Its too darn hot....

Hey blogettes,
Hope all is well, work has been keeping me busy lately but here is a new tasty treat for you, perfect for those toasty summer nights
Summer Quinoa Salad
-Quinoa
-Fresh tomatoes
-Feta cheese
-Lemon juice
-Ground pepper
-Herbs of your choice
-Olive oil (optional)

Prepare the quinoa, either in water or stock (chicken, veggie, whatever you like!) if you like a little saltier. Let it cool a bit.
Stir in feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, herbs/pepper and (optionally) a little oil and salt.
Here is a picture of quinoa in the wild, just because I thought it was cool looking :)

Cocktails Dahling

In honor of my day of good news (I got a new job!) here is a recipe for a cocktail party snack, plus a cocktail party cocktail! Enjoy

Baked Brie
This recipe sounds weird, but trust me it comes out excellent(ly?)
- Brie wheel
- Fruit preserves of your choosing
- Diced pecans

Slice the brie in half. Coat the bottom half with preserves and then cover that with nuts. Place the top half on and do the same on top of that. Bake at 425 for approximately 10 minutes (you have to check to make sure it doesn't burn. Serve with little toasts, crackers, whatever you like!

White Sangria
- Dry white wine (lots)
- Grand Marnier (or other fruit liqueur)
- Loads of chopped fresh fruit
- Sugar to taste (or substitute, for the sugar conscious). I like barely any sugar in it, but others with a stronger sweet tooth (my mom, for instance) prefer with more sugar.
Mix everything together in a summery pitcher, serve on ice.

Enjoy!

Caliente!

Today, the first nice day in weeks, I decided to do some gardening. I got a little pepper mini-greenhouse a few months ago on a whim while returning some inferior basil at Loews. Amazingly, all of the seed cups sprouted and the plants survived transplanting to the outside world. Now they've gotten too big to share one pot so I split them up into 3 pots. I hope they actually survive the transplant, they're looking a little wilted since the move.
So in honor of these (hopefully) delicious peppers I'll eventually get to eat (again, hopefully), here is a recipe for a Mexican-ish dish I created.

- Peppers- any color or spiciness
- Onion
- Garlic
- Roasted corn (I bought corn that came pre-roasted from Trader Joe's, but you could also roast your own if you're feeling ambitious)
- Salsa- I like Chili Verde salsa for this, but use whatever you like
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Quinoa or Yellow Rice
- Salt/Pepper to taste

Prepare the quinoa or yellow rice accordingly. I have used both- the quinoa is healthier and the yellow rice has a nice spiced flavor already, so use whichever you like (or something else, like plain rice if you're boring).
Chop the veggies.
Sautee the onions and garlic in a little oil and spices of your choice. When the onions are translucent, add in the peppers and roasted corn and cook. When its all cooked, pour in a generous amount of the salsa. Mix together over the heat.
Serve over the rice/quinoa, or all mixed together if you prefer.
Grate cheese over.

Easy Sesame Soy Noodles

This is a very easy vegetarian Asian meal. The secret is the fresh ginger-mint combination.

- Wheat Spaghetti or Soba noodles
- Sugar snap peas
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh mint
- Grated black pepper

Follow directions for making the pasta. Let it sit and cool.
Peel and chop the fresh ginger and mint.
When the pasta is cooled, toss everything together. In order to get the best flavor, taste test with the sesame oil and soy sauce as you add it and figure out how you like it.
If you like it a little spicier, feel free to add some Asian hot sauce (I like Sriracha).

Crab Salad

Here it is- my first recipe! I made this last night (with some help). Its summery and light, and a modern adaptation of an old Betty Crocker recipe from the 1970s (you know, when salads came in jello mold form). I used crab meat flakes, the fake kind you can find in the refrigerated seafoods section of your grocery store, because I am cheap. If you are less cheap, you can use real lump crab, which I'm sure would be lovely. Also, feel free to do any substituting. The whole point of my recipes is to give you guidelines from which to allow your own creativity to flow. I hate when recipes treat you like an idiot who needs slavish rules to cook, or guilt you into buying tons of unnecessary ingredients. No fun! So feel free to switch out the fish for another fish you like better (I'm sure shrimp would be nice) or to leave it out entirely! Also, feel free to substitute whatever veggies you'd enjoy.

Crab Salad
- Package flake crab meat
- Enough lettuce
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 avocado
- Sugar snap peas
Chop the veggies pretty finely and mix together in a big bowl.

Dressing
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise (I used fat free. I am not a mayo fan as most people know, but in this context where its mixed with lots of other things I can handle it)
- 3/4 cup Chili Sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt to taste
Add all together and mix well

Toss the salad and the dressing et voila! Your crab salad is complete.
This would pair nicely with a crisp white wine, like a sauvignon blanc.

Greetings

Hey kids! I'm back with a brand new blog! Since my inane ramblings started to bore me last time, this times I'm going to focus on sharing my own recipes and gardening adventures. I know this is hardly original, but could be fun!

I'll be starting today with some summery tastiness in honor of all the lovely summer weather here on the east coast.