Is this thing still on? Or, How Picky learned to love Quinoa

Ok, I know I am a liar.  I didn't do an update like I promised.  So here it is now.  I have been taking pictures of certain meals and I will be posting them now, I promise!  So where was I?

Oh, I wanted to share this recipe for a great quinoa salad that I usually make.  I know, quinoa sounds like such a weird word.  But!  If Picky likes it then it must be good.  Plus it is super simple to make.  It takes less time than making rice (the regular kind, not the minute rice).  Do you have 15 minutes to spare?  You do?  Great!

Quinoa Salad

1 Cup of quinoa (either white or red)
2 cups of water or stock
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup of red onion or green onion, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 anchovies, minced (optional)
A couple handfuls of black or green olives, chopped (optional)
A bunch of basil, cut into slivers
1/3 cup of currants (also optional, but if you do add it, then don't add the olives)
1/4 cup of nuts such as pine nuts, sliced almonds, etc.
1 lemon, squeezed
1/2 to 1 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
a pinch of cayenne if you want spiciness
1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1.  Measure out your cup of quinoa and put it on the side.  Put your 2 cups of water or stock in a soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once your liquid comes to a boil, add the quinoa, cover, and bring to a simmer over low heat.  This should take 15 minutes to be done so set a timer so that you check on it.

2.  While your quinoa is cooking, chop up all of the remaining ingredients except the lemon, olive oil, and seasonings.  Put these ingredients in a large bowl.

3.  Hopefully, by the time you finish chopping, the liquid in the quinoa will be all absorbed.  Make sure the quinoa doesn't look soggy.  If all the liquid is gone but it looks soggy, then cover it and give it 2-5 more minutes.  Remove from heat and let the quinoa cool off for a few minutes.

4.  Once the quinoa is no longer hot (but it can be warm), add it to your bowl with all your chopped stuff.  Then add your lemon juice and olive oil as well as your seasoning.  Taste and adjust as needed.  Then enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts

The last time I made Brussels Sprouts for Picky, it was Christmas.  Unfortunately, Picky came down with a fever just as we were starting to eat, so he doesn't remember whether he liked them or not.  I prefer to think that he did like them, whether he remembers or not!

I don't have the recipe that I made back in December, so I decided to look for another recipe.  I found one on Epicurious.  How could I not try a recipe titled "For people who think they hate Brussels sprouts."  That sounds like Picky to me!

Brussels Sprouts for People Who Think They Hate Brussels Sprouts

Adapted from Epicurious

This is a fairly simple recipe that was very tasty.  At least to me.  Picky didn't have a problem with the sprouts, but he did have a problem with the nutmeg.  I didn't hate them, but I do see his point.  I would make these again, but I would probably leave out the nutmeg since I do associate it with pumpkin pie, and it just didn't seem to go with the Brussels sprouts.

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste, preferably freshly grated (optional)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and remove and discard any discolored outer leaves. If sprouts are large (more than 1 inch in diameter), cut them in quarters lengthwise through the stem end. If smaller, cut them in half.

2.  Bring 2 quarts of water to boil, add salt and the sprouts. Boil the sprouts uncovered until they are just crunchy-tender, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook them. Drain the sprouts well.

3.  Heat the olive oil in the empty pot. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the sprouts and nutmeg and sauté for another minute. Mix in the Parmesan cheese and toss the sprouts until the cheese melts.

Picky's birthday dinner - tri tip steak, green beans with pesto, and potato cheese tart

Yesterday was Picky's birthday!  Yay!  I wanted to make him something special, something that he would like, so I didn't get too adventurous.  Picky didn't say anything in particular that he wanted, so I just started throwing out suggestions until he said sure.  Steak, or any kind of meat, is such an obvious choice.  He loves his meat a lot!  But I wanted to make it extra special, so I put my special rub on it.  Plus, at the last minute, I decided to make a red wine sauce.

For the green beans I didn't want to just toss them in olive oil and add salt and pepper like I usually do, so I looked online for some inspiration.  I found a recipe for a green bean, and potato salad with pesto and thought, well that's what I'll do.  Minus the potatoes.

The potato cheese tart was an obvious choice because it was the first thing I ever cooked for Picky and he loved it then.  I made some adjustments to the recipe, because I didn't have all the ingredients, but it turned out just as yummy.

Considering that Picky is currently in a food coma, I would say this dinner was a success!

Stay  tuned for:  Chocolate Souffle!

Note:  I am in the process of moving and will have to post the recipe for the spice rub that I used on the steak at a later date.

Red Wine Sauce for Steak

1/2 bottle of red wine
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of flour
salt to taste

Pour the wine in a sauce pan over medium high heat and then lower to a simmer when it starts to boil.  You will want to reduce it to half.  After it has reduced, turn the heat off.

In a separate sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter.  After it has started to brown, add the flour and whisk.  After the mixture has cooked for a couple minutes, add the reduced wine to the pan and whisk.  Whisk often for about 5 minutes.  Right before you turn off the heat, add the salt to your liking and whisk in.  It is now ready to pour over the meat of your choice.

Green beans with pesto
Please don't feel that you need to follow this recipe to a T.  I tend to wing it, every time I make pesto.
For the pesto:
One big bunch of basil (about two big handfuls) (or you can use spinach or arugula) 
About 1  cup of walnuts  or pine nuts
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Olive oil
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (or asiago) (optitonal)
Salt to taste

Toss all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil and salt in a food processor or blender.  Start the processor.  While it is processing, start pouring olive oil, slowly, and in a thin stream in the processor or blender.  When it starts to come together, stop pouring and stop the processor.  Put in a container and mix in salt to taste.  If you're not going to use it right away, you can stick it in the freezer.

I used frozen green beans and just followed the directions on the package when I put them in the microwave, except I put it for one minute less.  Then I threw the green beans in a pan with some pesto over low heat and mixed together until the green beans were hot.  Then serve!

Potato Cheese tart
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Gourmet

I didn't follow this recipe exactly.  I didn't have small red potatoes on hand so I used the regular brown potatoes and one white sweet potato since that is what I had.  Plus, I didn't have blue cheese so I used what I had, which was Gruyere and cheddar.  It still came out very tasty!  I would probably not only slice the potatoes 1/4 inch thick, but I would also cut the slices in half to make them smaller.  The herbs that I used were fresh rosemary and fresh thyme (again, this is what I had on hand).  As long as you very finely chop them, it will be really yummy!

1 Savory Tart Shell, below, or recipe of your choice, in a 9-inch tart pan and ready to fill
1 pound any type of potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch slices, and then cut in half if using large potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
1/4 pound Gruyere and cheddar, diced very small (about 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoons finely chopped herb or herbs of your choice, such as a mixture of thyme and rosemary
Fine sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan, cover potato slices with water by two inches. Simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. If the potatoes don’t seem very dry, pat them dry with towels.
Arrange potato slices, overlapping slightly, in concentric circles around the tart pan. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. Whisk cream and egg yolk together and pour into tart shell, then sprinkle tart with herbs of your choice and salt.
Bake tart on a baking sheet until bubbling and golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan on rack and serve warm or cold (I prefer it warm).  The cream/egg mixture will be custardy, so it is best to let it cool a bit so when you cut it, the cream doesn't come flowing out.


Savory Tart Shell
1 1/4 (5 1/2 ounces) cups flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter, diced
1 large egg
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender, fork or two knives until it is in very tiny bits. Add one egg and mix with a fork until a dough forms. If this does not happen easily, toss it out onto a counter and knead it together. This dough is rather tough but with a little elbow grease, it does come together nicely.
This dough can also be made a food processor, or in a stand mixer, though I’ve only tried it in a food processor.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan and press to remove any air bubbles. Level the edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Proceed with a filling of your choice, no parbaking required.