artichokes and quinoa

August.

AUGUST?!

As in, summer is almost over? As in, more than half the year has passed? As in, by the way it’s 110 degrees in the Valley? (Sidebar: I hate the Valley.)

I am not ready for Autumn, for another work busy season, not ready to retire flip flops and – I live in LA, nevermind.

BUT some thoughts about this August nonsense:

1. MAKE EVERY DAY WORTHWHILE. The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. High school years felt like eons, college semesters seemed to creep along, and now, post-college, I can’t even screw my head on straight before months just fly by. Spend less time on the Internet, more time with people/food/pets/books. Youtube is great, but forreal, get a life.

2. GET AS MUCH OUTDOORS LOVE AS POSSIBLE. So, it’s a million degrees outside. That just means it’s perfect temperature at the beach. Must do more activities like paddleboarding, hiking, kayaking, and rolling around at the park.

Me paddling at snail’s pace in Laguna.
photocred: Charlyne Hsu

3. READ THE BOOKS SITTING ON MY NIGHTSTAND. I have a bad habit of buying a ton of books and starting three of them at the same time and taking forever to finish. Break this habit, Jean. Finish your damn books. My favorite purchase this summer though is this:

Sneak peek inside:

4. EAT HEALTHY. I’m not 19 anymore. I can’t guzzle down beers and chips with zero consequence. My body doesn’t absorb sodium and carne asada fries via osmosis or whatever anymore. I sit in an office chair for 12 hours a day. I feel a permanent pooch starting to form. Shady taco truck at 2 a.m.? That used to seem like a good idea. I’m still young enough to be able to do WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT (WHOO!) but not young enough that I don’t wake up the next morning with heartburn and aching limbs (Pass me the Tums and a jumbo Gatorade).

I’m flexing my flexitarian health-mode ways. If for any reason, because of my deteriorating state of health. Yes, I threw in some melted brie. Only like a chunk of it though. And it’s stuffed into an artichoke, so it doesn’t really count.

fresh thyme!

brie stuffed artichokes

 

A little brie appetizer… finished up lunch with a Quinoa Rice Bowl. Think Korean bibimbap but with quinoa and arugula.

healthy! and still tastes good.

My body is thanking me for not abusing it today.

It will not be thanking me tonight though. All part of making everyday worthwhile and living up my summer! Oh, why hello there Friday night shenanigans!

Artichoke with Baked Brie Sauce
recipe from foodrepublic

2 large artichokes, top quarter and stems sliced off
3 ounces brie, rind removed and cut into chunks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for the top
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons finely sliced almonds, crushed into coarse crumbs with a rolling pin

In a large pot of salted water, boil the artichokes for 10 minutes. Take them out of the water and let them drain well, upside down, in a colander.

Put the brie in a small pot with the cream and let it melt on a low flame while constantly stirring.
When the mix is smooth, turn off the heat and, while stirring, add the yolk, the grated parmesan, the thyme and the crushed almonds.

Preheat the broiler to low and position the rack close to the bottom of the oven.
Fill the artichokes with the mix (it should cover the tops as well), sprinkle them with some more grated parmesan and almonds and place them standing head up in an oiled casserole dish.

Put under the broiler and let them cook for about 10 minutes, checking often, or until the cheese turns into a golden crust. Enjoy by peeling off the leaves and dipping them into the sauce.

Skillet Quinoa Mixed Bowl
Serves 2

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups arugula, roughly chopped
1 red onion, sliced
2 cup crimini mushrooms, quartered
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
1 teaspoon agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 eggs (feel free to remove this if you want to go the vegan route)
oil

In a bowl, combine mushrooms, soy sauce, hot sauce, agave syrup, and rice vinegar. Mix until mushrooms are coated. Refridgerate for about 20-30 minutes until mushrooms are marinated. You can adjust the hot sauce to your liking.

Put one cup of quinoa and one cup of arugula per bowl. Set aside.

Heat a few teaspoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the red onions and saute for about five minutes (I like mine a little crunchy – you can cook them longer if you don’t want that onion kick). Divide evenly between two bowls.
Add some more oil to the pan set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and stir them so the pieces are evenly coated with oil. You should hear the mushrooms sizzling. Continue cooking the mushrooms, stirring them every few minutes to make sure they don’t burn. Saute about ten minutes and add to rice bowls along with any sauce in the pan.

Fry the eggs and add to the top of each bowl. Mix it all up and EAT to your heart’s content because this is a very filling low calorie meal. Ho ho ho :)

(And of course, if you want this to be vegan, just remove the fried egg. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.)

a spring salad duo

Starting my vacation off right.

I love California. Like it was timing itself perfectly just for me, after being gloomy all week, here’s a little weather forecast for you:

No complaints here.

I haven’t been able to focus on anything these past few weeks. Probably because my brain’s hard-wired to think mid-May is summer vacation for the past 20 years. I’ve just been sitting there. Staring at the computer. Nothing filtering in. Brain on but not really “on.”

Namsayin?

Feels like summer. Could be packing for Cancun, having a lazy brunch at Joan’s on Third, hiking in Malibu, or just driving down PCH.

I’ll settle for the lazy brunch for now.

I love the salad counter at Joan’s on Third. You can get a duo or trio of their salad selection. I was craving it the other day when I passed by it on my way home from work so I stopped by Trader Joe’s and picked up a few things to make my own little salads at home.

I’d say the key is using a fruity, good quality olive oil. I always use Italian extra virgin olive oil.

Aren’t these so cute?!

I think when vegetables are cute, they’re more fun to eat. Which means I’ll eat more of them. Which is totally  a good thing considering all the crap I’ve been eating these past few days.

Mini heirloom tomatoes from TJ’s and only $2.99 a box!

I considered roasting these guys but then decided raw was probably the best way to go so I don’t waste the extra tomato-ness of them. Dressed them up real simple with olive oil and some Italian seasoning.

I have a newfound obsession for quinoa. These little guys are full of enzymes, vitamins, and all this other junk that’s good for you. Nutty and delicious! Right now, I’d say my favorite quinoa salad is the Winter Creamy Spinach Quinoa Salad from Mendocino Farms. I made mine with more Spring inspirations in mind… kind of went crazy on the red onions… I’d probably not use so many or dice them smaller for next time.

Throw it all on a plate with some good crusty bread and hello, lunch.

My Quinoa Salad
4 servings

1.5 cups quinoa, dry
3 cups arugula, roughly chopped and loosely packed
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (if you can find the ones packed in olive oil, those are even better)
Half a red onion, diced (saute them slightly if you don’t like raw onion)
1 cup chopped pecan pieces
1 lime
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
Goat Cheese (optional)

Here’s a great tutorial for cooking perfectly fluffy quinoa:

http://www.eatingrules.com/2011/10/how-to-make-fluffy-quinoa/

Rinse quinoa in cold water. Drain through a fine mesh strainer; allow to drain and dry for 20 minutes to remove water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast quinoa and pecan pieces in separate pans for 5 minutes until a nutty scent emerges from your oven. Be careful not to burn them! They’re small so they could start burning quickly if you forget about them.

So, rule of thumb is about 1.5 cups of water for every 1 cup of quinoa to avoid mushiness (mushy is a no-no), so I used 2 1/4 cups of water. Bring the water in a pot to a rapid boil. Add quinoa and cover lid leaving a slight vent for steam to escape.

Reduce heat to medium-low and maintain the simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the water is gone and the germ has started to curl out of the grains.

Remove from heat, remove lid, and allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes and then fluff it up with a fork.

Allow quinoa to cool (at least until it’s not steaming) before making your salad because you don’t want your arugula to start wilting.
In a large bowl, toss cooked quinoa, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, toasted pecans, and goat cheese together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and coat lightly with olive oil.

Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad
Adapted from allrecipes

4 cups cherry tomatoes or mini heirloom tomatoes :)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon agave nectar

In a small bowl or cup measure, mix together oil, apple cider vinegar, herbs, salt, and agave nectar
.
Pour dressing over cherry tomatoes in a serving dish, and gently stir to coat. Chill for at least 2 hours. Gently stir from bottom to top, coating all tomatoes, before serving.

I couldn’t wait 2 hours to eat mine so I ate it right away! Stuck the leftover in the fridge and it definitely tasted better later. So… try to be patient.