Food goodness

I've been experimenting with this and have found a few different ways to make it. I find I generally prefer red quinoa to the plain stuff, too, because it seems to hold its texture better when you let it sit a few days. Blueberry quinoa : Heat 1c frozen blueberries with a little bit of maple syrup, agave, or water until it's boiling. Remove from heat and stir in 2c cooked quinoa, plus a generous splash of something creamy -- milk or half and half. Serve with plain yogurt and chopped nuts on top, plus a drizzle of something sweet if desired. Coconut quinoa : Cook quinoa with coconut milk instead of water (using the same proportions). Sprinkle with that really good flaked coconut, nuts, chopped fruit, etc. Quinoa with nut butter : Pretty much what it sounds like. You can use the coconut-milk-cooked stuff for some creaminess, or stir in a little milk too. Sliced banana on top. I also want to try this breakfast grain salad but haven't yet. Mm, grains.

I was looking for a way to use up some leftover salmon, and this fit the bill. I also did it with some of the precooked packaged salmon from Trader Joe's, and it worked well that time too. Cakes: 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or one package of TJ's cooked salmon 1/4 c panko [recipe calls for 2 (6-inch) pita rounds or 3 slices firm white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces] 1/4 cup + a little more greek yogurt [recipe calls for mayo] 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/4 teaspoon cayenne good shake of Old Bay 1 t grated lemon zest salt & pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil Sauce: 1 t grated lemon zest chopped dill [optional, but a good idea] 3/4 cup plain yogurt [recipe called for whole-milk; I used 2% Greek] 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Mix cake ingredients together & form small-ish patties (mine made 8). Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.  Cook salmon cakes, turning

Based on this recipe . 2 heads or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets several scallions, white and green parts chopped  6 large eggs 1/2 cup half-and-half (can use fat-free) salt & pepper dash of red pepper & nutmeg  3/4 c (3 oz.) shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar & gruyere)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the pie dish. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 1 minute. Drain well; transfer to a cutting board, and blot dry with paper towels. Chop coarsely. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and spices. Stir in broccoli, scallions and cheese. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

YUM. I never would have put this combination together if I hadn't been perusing this cookbook , trying to figure out more things to do with quinoa. The original recipe calls for pancetta, which I left out but which would probably be delicious. It also wanted you to cook the fennel and I have no idea why, because it adds nice crunchiness when it's raw. And there was also some nonsense about putting a lemon in the fennel water that seemed entirely unnecessary. (All that said, I really like this cookbook and am using it more than any other these days, and you can get it on Amazon right now for one (1) cent. Just one penny! Plus shipping, but still! You should buy it.) Also, I just bought some red quinoa at TJ's, and I think it tasted the same but looked prettier than regular quinoa. Vinaigrette: 3 T frozen orange juice concentrate 2 T red wine vinegar 1 T balsamic vinegar 3 T olive oil 1+ T spicy mustard salt and pepper to taste Salad: 3+ c cooked quinoa 1