Cookery Round Four: Greek Style Quinoa Salad

I know the odds were against me, and most people gave me a matter of days before tossing in the bounty, but I am proud to report that it's been more than two weeks and I'm still going strong on the Gluten Free diet. In fact - I've never felt better, and I'm 1000% a believer. Dare I say, I think this may have changed my life forever!

I spoke with a dear friend today about elimination diets, and I think he's on to something. DK has been a huge supporter of my efforts, and has even offered to lend me his rice cooker (stand by for more exciting recipes!). I'm so sold on the diet that I'd seriously consider starting a GF line of treats (if ever I could master the kitchen, ha), and I've even started a new blog on the subject. Check me out!

Ok - on to today's recipe: Greek Style Quinoa Salad

I first tasted this fluffy pile of deliciousness at the Jr. League Tour of Kitchens. The dazzling dudes from MetroFresh were cooking it up and put on quite a performance. I tried to recreate the deliciousness, and I must say, I'm quite pleased. Here's the run down...

Ingredients:
Grape Tomatoes (sliced in half)
Red Onion (diced t-nicey)
Crumbled Feta
Hot House or European Cucumber (diced)
Fresh Basil (sliced thin)
Fresh Dill
Kalamata Olives (not a fan, so left these bad boys out)
EVOO
Red Wine Vinegar
kosher salt to taste
1c Quinoa
2c Veggie/Chicken Stock

Directions:
Rinse Quinoa 3 times. Bring stock to a boil and add in Quinoa. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. You can tell the goods are ready when the Q becomes translucent and you can see the tiny tails pop up. Drain and cool thoroughly. I'm told that I was supposed to "fluff" the Quinoa, but this remains a mystery to me, so I squished it around a bit.

In a separate bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, onion, cucumbers, feta, basil and dill. You can put as much or as little of these ingredients as you want -- making this Quinoa with a shake of veggies, or veggies with a side of the Q. Totally your call. Mix ingredients with kosher salt. For the dressing, use 1/3 acid to 2/3 oil. Again -- your choice on how dressed you like it. Add the vinegar in first mixing thoroughly, then slowly stir in the oil. This creates a killer Israeli salad, which you can make with or without the Q. Once thoroughly mixed, add in the Quinoa and bon appetit!

This was delish and incredibly filling. Rockstar and Mitchell, you guys are phenomenal! DK - I heart you! We all need great friends like you in our life :)

So Long Dear Jimmy Dean!

Alright kiddos, after 26 years of tummy issues, I'm finally fighting back! My doctors, dad, and my dear Franzy have finally convinced me to be proactive and go gluten free (GF) for at least a month. In honor of my big purge, I'm having a gluttonously gluten-packed week, concluding with a Banana Bread blow out with some of my fave ladies.

Yes - it's true, I've probably gained a mazillion pounds this week with my pizza, thai, Jimmy Dean d-lights and krystal chik binges, but world be damned! I need one last taste of magic before I give in to the GF g-ds.

So what's in the danger zone as far as GF is concerned? Certainly the obvious contenders are bread, pasta, pizza, donuts, cereal, cookies, and other flour-based delicacies. But did you know such everyday products as soy sauce, salad dressing, beer and soups can be in the danger zone, as well? And even though rice is in the safe territory, forget about Asian aspirations in the future, since most MSG-ladden sauces are thickened by none other than our fave powdery white substance (well, at least MY fave white)...

Here's the skinny on the diet that will hopefully make me just that (oh, and if it saves my tummy from future tragedies, even better):

Chex cereal/soy milk or eggs/canadian bacon for breakfast (sorry Mr. Dean, our love affair has officially concluded)
Salads and homemade soups (hold the croutons!)
Meats and cheese (so long veggie-ville... and forget about my lactardation...gotta keep some form of goodness in my diet!)
Veggies/hummus
Fruit and yogurt
Mexican inspirations (corn tortillas only please)
Nuts galore (thank you lord for honey roasted peanuts)
Rice, risotto, and GF pasta (gag)
Sweet & standard potatoes
Baked sour cream & cheddar ruffles (my fave)
Some other odds & ends from the GF, all natural section of my grocery

Last night I purchased my first loaf of GF bread... weighed more than 2 lbs and consisted of rock solid crumbles of I don't know what! Tragic indeed, so I spent my afternoon making a bag of bread crumbs for a future cookoff. I'm thinking eggplant parm...yum! Wish me luck...

So let's conclude by taking bets... How long can I sustain this treacherous diet?! More to come...

Cookery Round Two: Veggie Delight

Starting this week, I have officially vowed to offer one cooking experiment weekly for the rest of eternity...Or until I (a) find a new hobby or (b) torch the apartment. Hmm... on second thought, I take back (b) since we all know I have just about the worst luck in the universe when it comes to housing...cranes, fires, flooding and the like be banished -- I'm knocking on wood and smudging to avoid any negative byproducts of this blog.

Back to cooking. This week is quite hectic, so I kept it simple with a veggie bonanza featuring roasted sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli with garlic and parm, and a veggie rice medley. Recipes are included below...

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400. Dice two large sweet potatoes into cubes. Foil a cookie sheet and add 2 tbsp of EVOO to coat foil. Add sweet potatoes, kosher salt & pepper to taste and toss, lightly coating. Bake for 40 minutes, turning potatoes occasionally.

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Parm

Preheat oven to 400. Chop 3-4 crowns of broccoli into florets, and coat with kosher salt, pepper, and EVOO; add minced garlic from three cloves. Place on foiled cookie sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Once edges are browned, remove from oven, add lemon zest, lemon juice and grated fresh parm to taste.

Veggie Rice Medley

Brown rice, lentils, barley & bell peppers with a perfect blend of spices. I wish I could take credit for this masterpiece, but alas -- my dear friend Ben deserves all of it!

Lessons Learned

(1) As much as I hate rice, this lentil, veggie concoction is pretty darn amazing.

(2) Garlic presses make cooking infinitely easier

(3) My weekly Whole Foods visits for roasted sweet potatoes are hereto forward on hiatus. This recipe is killer!

Final Tally

Cost - $7

Servings - 2 or 3 full meals (depending on appetite)

Unit Price - $3.50/$2.33

Damage Done -

(1) Accidentally grating your finger can hurt like hell!

(2) Little Beast was my taste tester; I think she may have burnt her mouth on the irresistible taters!

Outcome: QUITE TASTY!

Cookery Round One: Lentil Soup

Much like Mama Sanj, I have a horrible proclivity for not following recipes. I like to wing it, and as I've been chided by my chef extraordinaire pals, perhaps this is the root of my failures in the kitchen. Alas, despite their warnings, I continue to march to my own beat.

For my latest culinary exploit, I trotted out Georgia's very own Alton Brown and his famed Lentil Soup Recipe. Here's how the ingredients shake out:

Alton's List
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise

EJ's spin
2 tablespoons EVOO
TJ's Myoplex of chopped onion, carrots, celery
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 c lentils
1 qt chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 shakes of garlic powder
Roughly 3 oz tomato paste

2 cups water

freshly grated parmesan

Directions

Heat EVOO in Dutch oven or other large stock pot. Combine myoplex, fresh garlic, and salt and sweat it out, stirring frequently (approx 7 min). Add other ingredients (except parm), bring to bowl and then turn on low, simmering for 45 min. Using hand blender, emulsify ingredients, leaving minor chunks. Add salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste. When serving, add fresh grated parm on top.

Lessons Learned

(1) You cannot sub tomato paste for chopped, peeled tomatoes. I originally purchased a 6 oz can, but after a few spoonfuls and a blood red pot of soup, I decided to cut back quite a bit!

(2) Garlic is your best friend. Add it to anything!

(3) The hand blender is pure magic.

(4) If you freeze this savory soup, be sure to rejuvenate it by stirring in some hot water.

Final Tally

Cost - $7

Servings - 5

Unit Price - $1.40

Damage Done - 1 burnt finger

Outcome: PURE DELICIOUSNESS!

Cookery: The Challenge Begins

As many of you know, I'm not the most adept in the kitchen...Perhaps with the exception of my late night, ever so slightly intoxicated Southern hospitality moments, most of my meal time attempts turn into utter fiascos.

I've somehow managed to botch everything from eggs and boxed mac-n-cheese to instant jello, and I may be the only person alive who has ever created a disastrous (dare I say) meal in the "foolproof" crockpot. Not even edible! In recent months, my friends have even threatened to submit my name for Food Network's new hit tv show "Worst Cooks in America." Delightful indeed. Subsequently, I've become quite savvy in the freezer aisle, and have my favorite thai and pizza spots on speed dial just in case an epic failure commences...

Bearing this in mind, I've set out to prove my friends wrong. YES - I can be a success in the kitchen! And if not, I can at least ensure lots of laughs along the way...