I’ve been sharing a lot of appetizer and dessert recipes lately, but I have a whole bundle of dinner recipes that I cannot wait to post here on Lemon & Mocha. Matt and I have definitely been living the good life with our meals the last couple of weeks! I’ve done a lot of experimenting in the kitchen and I’m sharing the very best ones with you all this month.

One of these dishes is this Summer Peach Greek Quinoa Salad. I can’t get enough of fresh fruit all summer long, but one that I look forward to the most are juicy, sweet peaches. Last year summer had passed by and I had only managed to share one peach recipe on the blog – these Raspberry Peach Turnovers with a Fresh Raspberry Glaze. So I immediately started brainstorming peach recipe ideas for this summer.

I have a few peach dessert recipes already here on Lemon & Mocha so my mind went the savory route and I got this idea in my head of a Greek quinoa salad with peaches in it. Of course since I thought of it after peak peach season was over I had to wait until this summer to test out of my creation.

The verdict? SO good. The ingredients are simple; quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta and a quick homemade Greek vinaigrette plus the sweet peach twist. This Summer Peach Greek Quinoa Salad doesn’t have to be a dinner dish as you could certainly serve it for lunch or as a side at a barbecue, but Matt and I had it along an incredible pork dish that I’ll be sharing on Wednesday and it was pure perfection!

What summer fruit do you look forward to the most?

Summer Peach Greek Quinoa Salad

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved (about 12-13)
• ¼ red onion, minced
• ½ English cucumber, small diced (about ⅔ cup)
• 1 fresh peach, pitted and diced
• ½ cup feta crumbles
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine 1 cup uncooked quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool; the quinoa should be cooked and the water should be absorbed.
2. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dried oregano and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a mixing bowl, toss together the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, onion and cucumber. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Gently stir in the diced peach and feta crumbles. Add more feta if desired.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Happy Friday! We’re only two weeks away from 4th of July, which is like the king of barbecue holidays, so I figured it was only fitting to share a backyard barbecue side dish. My pasta obsession I wrote about the other week also extends to pasta salad and it is an essentially part of a barbecue in my opinion. I have quite a few other pasta salad recipes posted on Lemon & Mocha and I will link to those at the bottom of the post.

I don’t know if I’ve discussed it here on the blog before, but I also love mayonnaise. Those of you who know me are probably nodding and rolling your eyes at that understatement since I actually more than love mayonnaise, but I won’t get into that right now. The important thing to know is that Matt doesn’t like mayonnaise so I’m always looking for ways to make dishes that are traditionally made with all mayo taste less mayo-y.

One of my favorite substitutions is to use nonfat plain Greek yogurt. It’s still creamy and rich without the mayo flavor. For this Broccoli, Grape and Pecan Pasta Salad, I have a 50/50 combination of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt. It keeps the pasta salad from tasting too heavy, which means you will want to go in for seconds! This pasta salad variation with crisp broccoli, sweet grapes, toasted pecans and salty bacon is actually a very popular one, but if you’ve never had it before I could definitely see how it could seem like an odd pairing. However, it all just works!

There’s a great balance of creamy, salty, sweetness and acidity, also due to the red wine vinegar and agave in the recipe. Most recipes call for sugar, but I used agave instead, mostly because I like the taste and how the liquid form blends well with the other ingredients in the pasta salad.

If you like broccoli salads I would recommend reducing the amount of farfalle pasta and increasing the amount of broccoli florets. That is how I’m going to make it next time; there’s something about those tender-crisp broccoli florets covered in bacon crumbles and pecans that I can’t get enough of! Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Broccoli, Grape and Pecan Pasta Salad

 

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Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 pound fresh broccoli florets
• 8 ounces farfalle pasta
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup agave (or sugar), see note
• ⅓ cup diced red onion
• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups red grapes, halved
• 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the pecans by baking for 5 minutes, shaking the pan once while baking. Set aside to cool.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large mixing bowl with cold water and ice. Blanche the broccoli florets by boiling them for 30 seconds, removing the florets with a slotted spoon to the ice bath, then drain until completely dry. After removing the broccoli florets from the boiling water, add the farfalle pasta and cook until al dente. Drain until completely dry.
3. In a large mixing bowl or serving dish, combine the blanched and dry broccoli florets, the cooked and dry farfalle pasta, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sugar, red onion, red wine vinegar and salt. Let chill for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, toss with the toasted pecans, grapes and crumbled bacon.

Notes

Start with ¼ cup then increase up to ⅓ cup depending on taste preference.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I am so excited to share this Summer Veggie Couscous with you all because, as usual, I first made it forever ago and I’m finally getting around to posting the recipe. Last June when we had family visiting I wanted to make a crowd-pleasing side dish that would scream summer for dinner the first night.

I love a good restaurant re-make so I set out to make my version of the couscous succotash from Not Your Average Joe’s. Unfortunately they recently changed their menu and this side dish is no longer offered so it’s a good thing I came up with my own version! Pearl couscous, also sometimes called Israeli couscous, is combined with sautéed sugar snap peas, grape tomatoes, shallot, roasted corn and crispy bacon. Mascarpone makes the dish creamy without making it heavy and some fresh parsley, chives and Parmesan pack a ton of additional flavor.

I like to serve it hot, but it would also taste good at room temperature. Once you have all your veggies prepped this Summer Veggie Couscous comes together really quickly. I like to roast the corn and fry the bacon ahead of time then keep them both in the fridge until I’m ready for them.

Roasting corn is my favorite way to cook corn on the cob (read all about it in my Summer Roasted Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata post), but you can grill or boil yours if you prefer. Just keep in mind that roasting or grilling will make sure you have the most flavorful corn to add to the couscous.

Summer Veggie Couscous pairs well with so many dishes making it the perfect go-to summer side. I originally served it alongside sous vide pork tenderloin, but I’ve since made it to go with burgers and hot dogs or just by itself. It would also work well with grilled chicken or shrimp; Not Your Average Joe’s served it underneath seared scallops. If you want another delicious BBQ side dish that also happens to be a Not Your Average Joe’s re-make, head to my Sweet Potato Salad recipe!

Summer Veggie Couscous

 

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Yield: 6-8 side dish servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pearl couscous, regular or whole wheat, also called Israeli couscous
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small shallot or ½ a large shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 small ears of corn or 2 large ears, cooked and cut off the cob (see note)
• 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 ounces mascarpone
• ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
• ½ tablespoon parsley, chopped, plus more for topping
• 3 chives, chopped, plus more for topping
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Bring 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon of water and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the couscous, cover and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat when done; don’t drain.
2. While the couscous is simmering, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until they are soft, about 1-2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the snap peas, tomatoes, corn kernels and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes then add the minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute then turn off the heat. Add the couscous along with any remaining liquid to the sauté pan. Add the mascarpone and grated Parmesan then stir until the mascarpone has melted and everything is combined. Add the chopped parsley and chives then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with more grated Parmesan, chopped parsley and chopped chives.

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Lauren Uncategorized 6 Comments

We made it to Friday! Woo hoo! Time to celebrate with these Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Gorgonzola and Walnuts.

I’ve written about my large quantity of cookbook recipes I have yet to try, but I can’t remember if I’ve ever mentioned all my recipe binders here before. I have four enormous binders that are filled to the brim with recipes. Most of them contain recipes from magazines although one of them is devoted to recipes I’ve printed out. And you guessed it – most of them are waiting for me to try them!

I have a somewhat decent system where once I try one of the recipes if I like it then the recipe will usually end up on Lemon & Mocha so I can recycle the original. Of course, if I don’t like it then it immediately gets recycled. This way if I’m able to try some new recipes from the binder every once in a while I’m able to make room for all the new recipes I’m continually trying to shove in them. I figured I was long overdue in turning to my binders for some dinner inspiration. These roasted sweet potatoes from Cuisine at Home immediately caught my eye.

I love sweet potatoes, but I tend to simply roast them as wedges or bake them whole, which can get really boring. This recipe is just as easy, but adds an extra depth of flavor and richness to the potatoes. The sweet potato wedges are tossed in a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and salt and pepper. The brown sugar creates a subtle sweetness and caramelization, while the balsamic vinegar provides the right amount of acidity.

Crunchy toasted walnuts and creamy gorgonzola crumbles get tossed on top as soon as the roasted wedges are out of the oven. I decided to toss half the cheese crumbles on top of the potatoes during the last minute of cooking so that some of them got nicely melted while the others I sprinkled on top after they were out of the oven held their shape more to add an additional textural element to the dish. This works well with blue cheese crumbles as well, which is what I used since that’s what was in my fridge. I hope you enjoy this simple and delicious sweet potato recipe!

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

 

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 sweet potatoes, about 16 ounces total
• Salt and pepper
• Toasted walnuts, for topping (see note)
• Gorgonzola crumbles, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in large bowl. Set aside.
3. Cut each sweet potatoes into 16 wedges. First, cut the sweet potato lengthwise. Then cut the sweet potato half into 4 long wedges. Cut each wedge in half to create 8 shorter wedges. Repeat for the other half of the sweet potato then repeat completely for the second sweet potato. Toss the sweet potato wedges in the bowl with the balsamic mixture. Place the wedges in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet then season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake the sweet potato wedges for 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until they are slightly caramelized and tender. Remove from the oven and immediately top with the toasted walnuts and gorgonzola crumbles before serving.

Notes

To toast walnuts, lay them on a single layer baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees F. Watch them carefully as you do not want them to burn and it doesn’t take long for them to get toasted.

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 Recipe from December 2011 issue of Cuisine at Home.

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Lauren Uncategorized 4 Comments

Sometimes a dish is so incredibly simple you’re shocked you didn’t think of it before. That’s how I felt with these Parmesan Crusted Brussels Sprouts. Grating some fresh Parmesan over roasted Brussels sprouts wasn’t something new for me, but grating it before baking the Brussels so they each get a crispy Parmesan cheese skirt? Genius!

If you’ve never heard of a cheese skirt it’s usually in reference to a burger and it’s when the cheese oozes out the side and gets crispy on the pan or griddle. Apparently a burger restaurant from California, Squeeze Burger, is the originator of the phrase. I like using it for all situations involving melted cheese that gets crispy including these Brussels sprouts.

I’m not sure where the idea for this quick side dish came from since I found “grate Parmesan on baking sheet before roasting Brussels” as a note in my phone. It could have been something I was watching on TV or something I saw in a magazine, but either way I’m so glad I finally listened to my phone note. I never liked Brussels sprouts growing up, but that’s because I had only ever had them steamed whole. Please promise to never, ever serve your kids steamed whole Brussels sprouts! Especially when you can make these tender, crispy and cheesy roasted Brussels sprouts in twenty minutes.

If you’re looking for more Brussels sprouts recipes I’ve also posted these citrus Orange Glazed Brussels Sprouts and the decadent Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Molasses and Vanilla Pecan Butter. It’s impossible to pick a favorite because they all are so different and I promise none of them will scare your children away from Brussels sprouts for life. Are you a Brussels sprouts fan? What’s your favorite way to eat them?

Parmesan Crusted Brussels Sprouts

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed, dark leaves removed and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a quarter sheet sheet with parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top.
3. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil in a mixing bowl to coat then toss with the garlic powder, pepper and salt. Place the Brussels sprouts cut side down on the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the Brussels and tender and crispy.

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Lauren Uncategorized 6 Comments