Citrus Quinoa

I've been feeling stuck in the creative doldrums lately. I haven't been taking pictures, haven't been cooking, and certainly haven't been blogging. I have been working like a mad woman on that event planning thing that pays the bills, so that's partially to blame. To combat this, I forced myself back into the kitchen this past weekend, behind the stove and lens, and ran tests on three separate dishes.

It was good to be back. I even removed the safety net of food experimentation and invited friends over to taste what could have been three separate disasters. Turns out I might actually know how to cook, so not only did I not burn my house down, I scored a home run on all three.

Or, maybe three touchdowns? I had football on the entire time. I have three fantasy teams to keep track of, after all! There's a theme here...

The most popular dish was a riff on a Food 52 recipe. Instead of couscous and olives I opted for quinoa and capers because why the hell not? I really had no other reason.

There's something elegant in simplicity. A handful of simple ingredients + 20 minutes = a big explosion of deliciousness in one's mouth. Those little green capers will do that to you. They're like teeny bombs of sour awesomeness.

I'd actually made the original recipe a few months back. It's good. This was better. Capers kicked it up a few notches.

And it's not the first time I've played with cooking quinoa in unconventional ways. Quinoa for breakfast, anyone? Cooking it in orange juice didn't seem like too far a stretch.

I was also testing a recipe full of roasted red peppers, so I cut one up and threw it in this dish for a nice dash of color. But you could just as easily use pimento for a sweeter kick. That's what would probably be stuffed in your olives anyway. Life is full of choices.

Thank you to my wonderful buddies Elise, DeShawn, and Rob for their input. To quote one of them, "the capers and orange juice did a dance on my tongue as they co-mingled together." How great is that? You can make your tongue DANCE with this!

And thanks also to my mom for this cute little dish. I love it.

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Citrus Quinoa

by adapted from Food 52 September-26-2012

A flavor combination that will make your tongue dance.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 3/4 cup orange juice (no pulp)
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon roasted red pepper, minced

Instructions

1. Rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear (this removes the bitterness), then place in a pot with the orange juice. Cover, bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, until fully cooked.2. While the quinoa is cooking, sauté the minced shallot in olive oil until translucent. 3. Once the quinoa is finished cooking, fluff with a fork and fold in the shallot, capers, and pepper. Serve warm.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Yield: 2 cups

Simple No-Mayo Tuna Salad

Ordering tuna salad is always a bit tricky. First it has mayo. Icky. Then there's usually the demon cardboard vegetable celery in it. More ick. Truthfully, the mere thought of it turns me off to food completely.

To avoid all that nonsense, I make my own, which is better than any I've ever had. I know that sounds terribly arrogant. But I don't like eating the same thing on a daily basis and I've eaten this for the last 4 days. No kidding. I've craved it like a fiend.

Put it between two slices of bread and it's a special sandwich. Wrap it in lettuce or mix it with quinoa, even better. Eat it straight, simply delicious.

But if there's no mayonnaise, what holds it together? I routinely substitute Greek yogurt for mayo in everything else, so this is no different. And, of course, Dijon mustard. Without mustard, life is far too bland. Add in cucumbers for crunch and capers for a sour bite, and you have yourself tuna salad without the ick.

Unless you simply don't like tuna, then there's no hope for you.

Add in a roasted pepper and you'll have a colorful plate. Or banana peppers. And pickles for even more sour crunch. But this right here, as is, it's as close to perfection as I've ever gotten in my own kitchen.

Which is saying a lot about a mere tuna salad.

This is a single serving recipe but scales easily.

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No Mayo Tuna Salad

by Paulette Fontanez March-23-2012

A delicious combination of briny capers, crispy cucumbers, and fleshy tuna married with Dijon mustard and yogurt.

Ingredients

• 1 5-oz can of tuna in water, drained
• 1 egg, hard boiled
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Serve in a sandwich, a wrap, or with crackers.

Yield: 1 serving