Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is exotic.  Quinoa is not widely known, but it is gaining popularity.  Quinoa looks a little strange.  Quinoa is hard to read phonetically (pronounced Keen-Wah).  But, all that being said, Quinoa is delicious, it is supremely versatile, and this side dish is the perfect way to try it.

First off, what is Quinoa?  It is oft referred to as a high protein grain.  Which is a good description, though it is inaccurate.  While quinoa resembles a grain it is actually a seed (most closely related to beets and spinach, but from a different part of the plant than either of those).  Originally from the Andes it is a staple of South American, particularly Peruvian cuisine.  It is considered a "Super Food" because it can be applied like a grain (this recipe is great warm as a pilaf style side dish, or cold as a salad), but since it is a nut it is really high in protein and essential amino acids.  It reminds me most of a couscous size brown rice, which means you can do all sorts of things with it.

There are basically 3 steps:

1. Cook the quinoa
2. Select and prepare any "Add Ins" you desire
3. Mix the add ins to the quinoa

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Roasted Tomatoes & Grilled Asparagus

Today you get a 2-for-1 (no not that Toofer).  These are both exceedingly easy and quite delicious side dishes that can go with nearly any meal.  Along with being simple to prepare they both have the ability to make an everyday dinner feel like something quite special.  Plus, as an added bonus they are both easy on the waist line.  Try either or both of these to really turn dinner up to 11. First off, roasted tomatoes...

Roasted Tomatoes are a great low calorie side dish that can give you just enough of a hint of that rich herbaceous flavor to fight off those nearly omnipresent pizza cravings.  This works for tomatoes of almost any size, but a medium 2-3 inch tomato will probably work best.  You are going to cut them in half so remember you will get 2 servings from each tomato (this recipe makes 6 servings).  My favorite cheese to use is fresh mozzarella (or bocconcini), but try pepper jack for a Mexican flair, cheddar for a more home cooked feel, or blue cheese as a side for a good steak. 

3 tomatoes
9 one inch fresh mozzarella balls
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and pepper

1. Slice tomatoes crosswise, place each half into a cup of a muffin pan (flat side up).  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.
2. Put on center rack of a preheated oven at 375 degrees.  Roast for 20 minutes, remove from oven.
3. Cut mozzarella in to halves.  Place 3 halves on to each tomato (flat side down).  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle more seasoning and S&P of desired.
4. Put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
5. Remove from oven, serve warm or after cooling at room temperature.

There is a fine line between undercooked and mushy, so you will want to keep that in mind.  They are at their best when they are still sturdy enough to stand on their own, but have had enough time to soften a bit.  If you can get a fork in and out without much effort, they should be good.

Next, Grilled Asparagus...

This too is a wonderful low calorie side dish.  It is widely known that asparagus is the king of vegetables, and also that it is the supreme vegetable, this simple preparation shows off why.  And really it is up to you how you want it seasoned, but I recommend a little kosher salt, olive oil and lemon zest.  I use a grill pan on my stove top, but you can do this in an actual bbq grill (careful not to let them slip through the grate, go perpendicular not parallel, or better yet, put a cookie sheet under them), or even on a frying pan on the stove. 

Cooking isn't the hard part, getting the prep work done takes the most time.  There is a woody end at the base of each stalk.  Lucky for us, mother nature created weak point just above it, and it will snap right off by grabbing the stalk half way up and at the base and bending.  Snap!  Discard the woody end...  You're done.  Asparagus is ready to cook.  There can be some discrepancy in thickness, varying from twine thin to dime wide.  This can have an effect on cooking time, but either way it shouldn't take long.

Asparagus
Olive Oil
S&P
Lemon Zest (optional)

1. Snap off woody end of asparagus
2. Place asparagus on grill pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with S&P
3. Grill till fork tender
4. Take off heat, grate on a little lemon zest, serve warm

And that's it.  Enjoy. 

You can use these two recipes separate or in concert.  They will definitely turn any plate into a proper meal.  Let me know how it goes, and if you have any twists that you like to employ...

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