Quinoa, Kale and Pear Salad
August 6, 2014
How can you not be inspired when you spot a pear like this at the market? And, with that you have the start of a 5 ingredient / 5 minute salad, barely needs a recipe. Crunchy, protein packed, phytonutrient rich, slightly sweet and a little bit salty. The simplequietmodern way to pack a lunch. OK…who’s hungry?
I’ve tried to re-create here a similar salad that I love from Simply Good Kitchen. This is so good and so simple that I might just be dragging this into the Fall by adjusting it a bit. Adding a touch of walnut oil to the vinaigrette and swapping out the pistachios for toasted walnuts could be the ticket. A bit of blue cheese couldn’t hurt either.
The new BLT
October 6, 2012
Bacon Arugula & Tomato…what could be wrong with that? It’s simple, it has bacon and it has Arugula! The best possible ingredients are key. Take advantage of the abundance of heirloom tomatoes that are showing up on your desk or doorstep, treat yourself to some Whole Foods thick sliced bacon from the meat counter and switch out the lettuce for a handful of organic baby Arugula. Stack it up on a nice chunk of Ciabatta, add a touch of mayo and a pinch of coarse salt and ground pepper and you are done, done and done. A glass of Prosecco… ( or even cider) and well, you’ve got the perfect Sunday lunch… or a great reward for raking the yard.
It’s simple. It’s soup.
September 18, 2012
Like my “Five Easy Pieces” formula for designing a room…these five simple ingredients will keep you warm and satisfied at mealtime during the cooler months ahead. I wanted to incorpoate my favorite superfood, Arugula, into a simple hot dish that could be made on the quick…like soup. After scouting several recipes, editing,tweaking and adjusting.., my Potato White Bean and Arugula soup is the result. In less than an hour you can turn this out and feed a group with minimal effort using 5 items you most likely have on hand; chicken stock, white beans, potatoes, garlic and arugula. Ok, you might need to run out for the greens, but they go in last, so you have the opportunity to pick up a great loaf of bread and some figs for dessert to round out your meal while the soup is simmering. After a bowl of this you’ll be wondering why you don’t make soup more often.
This soup could only be better served up in this simplequietmodern soup plate from the Chez Pannise collection produced by Heath Ceramics….don’t you think?
http://www.heathceramics.com/cook-dine.html?heath_collection=226
Pan con Tomate
September 14, 2012
With the summer tomatoes better than ever now, it’s a perfect time to enjoy this classic from the north of Spain. Start with a great slice of bread and grill it or toast it up. Then, simply rub the rough surface with a clove of garlic followed by a good rub of the cut side of a ripe tomato. A sprinkle of coarse salt (and a little drizzle of olive oil if you’d like) and you are done and done. Eaten as a snack or as part of a light lunch as they serve it up at Sunday Supper, the key here lies in the ingredients. Use the best rustic bread you can get your hands on and go that extra mile to get a great tomato from a local farmers market or country farm stand. You might even try knocking out a homemade loaf yourself with this recipe from The Fresh Loaf. Any way you get it done…treat yourself and just do it. You’ll find yourself wondering why you never made this before.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/2984/jasons-quick-coccodrillo-ciabatta-bread
http://sunday-suppers.com/midday-meal-asparagus-sformato-fondanta-pan-con-tomate/
What’s for lunch?
June 28, 2012
Like a lot of people I’ve been eating less and less red meat and chicken these days. So, then, what’s for lunch? Today I’ve whipped up a substantial salad that is fresh and satisfying and best of all…simple. Starting with a base of Trader Joe’s Brown rice medley ( which includes black barley and daikon radish seeds ) I’ve added red bell pepper, green onion, sugar snap peas and toasted walnuts and dressed it with my “go to” vinaigrette of olive oil and lemon juice with a touch of garlic. While your grains are cooling to room temp you can prep your vegetables and mix up your dressing. The best part of this salad it the texture…C R U N C H Y…from the daikon seeds to the sugar snaps to the celery to the walnuts. OK…now I’m hungry. Is it time to break yet? 
For starters,
May 26, 2012
I kept this Quinoa salad simple. Feta , tomatoes, Italian parsley and Quinoa tossed with a simple vinaigrette of lemon juice and olive oil with a touch of garlic. Salt and pepper to taste and you’re done. A simple, satisfying lunch or a great side for any summer supper. Then I started thinking of ” add ins”…garbanzos, Persian cucumbers? Maybe oil packed tuna or some grilled chicken? Dill? Basil? This basic recipe will allow you plenty of variations for an entire summer of good eats that are good for ya. 
