Strikes my fancy

Toasted Quinoa, Snow Pease, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Salad 1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained 3 cups water 1 cup diagonally cut snow peas ¾ cup (3oz) diced fresh mozzarella cheese ½ cup chopped red onion ½ cup chopped seedless cucumber ¼ cup chopped fresh mint 2 Tbl chopped fresh basil 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tsp grated lemon rind ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ Tbl Dijon mustard ¾ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp hot sauce Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa to pan; cook 5 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add 3 cups water to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes or until tender. Fluff with a fork; cool. Place quinoa in a large bowl. Add peas and next 6 ingredients (through tomatoes). Combine rind and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add juice mixture to quinoa mixture; toss gently to coat.

But I'm picky about it. I don't like chocolate cake, don't really like chocolate ice cream. Trying to like dark chocolate (because it's the "good for you" chocolate). Recently I was reintroduced to truffles. What a great treat! As usual, I was conflicted in making the decision on what flavor, but chocolate raspberry was the winner. Mmmm, I savored that taste and will savor the memory for a long, long time.

I like the spicy lettuce taste of arugala. I've gotten it once from my farm and haven't been able to find it in any stores here :-( Bowtie Pasta with Arugula 1 lb bowtie pasta Lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil 1 red pepper, chopped 2 cups arugula 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese ½ cup pine nuts, toasted ½ cup chopped fresh dill Make pasta. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix everything together and toss

Grant had a picnic in our in-between state on Saturday. So after eating his fill of bagels (?!), he headed to Brooklyn. We enjoyed dinner Saturday evening, church on Sunday morning and then a LONG & HOT walk Sunday afternoon before his return home. Here are some of the highlights: Mr Softee! We tried to go to Teddy Roosevelt's birthplace. The guidebook told us it was open...it wasn't. We had brunch at Pete's Tavern. It's advertised as the "Oldest Surviving Bar in NY" and is where O Henry wrote. During the Prohibition they disguised the place as a flower shop and continued to serve customers!

But it will be worth it! Roasted Veggie Orzo Oven @ 400 1 ½ cups fresh mushrooms, halved 1 medium zucchini, chopped 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped 1 small red onion, cut into wedges 1 cup cut fresh asparagus (1” pieces) 1 tsp each dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, crushed ½ tsp salt 1 ¼ cups uncooked orzo pasta ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese Place vegetables in a 15 x 10 x 1” baking pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with seasonings; toss to coat. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions. Drain; transfer to a serving bowl. Stir in roasted vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese.

And we wonder why everyone is so angry...we make conflict too easy...

In continuing my new found love for quinoa - I have been searching for recipes that weren't: tomato, feta, cucumber, quinoa. This was a nice change. (to the right in the picture is baked kale...it was an experiment, pretty tasty) Greek Inspired Quinoa Salad 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 2 cups water 1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 ½ cups (6oz) crumbled feta cheese 1 cup grape tomatoes ¾ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained ½ cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber ½ cup sliced pepperoncinis ½ cup greek olives, pitted and halved ¾ cup reduced-fat greek or Italian dressing In a small saucepan, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with fork. Let stand for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, spinach, cheese, tomatoes, beans, cucumber, pepperoncinis and olives. Pour ½ cup dressing over quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at le...

I like things like this: