Summer Salad Duo

Depending on where you live, it's either too hot to turn on your oven, or your oven won't turn on. If you live in this house, your oven won't turn on. But it looks so nice! Something electrical is wrong.  (Note: these are #fancyovenproblems) 

But for many of you, it's one point nine bajillion degrees outside and you're probably not  interested in turning on your modest functioning oven. This is where I come in.


Here are two summery salads that cover all your nutritional bases. Protein, whole grain, fiber, fruit (if you're counting tomatoes), veggies, and healthy plant fat! I might have eaten this meal with crusty bread and goat cheese. I have an addiction! Not my fault!


Cucumber Tomato and Red Onion Salad


1 large cucumber
1 medium red onion
2 large tomatoes
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
S&P to taste

Peel cucumber. Slice in half lengthwise, then scoop out any extra seeds. (If you use a hot house cucumber - the kind that comes wrapped in plastic - then you can just slice in half and skip the seeding).
Slice in half moons.

Cut tomatoes in 1/8ths.

Slice onion into bite size pieces. Nobody like giant onion chunks. Or do they?

Add all produce in a bowl. Add garlic pow, basil, S&P.

Drizzle with EVOO and red wine vin. Toss and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Ten minutes is all you need to get a slight pickle going on in there. Perfect!




Shrimp, Corn, and Avocado Quinoa Salad 


2 dozen cooked shrimp (like from leftover Cajun Boil)
1/2 c. yellow corn kernels
1 large avocado
2 c. cooked quinoa
juice of 2 limes
salt to taste

Peel shrimp and cut into bite size pieces (2's or 3's)

Cut corn off of cob

In a large bowl, combine corn and shrimp with quinoa

Dice the avocado and fold into quinoa mixture

Dress with lime juice and salt and toss well to coat

This quinoa salad is even better the next day! The lime juice keeps the avo from browning. You could go veg by substituting baked tofu for the shrimp.

Stay cool! (and never change! middle school yearbooks? anyone?)

Say Cheese

My mom has been begging me for mac and cheese for weeks now. She pauses in front of the blue box and sighs at the grocery store... But we can do better than that, right?

I agree, the blue box and it's equivalents (i.e. Annie's brand) are delicious and really nothing can substitute for that weird yellow cheese sauce. But there's no way you eat two servings of that business and feel good about yourself.

This recipe idea has been floating around on pinterest for weeks and Kristin of Iowa Girl Eats "covered" it, for lack of a better term, a few months ago. The original recipe comes from Monica Nelson.  I modified the recipe for maximum flavorful-ness. But I'm not going to call it mac and cheese, cause that's a little misleading...

Cheesy Quinoa Bake
8 hearty servings


2 tsp EVOO
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium leek, trimmed, sliced in half, then sliced into half moons
1 1/2 c. quinoa
3 c. chicken stock
1/2 tsp. seasoning blend (I use TJ's Everyday Seasoning)
1/4 tsp. seasoning salt
1 1/2 c. 1% milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. shredded light sharp cheddar
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar mozzarella blend
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a pot, heat EVOO. 

Add garlic, shallot, and leek.

Saute for 4 minutes, or until softened.

Add in quinoa.



Stir constantly for 3 minutes, or until quinoa is starting to toast and is well coated.

Add chicken stock, seasoning salt, and seasoning.

 Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover for 17 minutes. Once liquid is all absorbed, remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes uncovered.




Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk.

Add in cayenne, chili flakes, white pepper, and onion powder.

Stir in quinoa and shredded cheese, reserving 1/3 c. of each cheese for the topping. I found a light celtic cheddar at TJ's - amazing!

Spray a 9x13 casserole with cooking spray. Pour in quinoa mixture, and then top with panko breadcrumbs and remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes uncovered. You can broil for an addition 2 minutes if you want an extra crispy topping, but the oven does a great job as is.

Serve with hot sauce!

Definitely ate this with an egg on top for breakfast today. Stop judging me.

Playing Favorites

When I'm not pulling recipes and trying new foods, I have a relatively short list of go-to, memorized, no-recipe-necessary meals. Some of them require the microwave (not proud).

And while I'd like to say that my favorite meal is half a pound of cheese and a bottle of wine, we all know that I have too loud of a conscience to allow myself to eat like that.

So when I want an easy, quick, and HEALTHY meal, I often revert to my very favorite homemade meal.

I first had this meal when visiting my sister and her husband in Sweden. There is absolutely nothing complicated about this meal, but all the elements together are so very perfect. Hot, cold, salty, creamy, nutty, yummy. And the meal is nearly all superfoods, so you don't feel guilty about that wine!

It's simple:

• Quinoa
• Black beans
• Spinach/spring mix
• Avocado
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Drizzle of EVOO
• Tomatoes
• Protein: Halloumi/Tofu/whateveryouwant  

Halloumi (hull-AHM-me) is a greek grilling cheese. It's what I had with this meal when Leah made it for me. If you have never had it and like cheese, I'm not really sure what you're waiting for. You can get it at Whole Foods or a mediterranean foods shop. I've heard rumors about it at TJ's but I've never seen it.

Thus, instead of Halloumi, I often have this meal with Baked Tofu. I bake my own extra firm tofu for 20-30 minutes at 400F with a little fat free feta and shaved parmesan on top.

 But you could do this meal with chicken or whatever protein you like. I'd make sure you get some of the feta saltiness in there, though, to compensate for the lack of salty halloumi.

 To prepare this meal, simply cook some quinoa with chicken broth, warm some whole, drained and rinsed black beans, and bake or pan fry the tofu or halloumi. Plate with a generous amount of salad, top with avocado and tomato, and drizzle with a high quality EVOO and balsamic.

Couldn't get more simple if you tried.

Add this one to your home cooking repertoire! It makes for a fancy presentation, too!