Red Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Chickpeas

We celebrated summer tonight with Chicken Mojito, Jiddo's Hummus Bi Tahini, and a fabulous Red Quinoa Salad. By combining different recipes, I came up with this nutritious, delicious, Spanish inspired dish, which I've made several times to rave reviews. If you prefer to go vegetarian, serve this quinoa salad with mixed greens. Whether served as a main course or a side dish, this dish provides a perfect summer lunch or supper.

RED QUINOA SALAD WITH SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS

For the salad:
1¼ cups red quinoa
2½ cups water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
1 10-oz. bag spinach, washed and roughly chopped
2 baby seedless cucumbers,
            or ½ long English seedless cucumber, peeled and diced
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, chopped
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and/or pistachio nuts for garnish
Salad greens, if serving as a main course salad

For the dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
3 tsps. honey
1 large garlic clove, minced or put through a press
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

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1. Bring broth to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add quinoa and simmer about 20 minutes (red quinoa takes a few minutes longer than white to cook), until "halo" appears around the grains. Fluff quinoa. Let sit partially covered for five minutes, then turn into a large bowl to cool. (Quinoa can be rinsed in cold water to cool faster. Drain well.)

2. Fold spinach, chickpeas, mint, and cucumber into cooled quinoa.

3. Whisk dressing ingredients together, fold into salad, and chill.

4. Serve over salad greens or as a side dish. Pass seeds and nuts at the table. Enjoy with crusty bread and a summery dry rosé or crisp white wine. Easily serves 6.

Risotto with Sausage and Spinach

With the prep work done and the fixings assembled, risotto is fun to cook. Risotti make wonderful first courses or elegant one-dish meals. They can include meat, seafood, and/or vegetables. Ingredients are limited only by the cook's imagination. We are fortunate to have an Italian grocer here in New Hampshire who handmakes delicious Italian sausage, and I have added several risotto recipes to my repertoire to showcase it. This is one of my favorites.

RISOTTO with SAUSAGE and SPINACH

6 cups of chicken broth
10 oz. fresh spinach, stemmed, washed, and roughly chopped
¾ lb. mild Italian sausage (3-4), skins removed, roughly chopped
1 small onion or large shallot, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
5 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Simmering Risotto

1. Heat broth and keep simmering.

2. Melt 4 Tbs. of the butter in a deep, non-stick frying pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, until onion softens and starts to color. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Add sausage, breaking into chunks and cooking until raw color is gone and meat is browned.

3. Add rice. Stir 1-2 minutes until coated well with butter and heated. Increase heat to medium-high. Add wine (set a timer to 18 minutes at this point) and stir casually until rice absorbs wine.

4. Add a generous ladle of broth, stirring occasionally until absorbed. Continue adding broth about a cup at a time, allowing liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

5. After about 10 minutes, stir in spinach. It will cook down quickly. After 18 minutes, taste rice for doneness. It should be al dente.

6. Remove pan from heat. Stir in remaining Tbs. of butter and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread and salad, if desired. 4-6 generous servings.

Trofie with Spinach, Garlic, and Shrimp

Trofie

Our writers' group revisited an old favorite tonight, a wonderful Italian casserole dish for seafood and pasta lovers. Vegetarians can omit the shrimp. Vegans can omit both shrimp and cheese, or serve Veggie cheese on the side. All variations are scrumptious.

Trofie, a thin, squiggly Ligurian pasta with tapered ends, is traditionally served with pesto sauce. It's perfect in this dish, as the spinach would become entangled in longer pastas like linguine. Don't let all the steps discourage you. This one is delicious!

TROFIE WITH SPINACH, GARLIC, and SHRIMP

Bread Crumb Topping
8 Tbs. fresh bread crumbs                     3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
3-4 garlic cloves                                      2 tsps. olive oil
3 tsps. grated Parmesan Reggiano        Salt and pepper

Pasta
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil                 ¾ lb. trofie or other small pasta
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced           1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
A pinch of dried red pepper flakes        ¼ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
10 oz. fresh spinach,                               1 lb. raw jumbo shrimp
        stemmed and chopped *                2-3 Tbs. dry white wine

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1. Make fresh breadcrumbs by dropping fresh or day old bread in the food processor with garlic cloves. Combine topping ingredients in small bowl and reserve.

2. In a large pasta pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add salt. Preheat the broiler.

3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic over a low flame. Slowly cook the garlic slivers until they turn a light golden brown. Remove garlic slivers with a slotted spoon and discard.

4. Add red pepper flakes to the oil. Cook 30 seconds. Toss spinach in the oil. Add wine and cook until limp, turning often with tongs or a kitchen fork. Remove pan from  heat and reserve until pasta is done.

5. Plunge the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Just before draining the pasta, ladle 1 cup of cooking water into the spinach and oil and place the pan over moderate heat. Drain pasta and add to the pan with the spinach and oil. Sprinkle the cheese directly onto the pasta and toss well. Transfer pasta to an ovenproof serving platter and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix. Broil until the crumbs are golden brown and serve immediately.
 
* Frozen chopped spinach, thawed before adding, works well. Decrease cooking time.
 
** To add shrimp, shell, clean, and sauté it with the spinach, but not too long, as it will continue to cook when the pasta is added, and again in the broiler.

Serve with crusty bread, salad, and white wine. Serves 4-6.

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Spinach and Beef Lasagna

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

Many years ago, my sister, Lynn, introduced her lasagna recipe to our family. Since then, hardly a family gathering has gone by without one of the Hamilton girls making 'the lasagna'. I added spinach recently at my husband's request. We really like the new recipe…

Ingredients

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup water

8-ounces lasagna noodles (12 noodles), cooked
1 pound part skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup finely ground parmesan cheese

16-ounce part skim ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Pour oil into a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, brown beef. Drain off excess fat. Stir in garlic, salt, parsley, oregano, basil, sugar, tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Bring to boil then simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, slice ¾ of mozzarella cheese into 27 pieces and set aside, cube remaining ¼ of mozzarella cheese to mix into ricotta in step 3.

3. Mix ricotta, cubed mozzarella cheese (step 2), egg, spinach, salt and pepper.

Add sauce and repeat layers.

4. Spoon a small amount of sauce into bottom of lasagna pan. Layer 4 noodles, 1/3 ricotta mixture, 1/3 parmesian, 9 slices of mozzarella, sauce. Repeat for 3 layers. Cover pan with aluminum foil.

5. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!!

Shrimp Scampi with Rice and Spinach

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

Gardening is one of my many hobbies. The other day I was at the garden center, ogling this plant and that, when I found the cinnamon basil plant pictured above. Of course, I had to have it. I took the herb home, snipped off a few of the spicy-sweet leaves and used them in a romantic shrimp scampi dinner for two.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown rice
2 cups spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound shrimp
6 leaves basil, minced
¼ teaspoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
black pepper

1. Add rice to two cups boiling water, cook on medium heat (low boil) with no lid for 30 minutes. Stir in spinach, cover with lid, remove from heat and set aside.

2. Melt butter in sauté pan. Add olive oil and garlic and stir over low-medium heat to flavor oil. Raise heat to medium, add shrimp, basil, mustard and lemon juice, and stir often until shrimp is opaque and cooked through.

3. Drain rice in colander. Split rice and spinach between two bowls. Pour scampi over top of rice mixture and sprinkle with pepper to taste.

Serve with white wine. Enjoy!

Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Quinoa and Spinach

Quinoa-Stuffed Mushrooms,
Steamed Purple Cauliflower,
and Kabocha Squash
Braised in Soy and Ginger

The grain-like seeds of quinoa (KEEN-wa) were first cultivated by the Incas of South America thousands of years ago. A complete and easily digestible protein, this tiny pseudograin is a scrumptious and nutritious addition to any diet.

I first came across quinoa while seeking vegetarian recipes for our Monday night writers' group suppers, and it's one of the best food finds I've ever made. If you've never tried quinoa, please do. Cook it like rice, and use it as the base of a main course salad, as a side dish, or, as in this recipe, as a stuffing. Look for the pre-washed kind, and don't be afraid to experiment with different colored quinoa "grains."

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS STUFFED with QUINOA and SPINACH

For the Quinoa:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

For the Mushrooms:

8-10 portobello mushroom caps             2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil                      3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. soy sauce                                       Salt and pepper

To Assemble the Dish:

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil                      1 10-oz. pkg. fresh spinach,

1 large shallot, chopped                               stemmed, washed, and chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, minced                        1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

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1. Combine quinoa and broth in a 2-qt. pan. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat. Simmer about 12 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and germ of the grain becomes visible. Remove from heat, fluff quinoa, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, combine oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Remove mushroom stems and gills, rinse briefly, and brush mixture over mushrooms. Place topside up on foil-wrapped baking sheet and let sit at least ten minutes.

Heat broiler and broil mushrooms about five minutes, then turn and broil another 3-4 minutes. (Mushrooms may flatten. Don't worry.) Using a spatula, remove them to a baking pan or oven-proof serving dish, bottom side up.

3.  Heat oil in non-stick skillet. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic. Stir for a minute. Add spinach. Turn gently until wilted. Fold in quinoa, mixing until all the grains are unclumped and coated with oil. Spoon mixture onto mushroom caps. Drizzle liquid in broiling pan over mushrooms. Cover and keep in warm oven until ready to serve. Top with pine nuts and serve with salad and/or vegetables, as desired. Generously serves 4-5.

Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

I have a 'thing' for kitchen gadgets and equipment. Two food processors sit on my kitchen counter, a large one and a mini-prep. I call them 'Big Moe' and 'Little Moe'. For this recipe, I use Big Moe to shred the cheese and Little Moe to mince the garlic. I just love my power toys.

I usually make this dish with leftover chicken after I've either baked or broiled or barbequed a large family-pack of thighs. I use a stoneware baking-dish, but any baking-dish will do. This recipe is spicy and rich and delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 cooked chicken thighs, meat cut from the bone into small pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 package (8 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers,
shredded (split into 2/3 and 1/3)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (10 ounces) hot enchilada sauce
8 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas

1. Pour oil into a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot add onion and jalapeno. Stir frequently until onion is limp.

2. In a large bowl, mix onion mixture with chicken, garlic, spinach, 2/3 cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, chili powder, chipotle chili pepper, and black pepper.

3. Pour just enough enchilada sauce into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish to cover bottom. Place a rounded 1/2 cup of chicken mixture onto a tortilla, roll, and place in pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas, arranging in a single layer over the sauce. Top evenly with remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle remaining 1/3 cheese over top

4. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Cheese should be brown and bubbling. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream. Makes eight enchiladas.

Salmon Orzo Mediterranean

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

The word orzo is Italian for barley, referring to the shape and size of the pasta as it looks somewhat like a grain of rice. I've always thought of orzo pasta as Greek because of its popularity in the region, but you will find the tiny pasta in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes.

During a recent visit to the Boston area, I enjoyed a wonderful salmon fillet with an orzo side dish in an Italian restaurant. After returning home, I thought, why not combine the two and I came up with the following colorful recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. salmon fillet
2 cups orzo pasta
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
4 scallions, chopped with greens

1. Broil, bake, or microwave salmon fillet and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta according to package directions in a large saucepan.

3. In a small bowl combine and whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

4. When pasta has finished cooking and while still hot, drain and return to pan. Add spinach, bell pepper, cucumber, and scallions. Add lemon juice mixture and toss. Break cooked salmon fillet into small pieces and mix in. Serve immediately.

* This recipe is also good served cold the next day.

Provides four servings. Enjoy!