The Super Bowl is in 3 days, so today and tomorrow, I’ve got a few party dips to share with you.  These first two represent the two teams I’d rather see in the Super Bowl. Number one is, of course, my Arizona Cardinals. And the second would be the Green Bay Packers. I do realize that these two teams could never be in the Super Bowl together, since they are both in the NFC (along with the New York Giants). But still, I’ve created a couple dips as my show of support for next year.

Tomorrow I’ll share the dips I created for the actual teams in Super Bowl XLVI, the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.

Here  in AZ, we love our heat and peppers. In Wisconsin they love their cheese and beer. And we all love bacon…

AZ Cardinals’ Bacon-Jalapeno Popper Dip

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained
1 large jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an oven safe serving dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Using an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth.

Stir in green chilies, jalapeno peppers, and both cheeses. Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Mix together the Panko, Parmesan cheese, bacon and sprinkle it over the cream cheese mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is lightly browned.

Serve hot with tortilla chips, I personally love Scoops.

GB Packers’ Cheddar Beer Dip

8-ounce package of softened cream cheese
1/2 package (1 1/2 tablespoons) of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry mix)
1/3 cup beer (any brand, any flavor you like)
1 cup finely shredded cheese, divided
2 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 green onions, minced

Whisk cream cheese and dry dressing mix until creamy.

Mix in half of the cheese, cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.

Top with the remaining cheese, bacon, and green onions.  Serve with pretzels or chips.

Roasted Vegetable and Mozzarella Panini

1/4 of the Roasted Vegetable yield from HERE
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ciabatta rolls (from Trader Joe’s) or other bread of your choice
1/4 cup purchased hummus or pesto
4-ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced
6 large basil leaves
Olive oil

Cut the roasted vegetables into strips. Cut both of the rolls in half horizontally.

Spread both sides of each roll with the hummus or pesto. Working with the bottom half of each; cover first with roasted vegetable strips, then with 2 or 3 slices of mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper, and finally with a 3 fresh basil leaves on each. Place top halves of rolls on top and press together firmly.

(The sandwiches can be made to this point, 6 hours ahead. Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Lightly brush the outside of both sides of the sandwiches with olive oil.

Heat a panini press or a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place one sandwich at a time on the bottom of the press and close the lid on the panini press (or in the grill pan, press down with a large heavy skillet weighted down on top with cans, such as cans of beans). When the sandwiches are brown and crisp and the cheese has melted, cut in half and serve.

Makes 2 sandwiches

We’re going to use the first portion of the roasted vegetables from yesterday’s post in this recipe. You will need to estimate and set aside 1/4 of the yield from each vegetable, keeping them separated. Then make a tart crust (or you could just use 1 sheet of puff pastry).  I link you to a tart dough recipe here on the blog. You’ll only need half of it, but go ahead and make the full amount. You will love this tart and you’ll want to make it again, I promise! So make the full amount and freeze the other half of the dough and it’ll be even easier to make the next time.

I served the tart at a dinner party atop baby greens that were lightly coated with this vinaigrette,  but straight up is great too.

P.S. I’m just sorry that I served it on this bright peppermint stripe platter (hey, it was still the Christmas season) because it totally distracts from how bright and colorful the tart is. Go back up and see the top photo for proof of that!

Roasted Vegetable – Goat Cheese Tart

1/2 tart crust recipe from HERE
4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 of the Roasted Vegetable yield from HERE, (peppers, thinly sliced; eggplant, fennel, and onion, roughly chopped)

Roll out the tart crust dough into a 16 x 7-inch rectangle. Line a 13 x 3.5 x 1-inch rectangular tart pan with the dough, pressing firmly into the corners, cut off any excess draping over the sides. Lightly poke the bottom of the crust with a fork and Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Move one of the oven racks to the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.  Blind bake the chilled crust for 12 minutes, or until set and lightly browned.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.

Using an electric mixer combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Add egg and mix on high until smooth and creamy, for about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the cheese filling evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the roasted vegetables decoratively, in horizontal rows, over the filling.

Bake the tart until the filling and topping are heated through and the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.  Let cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving. (May also be served at room temperature.)

Serves 6 to 8

Before Laura’s dish, here is a final description of the last recipe not yet included in the “four days of  le brunch”.  It’s all about Tram’s Banana Crunch Muffins.  You see, long story short, Tram got crunched for time and her hubby, Steve, couldn’t make it, so she brought her friend (and my friend too!) Matt. Matt is not only our friend, but also the producer of Tram’s afternoon show EVB Live, and the former producer of the old Valley Dish. Matt made the muffins, but since he doesn’t really like full-on banana flavor in his muffins, he made banana-pineapple muffins… yes that’s the short version! Matt’s muffins were a huge hit. But since I don’t have Matt’s recipe to share, I will share my “Crunch” recipe tomorrow.

Laura’s Overnight Breakfast Sausage Casserole

2 pounds ground sage pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 eggs, beaten
3 cups half-and-half
12 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.

In a medium bowl, mix together green onions, green chilies, mustard, salt, pepper, eggs, and half-and-half.  Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly.  Pour into two greased 11x7x2-inch baking dishes. Cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until set.

Serves 16

Here is the first of four brunch dishes that I’d like to share with you from our New Year’s Eve Brunch. Since I wasn’t the one cooking any of these, there will only be the one picture… no preparation photos. And in some cases, as with this one, I even forgot to take the picture myself and had to ask the creator of the dish to email me the photo taken from the leftovers they brought back home – thanks for this one, Mary!  Oh, one more thing – This is my 800th Post! Wow 800!

Mary’s Sausage and Egg Casserole with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella

1 pound Italian sweet sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
5 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup half and half
1 cup whipping cream
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.

Sauté sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown and cooked through, breaking up with a spatula into small pieces, about 10 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of the parsley; stir 1 minute. Spread sausage mixture in prepared dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Whisk eggs, egg yolks, half and half, whipping cream, 1  1/2 cups of the cheese, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Pour egg mixture over sausage mixture in dish.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons parsley over. Bake until top of casserole is golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

This is one of the two side dishes we had for Christmas Eve dinner to accompany a pork roast.  I also served a pumpkin and chipotle soup. The soup, the second side, and the pork recipes will be posted in the next couple of days, but this corn pudding was, by far, the favorite dish of the night!

Ham and Poblano Corn Pudding

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 1/2 cup (1 stick), melted, slightly cooled and additional for buttering the pan, divided
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
2 cups frozen corn, thawed and divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Large pinch of baking powder
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup cubed ham (1/4-inch cubes)
1 cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese
2 large poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced

Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and sauté the onion until soft and translucent, add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.  Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish and then coat with the Panko.

Combine 1 cup of the corn, the eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, salt, and baking powder in blender. Blend until almost smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

Add cooled onion mixture, sour cream, whipping cream, and corn meal; stir until blended.  Stir in ham, cheese, peppers, and remaining 1 cup corn. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Bake until corn pudding is puffed and golden brown in spots on top, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Serves 8

… is kinda like red and green, which makes this very pretty appetizer or brunch pizza perfect for Christmas.

Naan can be found on the bread aisle at most grocery stores, at Trader Joe’s, or at Costco. And smoked mozzarella with other specialty cheeses. But if you can’t find the mozzarella, substitute smoked Gouda.

Smoked Salmon Pizza

4 Naan bread rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 lemon, zested and divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh minced dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon capers; rinsed, drained, and spread on a paper towel to dry
1/4 cup small dill sprigs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the Naan on a baking sheet and brush the rounds with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle each with salt and place in the oven for 10 minutes, until the bread is just slightly crisp.

In a mixing bowl combine the remaining olive oil,  cream cheese, garlic, half the lemon zest, lemon juice, minced dill, and the black pepper; mix well.

Spoon one-quarter of the cream cheese mixture evenly over each of the Naan rounds.  Sprinkle the smoked mozzarella over each round. Arrange salmon and red onion on top.

Return to oven and bake 5 minutes or until edges of the crust are crisp and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest, then top with capers and dill sprigs.

Slice each round into 4 wedges.

Makes 16 slices

Everyone has their favorite way to eat up their leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I’d guess that a good old turkey sandwich would be the hands-down winner for most of us. I like my sandwich one way and one way only – on white bread that is slathered in Miracle Whip with sliced turkey breast only. I don’t eat any of the leftover sides, I just relish that sandwich and I am as happy as can be. If I haven’t remembered to purchase a jar of Miracle Whip before Thanksgiving so that it is ready to be cracked open on the Friday after… well, someone (someone who is not me!) is going to the store to get me my Miracle Whip! Mayo will not do! I buy the smallest jar because this is the only thing I ever use it for, leftover turkey sandwiches.

Connor, on the other hand, makes a sandwich that looks like this…

He’s got the required white bread, but tops it with turkey (white or dark), then spoons on the gravy and the stuffing, tops that with the other slice of bread and heats it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Interesting, but not to my taste.  Marissa also must have the breast only and tops her’s with cranberry sauce and eats some stuffing and maybe some gravy on the side.  Finally there is Dave, he will eat it all and will eat it any and every way, sandwich or a full redo of the Thanksgiving plate.

After a couple or three sandwiches, I am through with the turkey, then it is time to remake it into an entirely different meal, such as this lasagna. Now this is how you get rid of leftover turkey!

Five-Cheese Turkey Lasagna

Turkey and Turkey Sausage Red Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet or mild turkey Italian sausage
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups finely peeled and minced onions
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup peeled and minced carrot
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 large sprig of fresh basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups diced cooked turkey breast

Lasagna
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese8 ounces grated provolone8 ounces grated mozzarella
8 ounces grated Asiago
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Turkey and Sausage Red Sauce, recipe follows
2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano1 package no-cook lasagna noodles

Turkey and Turkey Sausage Red Sauce:  Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add the oil. Add the sausage, use a spatula to break up and cooked until brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Add the garlic and tomatoes, continue to cook for 3 minutes. Fill one of the tomato cans about 3/4 full with water. Whisk the tomato paste into the water and add to the pan.

Stir in the thyme, bay leaves, basil sprig, oregano, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.  Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and basil sprig; stir in the diced cooked turkey, cover and let sit for 15 minutes before using. Makes about 8 cups of sauce.

Lasagna:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, provolone, mozzarella, Asiago, egg, milk, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 2 1/2 cups of the meat sauce on the bottom of a  13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over the sauce. Cover with 1/4 of the noodles. Spread 1/4 of the cheese filling evenly over the noodles. Repeat the above process with the remaining ingredients. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet that is covered in foil to catch any drips or spills. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 8 to 10

I made this cornbread to go along with my Two Bean-Two Corn Chorizo and Poblano Chili on our “no poultry” day (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving).  But is equally delicious served with leftover turkey and gravy or with a creamed turkey mixture served over the top.

I even toasted a half slice and had a poached egg on top for breakfast, it is that versatile, so top it with anything you would like.

Poblano and Cojita Cornbread

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 poblano chilies; roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cojita cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

Heat oil in a medium skillet, add the onion and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the diced poblano and the corn kernels and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add the melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs and whisk until just incorporated. Fold in the onion-poblano-corn mixture and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Scrape the batter into the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top.

Bake the cornbread for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cornbread to a rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cornbread, and then sliced into 9 squares and serve warm.

Makes 9 pieces

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, the last thing any of us wants to eat is turkey or chicken! In fact, today – the day and night before Turkey Day – is the biggest day for pizza delivery for the entire year! Bigger than Super Bowl Sunday, bigger than New Year’s Eve (we always ordered delivery pizza for our kids that night just as we were heading out the door), bigger than any other day! Why??? Because everyone is sick of cooking, the refrigerators are full, and we are all anticipating cooking and eating turkey tomorrow!

In honor of the “no poultry” unwritten rule, I’ve got some spicy chili for your dining pleasure. I purchased a package of chorizo bolita at the Mexican market thinking I was going to be trying some new and exciting style of chorizo.  After some internet research, I learned that chorizo bolita is just regular chorizo in little links. Bolita means pellets. Oh well, I tried, and it turns out it is a convenient way to buy chorizo. You can cut off as many links as you need and then repackage and freeze the rest in smaller amounts. I used 3 pellets, or about 5 ounces, for this chili recipe. Plus I really wanted to cook and slice the chorizo as links instead of cooking and crumbling it as I usually do.  Removing the casing very carefully and then cooking the links in a bit of water, gave me the exact result I was looking for.

Two Bean-Two Corn Chorizo and Poblano Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
5 ounces chorizo links, casings carefully removed
1 large onion, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 poblano chilies; roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
15-ounce can cannellini beans, with liquid
15-ounce can Great Northern White beans, with liquid,
29-ounce can white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 green onions, finely minced
Chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo links, do not break up, leave links intact. Add 1/4 cup water to the pot and cover.  Cook the links for about 4 minutes on one side, remove cover and turn links over. Add more water if needed so pot is not dry. Cover and cook for another 4 minutes. Uncover and turn links over again, adding more water if needed. Cover and finish cooking for 5 minutes or until links are completely cooked. Remove links and slice, set aside.

Add onion to the pot and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and diced poblano and sauté 3 minutes. Stir in both chili powders, cumin and salt; cook for 3 minutes. 

Stir in the beans with their juices, the drained hominy, corn kernels and the sliced chorizo.  Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and cook over a very low simmer for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

To serve; ladle into serving bowls and garnish with green onions, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Serves 6

What do you get when you mix together a little cheddar, flour, and butter and then bake it? Tasty melt-in-your-mouth morsels of heavenly goodness, that’s what!

Cheddar Cheese Button Crackers

1  1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons kosher  or sea salt, for sprinkling

Place 1 cup of the cheese in a food processor, then the flour, next the butter pieces, then the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese along with the salt and cayenne. Pulse until the ingredients  look like fine crumbs.  Add the milk and pulse until the dough almost comes together.

Remove from the food processor and knead until the dough is soft and well mixed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface roll out the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Use 1-inch round or other small cookie cutter to cut out, re-roll and cut out scraps. You can use any small cookie cutter, in any shape you would like to cut out the crackers, but I especially love to cut them out into little buttons. If you have a set of round cutters, use the smallest two; the 1-inch and the 3/4-inch diameter cutters. Use the 1-inch to cut out the rounds and the 3/4- inch for just pressing slightly into the dough for button-like detailing.

Place cut dough on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet about 1/2-inch apart. Using a tooth pick to make 4 small holes in the center of the dough to finish off your button design. Sprinkle lightly with kosher or sea salt.

Bake crackers approximately 25 minutes or until lightly browned around edges and crackers are firm to the touch.

Remove crackers to wire rack to  cool.

Makes about 60 buttons

Turkey!?! Is it too early to begin worrying and wondering what you’re going to do with your leftover turkey?  Since Thanksgiving is one week from today, I don’t think so.  After turkey sandwiches,  I think leftover turkey works best treated with a Mexican or a Western flair, so that’s what I’ve provided for you today.

Barbecued Turkey and Spinach Quesadillas

8 whole-wheat and/or flour tortillas (8-inch)
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded cooked leftover turkey
1/4 cup prepared barbecue sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
2 green onions, white and green portions, thinly sliced
16 large fresh spinach leaves, stemmed
6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place 4 tortillas on a work surface; cover with Monterey Jack cheese. Combine the turkey and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Scatter the mixture evenly over the cheese, along with the parsley and green onions. Lay spinach leaves flat over entire surface to cover.  Sprinkle with cheddar.

Place a second tortilla over each,  press down to help ingredients hold together.

Heat a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot. Place a quesadilla in the skillet and cook, pressing down with a large spatula and turning once, until the cheese melts and the tortillas brown slightly, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Place on a baking sheet and put in the preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.

To serve, cut each quesadilla into quarters and serve hot.

Makes 16 wedges

Last night was the first time I’ve cooked any sort of food for Dave and myself… in… let’s see… 11 days. Unbelievable! I think that is the longest stretch of “no-cook” time for me since back in 2008 when we were traveling through France and Italy with the kids. But, I’m back and the recipes will again be flowing, thanks for hanging in there with me through the trip to Sedona, the foot injury, and birthdays. :-D

On Wednesday, my dad took me to True Food Kitchen at Scottsdale Quarter for my birthday lunch. I usually order the light and luscious Edamame Dumplings, or their delicious Herb Hummus, or the fabulous Wild Ahi Sliders… but this time I decided to try the Mediterranean Chopped Salad. Good choice! Actually, I’ve never had anything I didn’t enjoy from the menu. The photo at the top is the True Food salad – taken with my new iPhone 4s, which I LOVE!  Once I got home, I just had to recreate it for Dave.  He, of course, loved it… and you will too.

True Food uses red quinoa in their salad, I had the white on hand (you can also find black quinoa), otherwise, this salad tasted exactly like the one you’d be served at the restaurant. They also offer the salad with the addition of grilled chicken or salmon, obviously you can too.

True Food Kitchen’s Mediterranean Chopped Salad Knock-off

2 cups cold water
1 cup uncooked quinoa

Lemon-Oregano Vinaigrette
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 of an English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 large handfuls green beans, trimmed and steamed
2 cups cherry or teardrop tomatoes
3/4 cup Marcona almonds
3 cups arugula or spinach leaves
1 cup crumbled feta or queso cotijta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and stir, simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for 15 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and spread out on a plate to cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, make the vinaigrette. Place the garlic, lemon zest, juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and blend well.  While continually whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, until dressing is emulsified.

In a large salad bowl, toss together the cucumber, olives, green beans, tomatoes, almonds, and arugula. Add the cooled quinoa, cheese, and vinaigrette.  Toss until all ingredients are coated with the vinaigrette, taste for seasoning, and serve.

Serves 4