish. Smooth the contents across the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese across the top of the casserole and sprinkle some Panko crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the casserole bubbles and the top gets crispy. Serves 2 to 3 people. 

CRUSTLESS QUICHE

 

After seeing the crustless quiches my sister-in-law makes for weekend brunches, I was enticed to make them for a supper meal. There are a variety of vegetables you can use for quiches, it depends on what you have in the fridge and your taste preferences. The quiche can be baked several ways including a muffin tin, a casserole dish or using a mini loaf pan. My sister-in-law uses silicon mini loaf pans but I didn’t have those so I used a silicon muffin tin that has deep wells. It worked well. I found one quiche served along with other cooked vegetables filling; the DH ate two quiches. Leftovers can be eating over the next few days and they store well in the fridge. They can also be wrapped and individually frozen for those times you need a make a quick meal and want something healthy.

Prep and cooking time: one hour

Makes 6 quiches 

Ingredients:

5 eggs

1 medium potato, cooked and chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped

1/2 coloured pepper, chopped

1 to 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

6 slices of cheese; eg cheddar, mozzarella 

3 large cherry tomatoes, halved 

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the potato in the microwave until soft. I find five minutes is enough cooking time in the microwave. Let cool. Once it cools, the potato can be chopped.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease/oil a muffin baking tin. I used a silicon muffin tin and didn’t oil it beforehand. I also used a deep welled muffin tin.

Crack the eggs into a medium size bowl and gently beat them. Set aside.

Heat a non stick frying pan to medium high on the stove. I added a bit of oil to the pan. Add onion, mushrooms, broccoli and coloured pepper to the pan. Sauté on medium high for about a minute and reduce the heat to medium low. Sauté for another four minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Add the potato and spinach and cook until the spinach softens. Turn the stove off and remove the pan from the burner.

Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl with the eggs. Combine well. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin wells. Place a cheese slice over the mixture and then top each one with half a cherry tomato.  If you want it cheesy, add more cheese to each muffin well. 

Bake for 25 minutes until the quiche is cooked. Cooking time will vary based on your oven and whether you use regular heat or convection heat. I used convection heat and 25 minutes for baking worked well. Makes 6 size quiches. 

DRY BRINE FOR TURKEY

After roasting a fair number of turkeys, mostly for various holiday occasions, I decided to try a dry brine after reading some reviews and talking with friends. I have friends that make a wet brine in preparing a turkey for cooking and like the results. But in thinking about the prep and storing a large turkey while soaking in brine, I thought a dry brine would be easier to maneuver and keeping cool in the fridge. I have a second fridge which makes this much easier to do as most recipes call for the turkey to be covered in the dry brine for up to three days. Once the brining period is finished and ready to be roasted you don't wash the turkey or wipe away any of the brine on the turkey.  

You can dry brine chicken or turkey. As I was cooking a turkey, my interest for the quantity of ingredients was focussed on that. I researched a number of recipes and based the ingredients and directions using a combination of these three listed recipes (provided below). I wanted to include lemon juice and zest and olive oil in the ingredients. The turkey I cooked was 12.4 pounds. I used Diamond Crystal kosher salt. As the directions indicate, you need to add a bit more if you are using the Diamond brand versus Morton's. For brining, you have to use kosher salt and not other kinds of salt. For the fresh herbs, I bought a poultry blend package of fresh herbs and used the herbs provided in the blend which included rosemary, sage and thyme. I had some fresh herbs left after using most of the package for the brine and saved these to add to the turkey when it was to bake. 

As the dry brine occurs over a period of three days (you can shorten it to two if needed) before roasting the turkey, you need to calculate your timing to defrost a turkey if using a frozen turkey, three days to brine and then cooking the turkey. To give you an example of timing, I started to fridge defrost the turkey on Sunday, started to brine the turkey on Wednesday and roasted it on Saturday. If you like stuffing to go with turkey, it is best to make the stuffing and bake it separately. Once the turkey was ready to roast, I added a cut up onion, lemon and fresh herbs to the cavity.

In making this recipe there were several things that made me pause and think in reading how to do it. I was going to brine the turkey uncovered in the fridge for three days and roast it in the oven uncovered for about 4 hours. I have been so used to covering things. There are a number of rules of thumbs for length of roasting time needed per pound of brined turkey. Brined turkey cooks faster so I decided to use the calculation of 12 to 15 minutes per pound. For the 12.4 pound turkey I was cooking, I aimed for four hours followed by a 30 minute rest before carving.

This dry brined turkey was likely the best turkey I have made. It was flavourful from all of the herbs, moist and not dry and the skin was perfect.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_dry_brine_and_roast_a_turkey/

https://www.askchefdennis.com/dry-brine-roast-turkey/

https://cjkatz.com/blogs/recipes/dry-brined-turkey

INGREDIENTS:

12 to 16 pound turkey

3 cloves garlic minced

1.5 tbsp minced fresh parsley

1.5 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1.5 tbsp fresh thyme

6 sage leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp ground pepper

3 tbsp Morton's kosher salt (add an extra 1.5 tsp if using Diamond Crystal kosher salt)

1.5 tbsp sugar

zest from 1 to 2 lemons

3.5 tbsp lemon juice

3.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Defrost a frozen turkey or use a fresh 12 to 16 pound turkey. Remove the packaging and the pop up thermometer if it has one. Remove any giblets or neck from the cavity if your turkey came with it. Use it for the gravy or other recipes. Pat dry the turkey (outside and inside) with paper towels and place on top of a rack in a baking sheet or a large pan. It needs to fit into your fridge. The breast side of the turkey should be facing up.

2. Using your hands, separate the skin from the breast and legs without tearing the skin. You need to loosen the skin as you will be putting the dry brine ingredients between the skin and the meat.

 

3. In a medium size bowl, mix the garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, sugar, lemon zest and juice and olive oil. 

4. Spread half the brine mixture under the skin around the breasts and legs and massage it in. The remaining half can be spit between spreading it inside the cavity and around the outside skin of the bird. 

5. Place in the fridge uncovered. About 24 hours into the brine process flip the turkey over so it is breast side down. Then in another 24 hours, flip it back to breast side up. 

6. On day three of the brine, take the turkey out of the fridge about an hour before you want to put it in the oven. Heat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Remove the turkey from the pan you used for the brine process and place the turkey onto a rack in a roasting pan. You can use the same pan that you used to brine the turkey but it needs to be a deeper pan than a cookie sheet. If you use the same pan, clean it off and remove any excess liquid from the brine process. 

 

7. Place a quartered onion, lemon and extra herbs into the cavity of the bird. Tie the legs together using butcher twine. Tuck the wings as best you can under the bird. I added a bit of olive oil to my hands and rubbed it over the skin before putting the turkey in the oven. 

8. Place the uncovered roasting pan with the turkey on the lowest rack in your oven. Bake at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.  I decided after two hours to reduce the heat to 300 degrees F as I was worried it might cook faster than what I had calculated to have it ready for supper. Some cooks like to baste juices over the turkey while it bakes. I found that there wasn't much fat or juice on the bottom of the roasting pan and just skipped it.

9. Check the temperature of the thigh and breast using a meat thermometer and aim for 160 degrees F.  My meat was at 180 degrees F when I took it out after four hours in the oven and it was fine. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and cover with the roast lid or tin foil. Let it rest for about 30 minutes before carving. 

BISON MEAT LOAF

One meal I like to make is a meat loaf. I have tended to use bison meat as it is leaner than ground beef and I also like the taste of bison. I add some vegetables to the meat loaf and what is added is sometimes dependant on what is in the fridge. Carrots, celery and onion are always handy; mushrooms and even spinach will be added if available. I prefer to add cooked chopped spinach versus raw spinach as cooked spinach is easier to mix into raw ground meat. You just need to make sure that you got most of the water out of the cooked spinach. 

In making this loaf I decided to bake it on a rack versus using a loaf pan. Baking it on a rack makes the sides of the cooked meat loaf crispy and really adds to the taste. I think this is my new favourite of cooking meat loaf. I used a rack rather than putting it directly onto parchment paper as I was unsure if there was going to be much juice. With lean ground bison, there wasn't more than a tablespoon of juice. If I used ground beef, there would have been more juice. With the shape of the rack, I ended up making two large halves and a mini size loaf. The rack is place on top of a baking sheet so that juices don't drip down onto the bottom base of your oven.

 

INGREDIENTS: 

500 grams or 1 lb ground raw bison

 

3 large handfuls of spinach  

1 tbsp oil

1 medium carrot, peeled, finely chopped

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1 celery, finely chopped

3 mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp herbes de provence

a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs 

DIRECTIONS:

 

1. Steam the spinach until it cooks down and drain it in a colander. Squeeze the excess moisture out using the back of a spoon or by using your hands. Chop the cooked spinach and set aside. 

2. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

 

3. Add the oil to a frying pan, heat on the stove top to medium high. Add the carrot, onion, celery, mushroom and garlic powder. Reduce the heat to medium and saute until the vegetables are lightly browned and starting to soften. Turn the heat off and set the pan with the vegetables aside.

4. Place the bison in a medium size mixing bowl and mash down the meat from the cube shape it was in when bought. Add the cooked chopped spinach to the meat and combine well. Add the vegetables, herbs and spices and the panko crumbs. Combine well. You want the vegetables dispersed through the meat. 

5. Put the meat loaf mixture into a loaf pan 

OR 

 

 

using your hands, shape the meat loaf mixture into two or three mini loaves and place on a cooking rack nestled onto a cookie sheet. The other option is to shape one big loaf and place directly onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 45 minutes to 50 minutes. 

7. Serves up to four depending on appetites.

CREAMY CUCUMBERS

A friend of mine was raving about these creamy cucumbers she made and shared this recipe with me. She had gotten it from another friend. It is a recipe that some would recognize being made by their mothers or grandmothers and handed down through the generations. The cucumbers will have a tangy and sweet taste and it is a great way to preserve and eat cucumbers especially if you are getting many from the garden. You can store the creamy cucumbers in the fridge for up to six to eight weeks. 

I made half the recipe and used six large size cucumbers and half a large size white onion. I used five jars (500 ml each) which are easier for storage in the fridge and serving.   

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups mayonnaise or miracle whip

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

2 tbsp pickling salt

1 tsp pepper

12 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced

2 onions, peeled, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Using a large bowl, mix together the mayo, sugar, vinegar, pickling salt and pepper.  Add the cucumbers and onions. Combine well. 

To make storage and serving easier, place cucumber mixture into jars with lids and store in the fridge up to six to eight weeks.

ORZO APPLE CELERY SALAD

 

With the hot summer temperatures, I like to have cold salads on hand that incorporate pasta, rice or a grain like farro. I like using orzo in salads since it is small in size and mixes well with other vegetables. Using a bulky size pasta changes the texture and bite size of the salad. With mint growing in the garden, this was an excuse to make and blog another orzo dish. We all enjoyed this salad as part of supper. The mint makes it refreshing.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2 green onions, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 apple, cored and chopped
3 radishes, chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled or small pieces
6 - 8 mint fresh mint leaves, cut into ribbons
1/4 cup or less fresh parsley, chopped

DRESSING:

4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice (use fresh lemon juice if you have lemons on hand)
1 tsp maple or agave syrup
lemon zest from 1/2 medium size lemon
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the orzo according to directions on the package. Best to not overcook the pasta. Drain once it is cooked, rinse with cold water, drain and let cool in a colander. You can cook the orzo ahead of time based on your schedule and assemble the salad closer to the time of having it as part of your meal. When I make pasta ahead of time, I add a little bit of olive oil to the pasta in a bowl or serving dish so that it doesn't clump together.

While the orzo is cooling assemble the rest of the salad ingredients and add everything to a large mixing bowl including the orzo. Combine well. Prepare the dressing separately and add the dressing to the salad before serving. Serves 4.

 

ARUGULA AND FENNEL SALAD

Ready to eat.

The combinations of greens, fennel, orange and mint make a wonderful refreshing salad for hot summer days. I have posted several variations of fennel salad in previous blog postings and this one adds to the collection. If you don't have arugula greens, any chopped kind of lettuce or greens will be fine and you could even just eat the fennel salad and skip the greens. Peaches or nectarines are also good options to replace oranges. I like to make this salad as an alternative to lettuce and vegetable salads. Most evening meals include a salad and having choices helps. 

Chopped arugula in a dinner bowl.

 

Fennel salad ready to be placed onto a serving of arugula greens.

INGREDIENTS:

1 small fennel bulb, cut into thin strips

1 orange, chopped into small pieces or 1 small drained can of mandarin oranges

2 green onions, chopped

2 to 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 to 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint

grated orange peel from ½ an orange

Several handfuls of arugula greens, chopped or whole

Dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp maple syrup or liquid honey 

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Trim the fennel bulb of stalks and wash it. Take off the outer layer if it doesn’t look fresh. Slice the bulb into chunks and use a food processor or a sharp knife to make thin slices. Add the fennel slices to a medium size bowl. Add the rest of the vegetables except for the arugula. 

Mix the dressing in a small container or jar. Add the dressing to the mixing bowl with the fennel and combine. Place one to two handfuls of arugula greens into a dinner bowl or plate. Add a portion of the fennel salad on top of the arugula greens. Serves 2 to 4 depending on how salad you want.

SOURDOUGH PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

 

While recently talking to another cookie baker who is a wonderful cook and also my sister-in-law, she mentioned what her favourite cookie is. It is a peanut butter cookie with oats and coconut. I was tempted to make her recipe but decided instead to deviate and make a peanut butter cookie with sourdough discard starter. I added oats and coconut instead of chocolate chips. The chocolate chips were tempting to add but having a kitchen helper who has four legs and likes to sample, chocolate is out of the equation. 

For the ingredients, you can add up to a cup of sourdough starter. I had only 3/4 cup available and just used that. I didn't add the full cup of sugar. I used about 3/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of stevia. The cookies are not too soft but are not crispy. The sourdough starter makes them more softer than a traditional peanut butter cookie. We all enjoyed sampling these cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

 

3/4 cup sourdough starter 

1 cup peanut butter 

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown or coconut sugar 

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

 

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

 

1 to 2 cups chocolate chips  OR

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shred coconut

DIRECTIONS:

 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

In a medium size mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the sourdough starter, peanut butter, butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and mix well.  

Add the dry ingredients to the sourdough mixture. Mix well. Add the chocolate chips or the rolled oats and the coconut. If the dough is not stiff enough add a bit more flour or rolled oats. 

Using a small cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, place each ball of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press gently down on each ball with a fork. The cookies will not spread but will puff up a bit. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.  Makes up to 54 cookies.