Author Archives: sallybr

RED QUINOA “TABBOULEH”

Posted in Rice and Grains, Salads, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by

Another great recipe that the editors of the New York Times raved about. I ate leftovers for two days, with a slightly bigger smile on the last time. It gets better and better. I adore colorful food. And clothes. And earrings.

RED QUINOA “TABBOULEH”
(slightly modified from The New York Times)

1 cup red quinoa (or a mixture of colors)
3 cups wate
Salt to taste
½ cup fresh lemon juice½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup finely diced cucumber
1 pound ripe tomatoes, cut in small dice

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, and combine with the water and salt to taste in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes until the quinoa displays a little white spiral. Drain through a strainer, tap to remove excess water, then return the quinoa to the pot. Place a dish towel over the top of the pot, and return the lid. Let sit for 15 minutes. This gives the quinoa a perfect texture.

Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Mix together the lemon juice, salt to taste and cumin, and toss half of it with the quinoa. Allow the quinoa to cool. Combine the remaining lemon juice and olive oil, and toss with the cooled quinoa. Add the remaining ingredients, and toss together. Taste and adjust seasoning.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We enjoyed it with grilled chicken breasts, for a very simple but delicious dinner. It became my lunch for the following two days, on the second time I added a sunny-side egg on top. Heaven. I hope purists will forgive the tabbouleh label in the recipe, but I was not the one who started. The New York Times was the first sinner. I just went along with it, but added the quotation marks to protect my reputation as a food blogger. At any rate, tabbouleh or not, make this recipe. It is super refreshing and satisfying.

ONE YEAR AGO: Cucumber Salad with Yogurt-Harissa Dressing

TWO YEARS AGO: Sundried Tomato and Feta Cheese Torte 

THREE YEARS AGO: Hickory-Smoked Beef Tenderloin

FOUR YEAR AGO: Spaghetti Squash, Revisited

FIVE YEARS AGO: Stir-fried Chicken and Cabbage in Spicy Almond Sauce

SIX YEARS AGO: Fifteen Years!

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Light Brioche Burger Buns

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Sourdough Blues

NINE  YEARS AGO: Headed to Hawaii

TEN YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’

ELEVEN YEARS AGO:  Hidden Treasure

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Avocado Three Ways

HAVE A HEART

Posted in Breads, Cookies, macarons by

A WORDLESS POST

ONE YEAR AGO: Marbled Charcoal Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Sundried Tomato and Feta Cheese Torte

THREE YEARS AGO: Blueberry and Mango Curd Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: First Monday Favorite

FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, August 2016

SIX YEAR AGO: Ka’Kat, a Middle Easter Snack Bread

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Spinach and Chickpea Curry

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Sautéed Zucchini with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil

NINE YEARS AGO: Orzo with Heirloom Tomato Relish

TEN YEARS AGO:  Headed to Brazil!

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: The Rhubarb Brouhaha: Revelation Compote

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Love me tender…

OMG PEANUT BUTTER BARS

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by

I cannot stand the texture of peanut butter and its ability to glue to gums and teeth. The idea of grabbing a spoon of peanut butter and licking it leaves me paralyzed with terror. These peanut bars? Seriously addictive. In her original post, Lauren called them “World’s Best Peanut Butter Bars.” I have not tried that many – full disclosure, this is my second – so I share the recipe with you, and if you are a peanut butter bar connoisseur, let me know what you think.

PEANUT BUTTER BARS
(from Tastes Better from Scratch)

for the bars:
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (plus more for spreading over baked bars)
2 + 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

for the chocolate frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 + 1/2 Tablespoons milk
1 + 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter with both types of sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to creamy mixture.

Press firmly into a greased 9×13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes. It will look just barely set in the center, and will harden as it cools. Allow to cool completely, then spread a thin layer of peanut butter over the bars.

To make the chocolate frosting: Add butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in cocoa. Remove from heat and add milk, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, using electric beaters to get out any lumps, if needed. .

Spread chocolate frosting over the top of the bars. Cut into squares once the topping is fully set. Using a knife moistened with very hot water from the faucet helps to get neat slices.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These bars were donated, but I “sampled” a little of the trimmings. It’s a good thing I had planned to donate them, because just like a certain cauliflower of my recent past, portion control with this baby would require Herculean efforts. If you make it, consider cutting in even smaller squares if you can, because they are rich. Decadent. I love the inclusion of oats in the base. I am thinking of incorporating oats in sugar cookies in the near future.

ONE YEAR AGO: Kansas Sunflower Seed and Black Walnut Macarons

TWO YEARS AGO: Curry Turmeric Sourdough

THREE YEARS AGO: Black Olive Tapenade and Deviled Eggs

FOUR YEARS AGO: Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

SIX YEAR AGO: Quinoa Salad with Red Grapes and Avocado

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Strawberry Coffee Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

NINE YEARS AGO: Mascarpone Brownies

TEN YEARS AGO: Salmon Tacos

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Cinnamon Turban Bread

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Summertime Gratin

CHIPOTLE-HONEY CAULIFLOWER WITH MANGO SALSA

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

Cauliflower is a unique wild card in the kitchen. When you want to low-carb anything, it is the first option that comes to mind. Well, here we have an exception, this is no low-carb, low-calorie recipe. This is cauliflower for the brave. When we finished our meal, the husband said “this may very well be the best cauliflower I’ve ever had.” I would like to bow and get a crown or at least a nice tiara, but all credit must go to Joanne. She raved about it, and when she raves, I cook.

CHIPOTLE-HONEY CAULIFLOWER WITH MANGO SALSA
(slightly modified from Joanne Eats Well with Others)

for the chipotle honey sauce:
1 can chipotle chiles in adobo (about 7 oz)
1 cup barbecue sauce (homemade or store-bought)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 cup bourbon
juice of 1 lime

for the cauliflower:
1 large head of cauliflower
1 cup flour
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cups panko breadcrumbs

for the mango salsa:
3 ripe mangoes, diced
1 large avocado, diced
¼ cup cilantro, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
juice of 1 lime
salt, to taste

Combine the chipotles, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, bourbon, and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth.

Heat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Break the cauliflower into larger florets. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, milk, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until thick and completely smooth. Pour the panko into a separate bowl.

Toss the cauliflower florets into the wet batter in batches, making sure they are completely coated. Next, transfer them to the panko bowl and coat them completely in the panko. Place on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the chipotle honey bbq sauce. Place back in the oven for another 5 minutes to allow the sauce to set and soak into the florets.

Make the salsa. Combine the mangoes, avocado, cilantro, and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Season with lime juice and salt, to taste.

Serve the cauliflower over rice with the salsa on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Moderation is key, but tricky. Something about the crispy texture of the panko coating joined with the spicy sweetness of the barbecue sauce turns this into dangerous stuff. The mango salsa does a perfect job cooling things down, which in turn makes that moderation advice even harder to listen to. You’ve been warned. This was majorly amazing. Sorry for the superlatives. It is all Joanne’s fault.

ONE YEAR AGO: Kansas Sunflower Seed and Black Walnut Macarons

TWO YEARS AGO: Curry Turmeric Sourdough

THREE YEARS AGO: Black Olive Tapenade and Deviled Eggs

FOUR YEARS AGO: Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

SIX YEAR AGO: Quinoa Salad with Red Grapes and Avocado

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Strawberry Coffee Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

NINE YEARS AGO: Mascarpone Brownies

TEN YEARS AGO: Salmon Tacos

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Cinnamon Turban Bread

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Summertime Gratin

TURKEY MEATLOAF

Posted in Poultry by

Here I am to share another recipe that tasted wonderful but would not be invited to participate in a Beauty Contest. Meatloaf is not easy on the eyes but this one in particular was a showstopper for the taste buds. Lower in carbs than most versions, because it relies on almond flour instead of breadcrumbs. Quite loaded with veggies. We both gave enthusiastic thumbs up, so ignore the looks. They are skin-deep, after all…

TURKEY MEATLOAF
(inspired by Life is But a Dish)

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 large carrots)
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach (not baby spinach)
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper, ground

for glaze:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl (minus the ingredients for the glaze). Using a fork or clean hands, mix until everything is fully incorporated.

Mix ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and reserve.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and pour meat onto pan. Use your hands to form into a loaf shape, trying to keep it level so it cooks evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove and brush glaze all over. Place back in the oven for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: What do tomatoes and avocados have to do with the meatloaf? They were the side dish, and I absolutely must share the picture because the tomatoes came from our own backyard, thanks to the gardening efforts of the husband… Aren’t they gorgeous?

The meatloaf has a very delicate texture, and cooked perfectly in our small Breville oven, so there was no need to even heat the kitchen up. Leftovers were around for a couple of days and tasted as good if not better than the first time. I made it again the following week, and you know how it goes: for a food blogger, repeating a recipe right away is a huge endorsement. It goes to our regular rotation, a nice change from our default turkey burgers.

ONE YEAR AGO: Prue Leith’s Smoked Salmon and Beetroot Blinis

TWO YEARS AGO: Mandioca Frita 101

THREE YEARS AGO: White Chocolate Raspberry Dome Cake

FOUR YEARS AGO: Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pickled Red Onions

SIX YEARS AGO: Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Mini-Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Grated Tomato Sauce

NINE YEARS AGO: A Taste of Yellow to Honor Barbara

TEN YEARS AGO: Gratin of Beefsteak Tomatoes

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Tour de France Final Stage: PARIS

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Snickerdoodles with a Twist