Black Quinoa Salad and Quinoa Scampi

I decided to use black quinoa instead of the usual white and it made a really pretty and tasty salad.  I found that the black quinoa really benefitted from a good soaking and then rinsing; otherwise, it remained too seed-like.  I also used less water than regular quinoa.  You can use any veggie combination; I just pick out nice colors that compliment each other.

1 cup black quinoa

1-1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced

1 cup corn
4 green onions, chopped
½ cup feta

½ cup Cilantro

Zest and juice of one lemon

Put the quinoa in a fine strainer and immerse in cold water for about 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse well.  Put in a small saucepan and add the broth.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all of the water has absorbed.

Put the cooked quinoa in a large bowl and stir with a fork.  Let cool for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally with the fork.

Add all the veggies, lemon and zest, cilantro, and the feta cheese.  Stir to combine.

Black Quinoa Salad Shrimp Scampi:

I decided to make my Shrimp Scampi and then I poured that over this Black Quinoa Salad instead of pasta.  I left the lemon and zest out of the salad since there’s plenty in the scampi.  I also substituted parsley for cilantro and used plenty of garlic.  The recipe for my Shrimp Scampi is a page or two back.  This was so flavorful!

   

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Artichokes

This is such a great pasta dish.  It's great on its own or add some grilled sausage.

2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 can artichoke heats, drained and cut in quarters
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine tomatoes, artichoke hearts, garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil in a large bowl.  Transfer to a foil lined cookie sheet.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil a large pot of well salted water and cook pasta until al dente.

Combine pasta with the tomatoes and add 1/4 cup parmesan.  Add fresh basil or tarragon.  Top with a little more parmesan.

Here are the tomatoes before they hit the oven:

Homemade Stock

I like making my own stock and keeping it on hand in the freezer.  I use a really large pot and lots of veggies and herbs.  I also save the scraps from some veggies (like fennel stalks, carrot greens), about to go bad veggies, etc. and keep them in the freezer until it's stock making time.  Here's what it looks like at the beginning:

1 chicken carcass*

1 large onion, quartered

4-5 carrots, cut into 3” pieces

3 stalks celery, cut into 3” pieces

1 head of garlic, cut in half (no need to peel)

1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley (ends trimmed)

1 handful fresh Dill

1 handful fresh thyme

About 10 whole peppercorns 

1 T. Kosher salt
Plus whatever you have saved in the freezer

7 quarts (that’s 28 cups) water or more, depending on amount of veggies

*I buy a Costco rotisserie chicken from time to time.  When we’re done with it, I freeze the carcass until I’m ready to make stock.  You can also use a whole raw chicken, or you can use just veggies.

Put all the ingredients into a very large pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 4 hours.  Let cool. 

Put a colander on top of a pot or container large enough to hold the liquid.  Pour the stock into the colander to strain all the vegetables and chicken.  Throw out the solids (or feed the veggies to your dog!) and refrigerate the stock overnight.  The next day, skim off any fat that forms on the stock (no need for this if you just use veggies/herbs).

Feel free to use any combination of vegetables and herbs – this is just a guideline.

I measure the stock into containers and label them with the number of cups they contain.  Then I just take it out as needed and let it defrost overnight in the fridge.