Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Quinoa salads have been a staple lately. I make a big batch of quinoa, roast up some veggies (it's been extra hot here, so I quite literally carry our toaster oven into the garage and roast them in there so that the house doesn't take all that extra heat), allow everything to cool, and then toss it all with fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, feta, toasted pine nuts, and a lemon vinaigrette.

The combo is light but satisfying, summery and fresh. And just look at that rainbow of colors:  

Another perk when it comes to quinoa salads is that you can very easily adapt them. Recently I added chickpeas in place of feta (a good vegan option, if you're into that), made a red wine, garlic and herb vinaigrette lemon, and served it all over butterhead lettuce instead of baby greens. Voila! A totally different experience, but the same exact method. 

The point is, you can swap whatever the heck is in season into this recipe. This particular recipe uses peak-of-summer crops. Some other combos to tantalize your tastebuds with:

• Cherry tomatoes, bite-sized fresh mozzarella pieces, and basil with balsamic vinaigrette

• Fresh tomato, cucumber, parsley, kalamata olives and chickpeas for a greek version

• Bell peppers, broccoli florets, cilantro, bean sprouts, and a sesame soy dressing

• Sugar snap peas, roasted asparagus, radishes, and sprouts for a cheery spring edition

• Roasted butternut squash cubes, goat cheese, black beans, and walnuts for a late summer or fall version

But for now, onward to this summery rainbow of a recipe! 

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Published June 19, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

1 eggplant

1 medium summer squash

1 red onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced

1/4 cup minced parsley

1/2 cup feta crumbles

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2-3 cups baby greens (such as baby kale or spinach) 

For the dressing:

Zest & juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Dice eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes. Slice summer squash into half moons, and slice red onion into medium-large wedges. Spread all of them out on a sheet pan, and drizzle with olive oil, tossing them in the oil to coat. Roast veggies for 30-40 minutes, until onions are brown on the edges and eggplant is very soft the whole way through, and starting to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine: cooled quinoa and cooled roasted veggies, sliced grape tomatoes, minced parsley, feta, pine nuts, and baby greens.
3. In a small jar, combine ingredients for dressing. Close jar and shake to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss until everything is combined. Serve.

Potato Galette with Lox (AKA Giant Latke)

It's hard not to immediately fall in love with a dish that is crispy, fried potatoes topped with crème fraiche and lox. Virtually impossible, really. But with a fancy name like "Potato Galette" it would be easy to be scared off by this one, because it sounds hard to make. Which is why, after explaining this dish to several people as "a giant latke," I thought it should be included in the title. 

The word galette cues visions of beautifully free-form pies in my mind's eye, but according to wiki it's a lot less specific than that. Galettes are various types of flat round or freeform crusty cakes, and this crispy potato cake a perfect fit to that description. 

Call it whatever you want. In my book, crispy potatoes = winning, and lox for breakfast (or brinner) = winning, no matter what name you give it. 

I admit, the first time I made a potato galette I was nervous it wouldn't flip out of the pan. For one, I was making it for a party -- a potato themed party, thanks for asking - and didn't want to screw it up. But also, I used a cast iron pan while most recipes recommend a non-stick. I don't own any non-stick pans though (probably hard to believe when you see how full our cupboards are), so I made do with what I had. 

On that note, no matter the pan you use, please don't hold back on the oil/butter here, even though I know it's tempting. It's what makes the potatoes crispy, and will allow you to flip the galette out the pan in one fell swoop. 

Potato Galette with Lox

Published May 15, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6-8   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Lamb:
• 2 Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/4 cup avocado oil or melted butter, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 ounces lox
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche, sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• Optional, for serving: minced chives, capers

Directions:

1. Wash potatoes, and peel. Then, shred (I use a food processor (affiliate link!) for this step).
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil or butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until oil glistens. Tilt the skillet back and forth to cover the entire bottom.
3. When the oil is hot, sprinkle have of the shredded potato into the pan. It should sizzle a little bit as it hits — if it does not, the oil is not hot enough yet. Ensure the potato is in an even layer, and sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Using a metal spatula, press the potatoes down. Then, continue with the second half of the shredded potatoes, sprinkling them in an even layer. Top with remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Again, press down with the spatula. Now, drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter or oil around the edge of the pan to help ensure it flips out easily.
4. Cover pan with lid and turn heat down to medium-low. Cook for 10-13 minutes. Potatoes should be cooked through, and browning on the bottom. Now, use the metal spatula to loosen the potato galette from the pan, working your way around the edge and under the galette. Once the galette is loose, get a plate, and flip the galette over onto the plate so that it sites browned-side-up on the plate.
5. To serve: slice into wedges, and top with a dollop of crème fraiche, minced chives, a slice of lox, and a few capers. Enjoy!

Green Machine Slaw with Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

With toasted slivered almonds, crunchy sugar snap peas, creamy avocado, and bright cucumber, this extraordinarily green slaw is everything you need and more when you're craving a plateful of veggies and something bright. 

It started as a simple thing -- a slaw to be served under some salmon burgers I've been working on. But then it spiraled out of control: as I drove home, I started to day dream about an everything-green slaw and what all could go into it. Next thing you know, I'm pulling off the thoroughfare and aiming for the closest grocery store to pick up a few things I don't have at home: green onions, limes, and a green bell pepper. 

With the color green as my muse, I headed home and immediately started slicing and dicing. The salmon burgers? I'm sure they were fine, but I don't quite remember. It was the slaw that got all of the attention. Dressed in a bright ginger-lime vinaigrette, it was refreshing and bold. Bits of toasted almond added a punch that was rather addicting, and avocado -- well, we all love avocado, don't we? 

Here's to the color green! It makes for one pretty slaw. 

P.S., Every time I post a salad recipe showing this salad bowl, I get asked about the bowl. It is my favorite salad bowl! Mine was a gift, but I've see a very similar one on Amazon (affiliate link!).

Green Machine Slaw with Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

Published April 3, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Slaw:
• 1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cut julienne
• 1 cucumber
• 2 green onions
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

For the Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated on microplane

Directions:

1. Place thinly sliced cabbage and sliced bell pepper in large salad bowl.
2. Cut cucumber on a bias (here’s a video on how to do that), and add to bowl. Then, remove roots and dark green parts form green onions, slice green onions, and add to bowl. Add add optional jalapeño, cubed avocado, minced cilantro, and slivered almonds. Toss salad to combine ingredients.
3. In a small jar, combine lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, salt, maple syrup, and grated ginger. Place lid on jar and shake until combined. Pour dressing over salad and toss until everything is coated. Serve.