Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Kale & Feta

Lamb is lovely.  I like the taste and how it can be prepared so many different ways.  I also feel like it's a healthy alternative to other meats.  

I found a small, frozen, boneless leg of lamb for a very good price in the grocery store and decided to make this tasty stuffed lamb.  

Here's what you need:

Quinoa and Potato Salad with Sausage and Tarragon

This combo may sound a little odd, but it's very tasty, full of protein and makes a nice, filling main course salad.  Leftovers are great for lunch the next day.  

The recipe came from Serious Eats. Since I had almost all the ingredients on hand, I gave it a whirl.  Here's what you need:

Pork Chops with Pears and Quinoa

You can't argue with pork and pears together.  This recipe adds quinoa and some goat's cheese for a creamy, tart compliment to the sweetness of the pears.  

Here's what you need:

Roasted Shrimp & Fennel with Quinoa

I don't know why I love fennel so much.  I don't like liquorice at all and anise is the main flavour of fennel.  But when it's roasted it tastes so sweet and delicious.  I thought I'd try roasting it with some shrimp and serving it over quinoa.  It turned out great!

Easy!  Here's what you need:

I bulb fennel
1 lb large raw shrimp, shelled but tails left on
1 onion
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 cup quinoa
olive oil
hot pepper flakes (optional, not pictured)
salt and pepper

First peel and chop the onion into wedges and spread in roasting pan.

Remove the tops from the fennel, reserving the green fronds.

Core and slice the fennel and add it to the roasting pan with the onions.

Chop the garlic cloves.  Reserve about a teaspoon of chopped garlic.

And add the rest to the roasting pan with the fennel and onion.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Toss together and place in a 400 degree oven and roast about 20 minutes until fennel is tender.  

Meanwhile rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer for a few minutes until the water runs clear.  Drain well.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large pan and add the reserved chopped garlic and a sprinkle of hot chili flakes.  Cook for about a minute.

Add the quinoa and toss to coat the quinoa with oil.  Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Zest a lemon.

Toss shrimp with some additional chili flakes, salt and pepper.  

Add the shrimp and all but a teaspoon of the lemon zest and 1/2 cup water to the roasting pan with the fennel and roast 5 minutes until shrimp is pink.

Chop the fennel fronds with the reserved teaspoon of lemon zest for garnish.

Serve up the quinoa on a plate or shallow bowl.

And top with the fennel and shrimp mixture.  

Sprinkle with the remaining fennel fronds and lemon zest and serve.  

Tasty, light and filling.  A great way to serve shrimp in the winter. 

Portobello Quinoa Salad

Here's another hearty, vegetarian main dish salad.  With protein-rich quinoa and meaty portobello mushrooms, you won't miss the meat.

There are a couple of methods for cooking quinoa.  You can boil it in a pot full of water like pasta, then drain when cooked, or you can cook it more like rice in just slightly more water than grains. The water will be absorbed into the quinoa as it cooks.  I don't have any preference and usually just use whatever method the recipe calls for.  

For this one, use the rice method.  Boil 1 cup of water and add 2/3 cup of quinoa plus a sprinkle of salt and hot chili flakes.  Simmer, covered for about 12 minutes then remove from heat, let stand covered for 5 more minutes and then fluff with a fork.

For the salad you'll also need portobello mushrooms, pepper, cucumber and salad greens - spinach, romaine or a mixed blend.  

For the dressing/marinade you need sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, fresh ginger and garlic.

Mix 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger with 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons sesame oil and 2 teaspoons honey.  

Take your portobello mushrooms...

... remove the stems and scrape out the gills with a spoon.  Brush both sides of the mushrooms with the sesame ginger dressing.

Grill the mushrooms along with a seeded red or green pepper over a hot grill until charred and tender.

Meanwhile, slice ribbons of cucumber with a vegetable peeler, turning the cucumber to slice each side.

Chop the grilled pepper and add to the quinoa along with 2 tablespoons of the dressing.

To assemble the salad, dress salad greens with lightly with the sesame ginger dressing.

Add to the plate with the ribbons of cucumber.

Top with a grilled portobello mushroom cap.

Then top the mushroom cap with the quinoa pepper mixture and drizzle more dressing over top.
This is a hearty, healthy salad.  It's full of protein and nutrients and tastes great!  

Curried Quinoa Mango Salad

This salad has been a staple in our house for years. My husband loves it. We generally have it as a side dish with grilled chicken or pork, but it is excellent as leftovers for lunch the next day. 

I can't believe I haven't written about this salad before!  Quinoa is so good for you.  It is a grain that's full of protein. I also like the nutty flavour and slightly crunchy texture.  It comes in red, white, and rarer varieties like black.  I like to use a combination of the red and white for a nice colour contrast.  I buy it at Bulk Barn but you can get it at any supermarket.  I also like to buy grain and lentil mixes that contain quinoa.  If you're looking for it, it's pronounced KEEN-wah.

This is another big winner from Epicurious.  You'll need 1 cup of quinoa (I was a little short so just made it with 2/3 of a cup and it still worked out fine). Plus white wine vinegar, mango chutney, curry powder, dry mustard, a fresh mango, cucumber and salad greens (spinach, arugula or spring mix is great).

You can rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer.  I sometimes skip this step and don't find it makes much difference.  Add the grains to boiling water and simmer about 12 minutes, then drain and cool.

While the quinoa is cooking, make the dressing.  I like to double the recipe so there's lots of dressing, plus extra for leftovers.  

Take 2 tablespoons mango chutney (chopped up if chunky), 3 teaspoons curry powder and 1/2 a teaspoon dry mustard.

Mix in 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar and 1/2 cup olive or canola oil.  That's it!

Next, chop an English cucumber.

And some green onions.

Then chop the mango.

And add it to the cucumber and onions.

Add the quinoa.

And mix in half the dressing.

And toss to combine.

To serve, pile some salad greens on a plate. This is baby romaine but you can use spinach or any green. 

Top with the quinoa vegetable mixture.

Then drizzle with a little more dressing.

This salad can be a full meal or a hearty side dish. The slightly spicy curry and chutney with the sweet mango and fresh cucumber is a great combination.  Easy, healthy and highly recommended.