garlic shrimp & quinoa with zucchini ribbon salad

As I mentioned yesterday, Brittany and Patti came over for dinner on Friday night.  Last week, Brittany had requested a recipe with zucchini because she has recently added the squash to her (growing!) list of palatable vegetables.  As you may recall from previous stories, Brittany is not wild about veggies, though, to her credit, she has made great strides over the past two years.  I like to think my constant prodding might be a part of that.  I'm a proud mama.  We're still working on getting her to like tomatoes, but baby steps, people.

I was happy to make zucchini, but I wasn't sure how to prepare it at this time of year.  My favorite preparations for zucchini are the simple, no-fuss recipes that showcase its flavor, but those are really only appropriate at the height of the summer.  The zucchini in stores right now is not that good - if it comes from too far away, it doesn't have that perfectly fresh flavor.  And if it comes from too close, it has no flavor at all.  But, Whole Foods had some really tasty Mexican zucchini on special last week, and to my surprise, the flavor was good enough to showcase with just a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Ditto for the first heirloom tomatoes of the season (!!!) from the same source.

I decided on a simple shaved zucchini salad.  Or rather, I should actually say that I intended to make a shaved zucchini salad, but lost patience with my vegetable peeler (shocker) and just ended up cutting the zucchini into three long strips instead.  I struggled on choosing a main course - seeing as it was a Friday of Lent, our protein options were limited; Brittany does not like fish, but she does like shrimp and is beginning to foray into mussels.  She's also a big fan of quinoa.  I eventually decided on a garlicky shrimp served over quinoa.

The shrimp idea came from an hors d'oeurve I made for a "Friendsmas" holiday party.  The idea for that dish came from my favorite Spanish tapa - gambas al ajillo.  Gambas al ajillo are shrimp cooked in copious (and I do mean copious) amounts of olive oil and garlic, with a few dried red chiles thrown in there for kicks.  (See what I did there?)   But, because nobody wants to eat "garlic shrimp" at a party where they are going to be mingling with other partygoers and hoping to get caught under the mistletoe with an attractive stranger (no? was that just me?), I nicknamed the appetizer "holiday shrimp".  I'm a sneaky one.  I dialed back on the garlic and olive oil a tad and omitted the potent red chiles, opting instead for festive red & green accents via crushed red pepper* and chopped flat-leafed parsley.  It was a hit - everyone wanted the recipe and nobody seemed to care that there were disgusting amounts of garlic in there.  (That would explain why many of us are single.)  I remember Brittany and Patti both being fond of the appetizer, so it was a natural choice for our main course for the evening.

I wanted to serve the shrimp over a grain, since there's a nice liquidy broth to be soaked up, and crusty bread is not an option.  If you haven't noticed, I am also kinda sorta obsessed with quinoa.   I like quinoa with a fried egg on top, quinoa with tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, and avocado, and quinoa as a side dish.  I see you rolling your eyes.  Yeah, you and every other semi-aware, kinda-health-conscious, Yelp generation yuppie who has ever stepped foot into a grocery store.  But wait!  I liked quinoa before it was cool to like quinoa.  (#shithipsterssay)  When I was growing up, the grain of choice in our family was rice.  In Ecuador, they eat rice every day (no wonder I'm a rice person), so my mom thought it was normal to make us rice every day. (My dad, on the other hand, does not think this is normal.)  But, every once in a while, we would have quinoa, which was a huge treat.  Before America's new love affair with quinoa began, it was very difficult to find the Andean grain in the US.  My mom's friends and family would bring it from Ecuador, or she would find it in Latino food stores.  My grandmother makes an awesome quinoa soup that I still need to learn how to make.

I made this quinoa Ecuadorian-style because frankly, Americans make food unnecessarily complicated, and this is no exception.  People make a big fuss over whether or not you need to soak the quinoa or at least rinse it or maybe even wash it with mild soap.  (Okay, so I'm kidding about that last part - but sometimes I read these recipes and wonder why people adulterate their quinoa so.  It's really not a big deal.)  I also think that Americans add too much water.  A general rule of thumb for most grains is 2 parts liquid: 1 part grain, but quinoa requires a little less.  Too much water and the quinoa cooks too much, becoming too chewy.  Some people worry that you won't get a fluffy quinoa if you use less than two parts liquid, but that is why you turn off the heat and let it continue to cook, covered, and fluff it with a fork.  Of course, nothing is wrong with making quinoa with a 2:1 ratio - it's easy to remember and easy to measure.  But my way is better - just trust me.

All in all, it was a fabulous dinner with good friends, good food, and good conversation.  The recipes below probably serve four, but we were three very hungry girls, and we did have some leftovers. 

*You may notice that the shrimp picture below shows no indication of crushed red pepper.  That is because because they have sprouted legs and walked away, just like my cumin seeds.  If you have them, bring them back.
 

Garlic shrimp
A caramelized memoirs original
Serves 2-4

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large shallot (or two smaller ones), finely sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced and zested
crushed red pepper flakes 

1.  Heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.  When foamy, add garlic and shallot(s), cooking 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir frequently and do not allow to brown.
2.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add shrimp and salt, cooking about five minutes.  You want the shrimp to be just barely pink.  Be careful - shrimp is easy to overcook.
3.  Transfer to serving dish and squeeze both halves of a lemon on top.  Zest the lemon over the shrimp for added flavor.  Toss to coat. 
4.  Top with a handful of chopped parsley and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste.


Ecuadorian-style quinoa
Makes 3-4 cups

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 yellow onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup chopped mint

1.  Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.  Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil until fragrant and transluscent, or about 3-5 minutes.  Of course, if you prefer, you can use one tablespoon of olive oil and omit the butter, but everything is better with a bit of butter.
3.  Add the dried quinoa and mix together with the cooked onions, stirring constantly, for a minute.  This is called "toasting" the quinoa.  It is an optional step, but it really makes it taste better, I promise.
4.  Add the water or broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.  Once water is absorbed, turn off heat and leave covered for five minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
5.  Transfer to serving bowl and stir in chopped mint.

Zucchini salad
A caramelized memoirs original
Serves 4
 
3 green zucchini squash, sliced into ribbons
olive oil cooking spray
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cups spinach
2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup pistachios
olive oil and balsamic vinegar, as dressing, to taste

1.  Spray grill pan with cooking spray; heat over high heat.
2.  Lay zucchini in one layer over grill pan.  Place a weighted press (or a plate or another pan) on top to weigh down the zucchini, squeezing out excess water and allowing the zucchini to get nice brown grill marks.
3.  Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness of your ribbons.  I only got three ribbons width-wise out of mine because I sliced them a little thicker, so mine took about five minutes on each side.  If you cut them thinly with a vegetable peeler or mandoline, it will be only a couple of minutes.
4.  Arrange spinach on serving platter; top with zucchini strips.  Arrange wedges of tomato around the perimeter of platter.  Top with feta cheese and pistachios. Pin It Now!

beet & beet green chopped salad

You must think I am on some kind of "you will eat your beets and you will like them" war path.  I just browsed through my labels and I noticed there is a pretty high ratio of beet recipes to everything else.  Almost as high as butternut squash or brussels sprouts.  The thing is, I kinda love the beet.  I mean, it's a hot pink vegetable, so that should come as no surprise.

To see my original love story to the beet, read this entry from last year.  If you're new to beets, just try roasting them and topping with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper or eating them on a simple salad of watercress or arugula and goat cheese.  A few months ago, I volunteered at a dinner fundraiser in which the uber-talented Barton Seaver cooked up six delicious courses for the benefit of two laudable DC charities, DC Central Kitchen and Martha's Table.  One course was a deconstructed roasted vegetable salad, with a beet perched atop a goat cheese puree, which was emulsified with olive oil, and ostensibly, crack cocaine.  Seriously, I could barely prevent myself from spooning the puree into my mouth directly from the container.  He gave me the leftover beets and goat cheese, and I ate them together for a solid week.  It has now become my favorite combination.

But since I've OD'ed on cheese, I decided to eat my beets in a vegan salad.  But really though, before you womp-womp me, this is a great salad.  Doesn't it look like something you would get at Sweetgreen?  It serves up to six as a side, or three as a lunch salad or even a light dinner.  In fact, I ate it last night for dinner and was really surprised at how satisfying and filling it was.  And it is absolutely gorgeous - the pictures don't do it justice.  It looks like someone splattered pink paint across a lush spring meadow.  If I ever open up a sandwich and salad joint, this is definitely going on the menu.  I'd call it "The Beetnik".

I adapted the original recipe as follows -

• I added spinach to mellow the flavor of straight beet greens.  Beet greens are not for everyone....they are a little bitter and need a sweeter, more delicate green to balance out the flavor.  They are also slightly coarse, so it helps to toss the greens in a little bit of the dressing before mixing the salad.  The extra time "marinating"  allows the greens to soften.
• I added golden beets to the mix for the slight flavor contrast and to add more pretty color.  I am still fighting my addiction to orange things.
• I used pistachios instead of sunflower seeds because it was what I had.  I liked it a lot.
• I omitted the agave from the dressing.  Honestly, it could have used a bit of sweetness, so don't omit it if you aren't insane like me.  Sacrifices.

Finally, an important PSA!  I've planned out the posts for tomorrow and Thursday already (duh), but I am accepting suggestions for my last 4-5 recipes!  Bollie already requested some sort of steak that can be cooked in a grill pan or in the oven, so that's on my radar.  If any of you have any other ideas, please e-mail me!  (I've long since stopped begging for comments since Blogger won't let anyone do so without blowing up their computer or sacrificing their first born.)  Otherwise you will continue to get weird stuff that I like to eat, like beets.

Beet & Beet Green Chopped Salad
Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen
Serves 3-6

for the salad
1 bunch of red beets, including fresh looking greens
1 bunch of golden beets
2 handfuls baby spinach
2 scallions, white and light green parts
1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
1 small avocado, diced
1/3 cup pistachios

for the tahini dressing
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water, more as needed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Cut the greens from the beets at their stem and individually wrap the beets in aluminum foil.  Place on a baking sheet in the middle oven rack and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.  Set them aside to cool.
2.  While the beets roast, rinse and dry the beet greens. Discard the long red stems and any parts of the leaf that look bad.  Chop the greens and put them in a large mixing bowl with rinsed and chopped baby spinach.
3.  To prepare the dressing, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, and water. Mix in the garlic, hearty pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Add more water if you prefer it thinner. Mix in the chives. Adjust to your taste and set aside.  (The dressing will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple weeks.)
4.  Coat the greens in a little bit of the dressing and let sit for 10 minutes.
5.  Once the beets are cool enough to touch, you should be able to just push the skin off with your fingers. Dice the peeled beets. Thinly slice the scallions. Add the beets, scallions, quinoa and avocado to the mixing bowl with the dressed greens and add more dressing.  (note: the salad will turn pink from the beets. If this bothers you, you can toss everything without the diced beets, and sprinkle them on top). Sprinkle in the pistachios and give it one more toss. Pin It Now!

lean & green quinoa with maple dijon vinaigrette

Lean & Green Quinoa with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Last week, my sister Bollie left a comment on the blog asking me to do something with brussels sprouts.  This may not seem like a big deal, but I almost picked up the phone to make sure her Google account hadn't been hijacked.  You see, Bollie used to the pickiest eater on the face of the planet.  She was the kind of kid who ate waffles drowned in syrup as often as my mother would let her.  Her ideal dinner was three dinner rolls and half a stick of butter.  Okay, so maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but she really did make other “picky eaters” look like Anthony Bourdain.  Her diet included a steady rotation of peanut butter and cheetos sandwiches (yes, together), unseasoned chicken breast, Easy Mac, American cheese & butter sandwiches (not to be confused with "grilled cheese"), and very little else.  Luckily, she always had a clean bill of health, so we never worried too much about her.

Somewhere between 1994 and today, Bollie's tastebuds have matured.  She now eats "lots of vegetables", though she's "still not ready for tomatoes."  This in particular is amusing to me because Bollie is an aficionado on all things Italian and spent an entire summer studying, cooking, and eating in Rome.  I also don't understand how someone who eats eggplant and zucchini would find the little tomato offensive, but whatever.  So when she asked for something featuring brussels sprouts, the quintessential villain of the vegetable world, I was confused....but happy to oblige.

This dish is kinda an ode to my lil' sis - it includes green vegetables she likes (asparagus, green onions, and apparently, brussels sprouts) and is topped with a sweet maple and dijon dressing.  The maple pays homage to her favorite breakfast and the sharp zing of the vinegar and dijon combination reflects the one-two punch of her personality.     

The brussels in this recipe are roasted.  In my humble opinion, the only way to cook brussels is to pan-sear them or roast them.  Boiling or steaming them renders the poor brussels sprouts completely deserving of their reputation as a pile of sour mush.  However, the carmelization that results from roasting or sauteeing them gives the humble brussels an extreme makeover, elevating them from ugly duckling to belle of the ball.

Enjoy!

Lean & Green Quinoa with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Serves 2 as side dish, 1 as main

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa + 3/4 cup vegetable stock (yields about 1 1/3 cup cooked quinoa)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped (green and white parts)
1/4 pound skinny asparagus
handful spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1/3 pound brussels sprouts, halved

for the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons grainy dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Chop asparagus into bite-sized pieces.  Additionally, prepare brussels sprouts by removing outer leaves, if necessary, and cutting the sprouts in half (perpindicular to the base).  Toss sprouts in 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of the maple dijon vinaigrette.
3.  Roast the asparagus and brussels (cut side up) 20 minutes, or until golden.  If your asparagus are very skinny, they will roast in less time, and you may want to remove them halfway through.
4.  Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa according to package directions or read my method for preparing quinoa here.
 5.  Mix roasted brussels sprouts and asparagus with the quinoa.  Top with green onions and drizzle vinaigrette overtop the salad (you may have some left over).  Toss to combine. Pin It Now!

recipe for #winning: curried chickpea and quinoa salad

Curried chickpea and quinoa salad

Last week I gave you some recipes for your March Madness viewing parties, but there's a different kind of March Madness going on at my office.  I am fortunate enough to have a fitness facility at my workplace, one that offers a variety of cardio equipment, weights, group exercise classes, personal training, and promotional programs.  Each year, the gym puts on a March Madness competition, a friendly fierce contest running concurrently with the NCAA tournament.  Teams of three rack up points for participating in various exercise programs, and after the final basketball game, the top three teams with the most points win prizes.   This year, the top prize is an iPod, followed by a free six-month locker rental at the facility and a massage from the therapist that comes to our facility.  Needless to say, my two teammates and I want a prize.  For additional incentive, we have a head-to-head competition with another threesome from our office in which the losing team buys Happy Hour for the winning team.

We're working out a lot, so we need good, clean food to give us energy.  This recipe, inspired by Whole Foods' curried chicken salad, has given me endless fuel over the past couple of weeks.  I'm no dietician, but  this salad is a nutritional all-star, as it provides a healthy mixture of fats, complex carbs, and proteins.  It's sure to power any athlete through a tough workout and still have energy remaining for the rest of the day - #winning!  I've polished off the whole recipe over the last week - once over spinach, once in a wrap, and once on its own.  I think I like it over spinach leaves the best, though they were all three quite tasty, and the one in a wrap was slightly more filling.

Curried Chickpea and Quinoa Salad
Makes about four cups, or 3-4 servings

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 diced red bell pepper
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa + 3/4 cup stock (yields about 1 1/3 cup cooked quinoa)
6 ounces plain greek yogurt
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
small drizzle honey

1.  Prepare quinoa according to package directions or see my instructions for Ecuadorian quinoa here.
2.  Once quinoa is cooked, combine with first six ingredients in a large bowl.
3.  In a small bowl, prepare the yogurt curry sauce.  Stir the curry powder, lemon juice and honey into the greek yogurt.
4.  Pour yogurt sauce over the quinoa-chickpea mixture and toss to combine.

Note:  Since this salad is made with greek yogurt as opposed to mayonnaise, you may find that it is a little dry if you eat it more than 4-6 hours after you prepare it.  In that case, I'd recommend mixing in a small squeeze of mayonnaise right before you eat it. 

Who's in favor of #winning?  When you know you're going to have a tough workout, what do you like to eat to keep you going? Pin It Now!

quinoa and roasted vegetable stuffed eggplant: the dish that made whitney kinda sorta tolerate peppers

Quinoa and roasted vegetable stuffed eggplant, hereby known as 

the dish that made Whitney kinda sorta tolerate peppers

Last weekend, my sister Bollie came to DC before flying to Costa Rica for her Spring Break and brought me a bounty of vegetables to eat before they spoiled.  In a little brown bag were about a dozen mini bell peppers, a large zucchini, and a beautiful eggplant.  I knew immediately what I was going to make.  Stuffed eggplant.  Back this summer, before going on a vacation of my own, I had a bunch of stuff in my fridge - leftover ground turkey, couscous, roasted vegetables, and an eggplant.  Well, I stuffed the eggplant, topped it with breadcrumbs and grated parmesan, and voilà! - a light, but complete, summer supper.  Whitney, my roommate, and I both loved it.

Allow me a minute to introduce Whit, because she will be making several appearances on the blog.

Whitney and me on New Years Eve

Whitney is one of my closest friends and my official taste-tester.   We've been friends for five years and have lived together for two and a half.  Whitney likes most foods, but she has a particular affinity for white bread, bacon, peanut butter, and bananas - sometimes all at the same time.  When cooking for herself, she tends to gravitate toward meat, eggs, and pasta.  Her principle food aversions are watermelon, peas, and lima beans, but most of all, she despises all peppers.  When I first learned this, I didn't understand, because I love all peppers indiscriminately.  But, then again, I suppose I haven't shared with y'all my own dislikes.  I have very few food aversions, so in general, my top dislikes are 1) snow 2) animals and 3) bacon.  Yes, I realize all of those things give most people great pleasure....don't judge me. 

When I told Whitney I was going to make a vegetarian stuffed eggplant using Bollie's produce, she was skeptical.  Much like all of you are after reading my dislikes.  Anyway, I explained to Whitney that I would cut out the turkey and, as a protein source, substitute quinoa for the couscous.  I warned her that there were too many peppers in the stuffing for her to pick them out.  I knew exactly what she was thinking, "Maybe I should top mine with bacon bits."  The great thing about this recipe is that it can be adapted to your likes and dislikes, and can include whatever you have in your fridge or pantry. 

A little note about quinoa:  though it is seems like a grain, quinoa is actually a seed.  It is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine amino acids essential for human dietary needs.  It has an earthy, slightly nutty flavor, and is a nutritious superstar with its mixture of heart-healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein.  Over the last year or so, it's become the trendy yuppie "it" ingredient of choice.  Consequently, there are varying theories of the best way to cook it.  To soak or not to soak?  Toast or not to toast?  What proportion of quinoa to liquid?  Not to be all holier-than-thou, but I've been eating quinoa for years.  My mom, as most of y'all know, grew up in Ecuador, and, as a child, I sometimes ate "weird" Ecuadorian foods prepared by my mom and Mamis, my grandmother.  Quinoa, which grows prolifically in the Andes, was one of these foods, and the star of my favorite soup growing up.  Imagine my amusement when fifteen years later, it starts selling for $6 a box at Safeway.  (Tip:  Buy it from the bulk bins at Whole Foods - it's much cheaper this way.)  The recipe for quinoa that follows the recipe is the way my mom and grandmother make it, but feel free to use any method you'd like.

Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Eggplant, the 40-day Vegetarian way
Serves two

For the stuffing:
1 eggplant, sliced lengthwise and hollowed out like boats
1 cup of cooked quinoa (instructions to prepare quinoa below)
10-12 mini bell peppers (if I had to guess, I'd say the equivalent of 1.5 regular sized bell peppers)
10-12 cherry tomatoes, halfed
1 medium zucchini
2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons feta cheese (optional)

For the topping:
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
garlic salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin, to taste 

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  (Tip: preheat the oven with the roasting pan inside!  This is a tip my mom recently taught me, and it really helps prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan.)
2.  Slice an eggplant lengthwise and spoon out approximately three-quarters of the flesh so that there is a deep, wide cavity inside each half.  You want to keep enough eggplant on the bottom and sides so that it is a sturdy vessel for your stuffing.  Dice the hollowed-out flesh into bite-sized pieces.
3.  Cut the zucchini and bell peppers into similar sized pieces, and half the cherry tomatoes.  Toss the veggies with approximately two-thirds of the olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin.  Sprinkle the eggplant boats with seasoning and remaining olive oil, and place them on a separate baking sheet.  Roast the vegetables and the boats at the same time, for 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes have blistered and vegetables are lightly browned.
4.  While the veggies are roasting, prepare the quinoa.  To yield one cup of cooked quinoa, you will need 1/2 onion, one clove garlic, a bit of butter, 1/3 cup quinoa and 1/2 cup vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water.  Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.  Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic in the butter and a few drops of olive oil until fragrant and transluscent, or about 3-5 minutes.  Of course, if you prefer, you can use all olive oil, but everything is better with a bit of butter.  Add the dried quinoa and mix together with the cooked onions, stirring constantly, for a minute.  This is called "toasting" the quinoa.  Finally, add the water or broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.  Once water is absorbed, turn off heat and leave covered for five minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
5.  Once your veggies and quinoa have cooked, combine them, adding feta cheese if you choose.  In a small bowl, combine the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.  Spoon mixture into the eggplant "boats" and top each boat with the breadcrumb mixture.
6.  Place stuffed eggplant under the broiler for 7-10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown

Notes:  It's possible you may only use closer to 3/4 cup of quinoa depending on how hungry you are and the size of your eggplant.  When mixing with the veggies, just eyeball it and reserve any leftovers.   Be sure to mash the roasted tomatoes into the quinoa using the back of the fork.  This releases the tomato juices into the mixture.  Also, you may have a good part of the breadcrumb topping left over (I did), so either save it for later or half each portion.  

So what's the verdict?  I personally really loved this version, partially because I don't think ground turkey has that much flavor to begin with!   Also, I am proud to report that not only did Whitney eat the entire serving (sans bacon), but she actually liked it - and she admitted that she didn't miss the meat!  When I prodded her a bit on the pepper issue, she said that she didn't mind them in this recipe, even though if she made it herself, she would omit them.  So, overall, the dish was a keeper!  Whit seemed particularly enthused about the possibility of a spinach-mushroom-feta-quinoa mixture.

I am off to New York this weekend to celebrate a dear friend's birthday.  I don't know how I am going to survive a trip to NYC without pork bánh mì, my favorite sandwich (the District lacks a decent one).  Until next time, I'll leave you with some questions - What are your gastronomic likes and dislikes?  Do you have any food aversions, like Whitney hates peppers?  If you made stuffed eggplant, what would you put in it?  Leave your answers in the comments!  Until next time. Pin It Now!