Roasted Mushroom Qunioa Salad - A Food Photography Challenge

The New Year brings new ideas.  And while I'm not much for resolutions,  my holiday season of "I so totally deserve that" indulgence has found me turning to more healthy options as I avoid some of those carb-loaded baked treats.  While the thought of our recent Peanut Butter Cookies smothered with that decadent Peanut Butter Ganache makes my heart race, it's heart-healthy quinoa that my heart actually craves.  As luck would have it, my Inspired Plate Food Photography and Styling Challenge for January is.... Healthy.  And, Quinoa = Healthy.

Posts on quinoa here on Liv Life are nothing new.  From salads to protein filled Warrior Breakfasts to quinoa kissed cookies, quinoa is where I turn when I feel the need to fuel myself with nutrition.  Though my family hasn't quite embraced the seed as much as I have, quinoa finds its way into our menu plan usually every week, and leftovers find their way onto my lunch plate in place of my beloved PBJ (with extra PB...).

Glancing at a December email from Whole Foods, their recipe for Quinoa with Roasted Mushrooms leaped off the page.  Overflowing with many of my favorite ingredients, quinoa, mushrooms, pears and balsamic, I amped up the flavor even more with a touch of rocket... or arugula, giving this salad a nice peppery spice when contrasted with a crumble of cheese sprinkled over the top.

Photographing said salad, however, brought a bit more difficulty.  Trying to zest up the photo as much as I did the salad, I opted for a bowl I had picked up months ago and not yet used.  They only had one left on the clearance shelf at  Pier 1, I knew one day I would find the right dish to photograph it with.  While I'm not sure this salad matches the prop perfectly, it did bring a sense of the spring season that I'm so longing for, and when combined with morning light the photo also brought a sense of brightness to my winter table.

Hearty, sweet yet savory, and oh, so healthy... This Roasted Mushroom Salad most certainly fits the bill.  Ready for more healthy food photography?  Join me as we whisk off to Michigan where my fellow Inspired Plate member, Jennifer Grant (an Editorial Food Photographer and Stylist) brings beauty to the healthy photo.

Pear Brandy Butter

Liv is asking for her own Facebook page.  My immediate answer was, "Oh no!  You are too young and you don't need that!".  However she quickly pointed out that I have my own page and that even our blog has a page.  Why can't she have one too?  I have mixed feelings on the issue of a young girl having her own Facebook page, but I have to say that I really do enjoy mine!  

Over the years many people cross our path and then end up taking a different path out of our lives.  Facebook has allowed me to catch up with some of those friends who I most likely would have completely lost touch with.  From my computer here in Carlsbad I saw Annalies compete in gymnastics in Maryland, Carli make the competition cheer team in Indiana, Marla's surprise birthday party in Kentucky and Peggy's umpteen jars of canned produce from her own trees in Humbolt County!

Green Beans, Apple and Peach Pie Filling, Applesauce and Tomatoes... all in one day!

Peggy and I went to high school together a few (many...) years ago and have reconnected through Facebook.  While I have never been to her home in Humbolt County I know that she is frequently busy in her yard caring for and pruning what sounds to be quite an orchard!  Trees including apple, pear, cherry, peach, plum and the occasional kiwi vine keep her family busy picking fruit and canning the produce, providing endless jars of amazing treats as we see above.

Pear tree off to the left...

A Facebook comment led me to ask for and receive this wonderful recipe for Pear Brandy Butter from Peggy's wife, and with a bowl of ripe organic pears on my counter I had the perfect main ingredient for this sweet sauce.  Having never made, used or tasted any sort of fruit butter before I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but this fruit butter was a "sinch" to make.  The house smelled like fall and the recipe provided a beautifully colored sauce somewhat reminiscent of a fairly thick, pureed apple sauce.

Now what to do with it?  Peggy recommends using it as you would an apple butter, maybe on toast or a muffin, or as a side or glaze to pork or chicken.  I for one can vouch that it is wonderful atop my morning oatmeal and I'm guessing that my dad will use his over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Which ever way you choose to use yours, this simple recipe is definitely worth a batch or two. 

 

How do you use your fruit butters??