Quinoa Black Bean Salad

Quinoa

Labor Day may have passed, but my kitchen is still swirling with fresh fruits and vegies.  A recent visit to our local Farmer's Market in Vista provided a plethora of delights - poblanos, cilantro, heirloom tomatoes (my favorite find this season!), melons, mushrooms, corn and organic peaches and raspberries... just to name a few.   With my husband's arms overflowing with my treasures, I tossed in a fragrant, white tuberose and our visit was complete.   All of these fresh finds made putting together this healthy side effortless.  

Quinoa, frequently described as a grain, is actually the seed to a leafy plant distantly related to spinach.  High in protein and a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, it packs a healthy punch in addition to providing a pleasing delicate, nutty flavor.  The seed works well in side salads, main dishes and I have even seen recipes for breakfast!  Easily substitutable for most any other grain, this seed has earned a high place in my kitchen.

 

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans is a versatile recipe that works well with whatever vegetables you may have on hand, making it an easy last minute choice and transitioning seasons.  With my treasure chest full of market vegies, the salad tossed together quickly, and easily provided a tasty and healthy side!  (FYI... left overs make a perfect next day lunch!) 

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

I, for one, am refusing to accept the passing of summer.  Actually, with the gray, chilly weather we have been having here in coastal Carlsbad, we really didn't have summer, so it really can't pass!  On the flip side... our cooler than normal summer has put all of the summer fruits and vegetables a few weeks behind and we are still seeing the local markets with perfectly ripe fruits and vegies in abundance.  

With mild temps nearly all year round, the grill is my main cooking device, with the exception of those 14 or so days a year that it rains.

Dough par baking on the grill

Pizza on the grill often gets a raised eyebrow or two when I explain that I'm tossing the dough directly on to the grates.  The most frequent question is, "Won't it fall through?"   No, it' won't!  

The dough is rolled thin (or thick if you prefer) and placed on the hot grate for a few moments until the bottom of the dough is cooked.  Most recipes will have you flip it over and place the toppings on the dough while it is on the grill, however I've found that this is a perfect way for me to get overcooked (burned!) pizza.  After cooking one side of the dough I remove it from the grill and flip it onto a rimless baking sheet that has been sprinkled with semolina.  Quickly add the sauce and toppings.  Sliding the finished pie onto the grates is easily done with a slight shake of the pan and within minutes you have perfect, bubbling, cheesy pizza ready for a family dinner.

Par baked pizza with toppings... waiting for the cheese!

With the exception of making the dough (but you could use store bought!), the grilled pizza is done in a flash and ready for the table.  Our favorite is BBQ Chicken, but you could just as easily do a Pizza Margherita, plain cheese, or a pie with the works.  Perfect for an appetizer tray or a full meal.  The grill may not be the same as a wood fired kitchen oven, but it most certainly does the trick!

Grilled Pizza

1 batch of your favorite pizza dough, or store bought.

BBQ Sauce or pizza sauce

Chicken

onion

cilantro

cheese *

avocado

Semolina Flour for sprinkling on the pan

* (I use a blend of pre-shredded cheeses from Trader Joe's, Quattro Formaggio as well as a shredded blend of mozzarella, cheddar and jack.  For the BBQ Chicken pizza I add some of my own shredded smoked gouda - note that the gouda is not the best melting cheese and may not melt as quickly as the others, but adds a wonderful smoky flavor!)

Preheat grill, then roll pizza dough to desired thickness.  Have all topping ingredients ready to go by your grill.

Reduce grill heat to low and place rolled dough directly onto oiled grates.  Cover and cook for about 2 minutes, just until grill marks appear on bottom of dough.  The dough will begin to puff.  Remove dough to a rimless baking pan generously sprinkled with semolina flour or fine cornmeal, flipping it so that the cooked side is up.  

Working quickly, spread sauce over dough and top with your favorite toppings.  Slide prepared pizza onto grill over low heat and cover.  Cover and cook until bottom of pizza is slightly crispy and the cheese is melted.  Don't peek at the pizza too often as you will release the heat from the grill and the cheese will not melt as quickly...  However, do keep a watchful eye on the pizza as the bottom may burn easily if grill is too hot.  If the bottom begins to burn, slide the rimless pan under the pizza and remove from the grill, line the grates with foil and return the pizza to finish melting the cheese.  

When the pizza is done, remove from the grill and cool slightly before serving.  Top with extra Parmesan, crushed red peppers, cilantro, avocado or any of your favorite toppings.

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On a side note... we would like to introduce Elizabeth!!  Elizabeth is a new addition to our neighborhood (no... not my house!) and came into the world about 5 weeks ago.  She has 2 sisters and 1 brother who look just like her!  With her adorable face and eyes that melted my heart, I couldn't help but post a photo for everyone to see.  Weighing in at a whopping 2 lbs, she is the "big" one of the family.  She lives a few houses up from us and we have had the pleasure of watching the puppies grow from infants to toddlers so far.  Watching them get their balance and form their little personalities has been a joy!

Elizabeth

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Pancakes, hot off the griddle, topped with a touch of butter or maybe some sweet maple syrup, are always a good start to the morning.  Add in some whole grains and a side of OJ for a health boost and you are off and running with energy for the day!  Our early Tuesday morning followed this exact scenario after enjoying a much needed extra day off during our holiday weekend.  

As this summer draws itself to an unwelcome close we did our best to enjoy the holiday weekend.  A fun-filled evening with friends, an exciting day at the track and best of all, simple time together was enjoyed by all.  However, it was with heavy hearts that we received news that two of my husband's co-workers lost their lives last Friday as they valiantly fought to get the UPS 747 they were flying on the ground as some sort of fire caused them to eventually crash their plane in Dubai.  Our hearts, in addition to our thoughts and prayers, are with their families as they suffer through these most difficult days.  As I send my husband off to fly the open skies this evening I know there are two new shining stars to clear the way for all those in the air.

All the more important to have enjoyed our special early morning pancake breakfast!  Lately I've been getting a number of foodie comments from the kids, but the one that lets me know we have a definite hit is "Mom... you should write about this one!"  And that is the exact comment I received this morning regarding these easy to make, far better than any box, fluffy pancakes.  Whole wheat flour and a touch of wheat germ add additional flavor to the light texture, while the buttermilk adds a bit of depth.  While Liv feels they would be best with covered with whipped cream in addition to syrup, we simply stuck to the syrup and were quite pleased all the way around.  

Glazed Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Life is definitely enhanced with the addition of good friends, and I am truly blessed to have some of the most wonderful girlfriends in the world!  We have shared vacations, dinners, driving duties and yesterday, a day at the horse races.  Kids and adults alike enjoyed a slightly chilly afternoon at the Del Mar Racetrack working out our strategies and picking our favorite ponies.  Most of us lost... but what do you expect when you choose that 55-1 long shot??  I honestly believe that someday that long shot really will pay off, but it's looking like that will have to wait until next year.

 

However, the excitement grew in the eighth as #4, Pick a Kelly, rounded turn 4 and flew for the finish line.  As the kids saw their horse pull into first place they erupted in cheers and screams, their eyes glued to the pounding hooves as he crossed the finish line a winner!  

Tired, hungry and happy we turned in our ticket and headed for home where a Glazed Lemon Buttermilk Cake waited.  My new favorite gadget, the razor sharp kitchen rasp, had again made zesting the lemon a "piece of cake" providing enough zest for the cake as well as the glaze in less than a minute.  The zest added a lovely lemon tang and the buttermilk left the cake very tender.  While the cake on it's own was light and lemony, the lemon spiked glaze took it over the top adding a slight crunch with it's sweet/lemon essence.

Oatmeal Bread

Bread is one of those things that I don't think I could live without.  Hot from the oven, slathered with a touch of butter or maybe topped with sweet orange blossom honey.   Crusty breads spread with thick slices of brie cheese, or maybe dipped into a fresh bowl of garlic herbed olive oil.  Ahhh... pure carbs and absolute love on my part.  I seem to have passed on these carb loving genes to the kids as it took me 3 loaves to get photos of our most recent Oatmeal Bread.  

The first loaf finished late at night, not optimum for photo taking.  Not a problem though... I popped another loaf in the bread machine two days later and knew the lighting would be just perfect when I got home from school pick up.  Imagine my surprise as I walked into the house just a few minutes behind the kids to find them both smiling in pleasure and munching on the still warm slices.   The third time had to be the charm... and it was!  With the kids standing behind me orchestrating my every move and the food design we got our shot.  Several to be exact.  

With the kids having such a good time helping, this was the most fun I've had shooting any of the foods that we have made.  They arranged the slices, sprinkled oatmeal and adjusted the shutter for that perfect shot.  Much as I hate to admit it, I believe the shutter for this shot was actually released by my son, not me.  Even more amusing was the total destruction of our "set" the second I proclaimed we had our shot.  I'm still cleaning oatmeal off of the floor!

With three loaves gone in just over a week, I'm thinking I don't need to tell anyone how good this bread is.  Frankly, I preferred it fresh out of the oven or toasted.  Soft and melt in your mouth on day one, it seemed to lose it's freshness fairly quickly.  48 hours later it was a bit dried out, only really good for toast (and really good toast it is!!).  However, we haven't really had to worry about any of those issues as ours doesn't seem to last for more than 24 hours! 

White Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

School is back in session, and while that gives us moms a bit of extra time during the day, it also means that the evenings go that much faster.  Between school pick ups, homework, soccer, dance, surf and the occasional night out, there is not much time left for dinner.  Finding a recipe that is tasty, quick and healthy is always a treasure, something to be held on to and shared.  

White Bean Salad fits that bill.  Garden fresh ingredients tossed with a can of Cannellini Beans and a lemony vinaigrette give you a side salad in a matter of minutes, perfect for that night when time is running short.  The ingredients are easily interchanged based on what you have on hand making preparation a piece of cake.  The salad works well with any main meat, especially something hot off the grill or alternatively, paired with some fruit and a side of crusty bread it would make a wonderful light meal all on its own.

I have always avoided zesting lemons as my old zester is somewhat dull and more work than it was worth.  More pith than zest seemed to pile up on my plate, not really conducive to flavoring anything.  However, my newest kitchen gadget (I have a small addiction), a kitchen rasp, made zesting the lemon extraordinarily easy!  Within less than a minute the entire lemon was done and I had finely grated lemon zest on my board.  One more benefit to this lemony salad!

My recent visit to the Vista Farmer's Market provided gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, perfectly ripe avocados and farm fresh Maui Onions, all perfect ingredients for my short on time, summer salad.  With flavor bursting in every bite, this salad will shoot high on my list of repeats.  Luckily, we didn't finish the entire bowl last night and this busy mom had a perfect lunch.

Blueberry Raspberry Pie

The lovely days of summer are finally blessing us with warm temperatures, sunny skies and light off shore breezes.  At last!!!  Unfortunately the kids are back in school... but I didn't let that stop me from telling them about my fantastically gorgeous beach walk this morning.  I felt slightly guilty enjoying our empty beaches while they were working so hard, but somehow, I was able to get over it.  

A visit to our local Carlsbad Farmer's Market provided some luscious summer fruits and I finally got to making that blueberry pie my husband requested way back in June.  Blueberries have always been a favorite of his, and with the addition of sweet summer raspberries this pie soars high on his list.  One crust whirred in the food processor easily rolls out for the base and makes for easy "topping" as you simply fold over the overhanging dough to complete this slightly open faced creation.  Top it with a scoop of rich home made Vanilla Ice Cream and you have a dessert that is sure to please any fruit lover at your table.

This is one of those desserts where that first bite tingles all areas of your mouth and you are somewhat amazed and the amount of awe-inspiring flavor.  My husband's eyes opened wide and he simply said, "Wow!" as he immediately returned the fork to his piece for a second taste.  Truly, summer on a plate!