Brussel Sprouts, Green Onions and Prosciutto Spaghetti

School is back in session since Wednesday and I’m still trying to enjoy my last days of freedom before all of my assignments start to kick in. Since “enjoying my time” most certainly means cooking to me, I’ve been trying to make new recipes in my brand new kitchen everyday. It’s been so fun to experiment with new ingredients and come up with new flavor combinations. Like this one for example!

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(Post) Winter Quinoa Salad

Though it’s officially spring season, the weather here in Philly is still on the wintery side. It seems fitting to celebrate this new season with a wintery dish. Quinoa bowls are always amazing when it comes to warming you up. They’re hearty, healthy and make you feel good inside. This specific bowl is amazing thanks to the refreshing apple cider vinaigrette. It adds a nice fruity taste to the delicious caramelized vegetables. As per usual, I roast my veggies in big batches over the week end so that this type of recipes only take me 10 minutes to prepare on week days. This recipe is perfect if you want to indulge in a wintery dish on this cold spring beginning, or if you feel like trying a new quinoa dish. Bon appétit!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes (with pre-roasted veggies) or 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup cauliflower
• 1/2 cup butternut squash
• 1/2 carrot (sliced in ribbons with a vegetable peeler)
• 1/4 cup diced pancetta
• salt, pepper to taste

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. If you haven’t pre-roasted your vegetables, preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the cauliflower, butternut squash and carrot ribbons with olive oil and roast until tender and caramelized (about 40 minutes for the cauliflower and butternut squash, and 4 minutes for the carrot ribbons).
2. Cover the dried quinoa with ½ cup water, and cook until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender (about 15 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, cook the pancetta until brown and slightly crispy, in a dry pan over medium-high heat. This should take about 5 minutes.
4. Make the apple cider vinaigrette by mixing the mustard and apple cider vinegar together first. Then add the olive oil and mix until homogeneous.
5. When the quinoa is ready, add it to the bowl, and toss with the dressing, crispy pancetta and roasted cauliflower, butternut squash, and carrot ribbons. Adjust the seasoning and enjoy!

“Red Quinoa” with Brussel Sprouts and Prosciutto

As you already know, I recently discovered the joys of homemade Pesto Rosso. Since I made a little extra for the Caprese recipe I posted last week, I thought I’d use the rest in a batch of quinoa. Hence the “red quinoa” title. This recipe came together unexpectedly, as I used random ingredients that were sitting in my fridge. I’ve been so busy since last Friday that I haven’t had the time to go grocery shopping once (which further explains this “melting-pot” type of dish). It turned out to be delicious though! The onions, brussel sprouts and prosciutto were so good together that they could easily be eaten as a separate side dish! You can also omit the Pesto Rosso altogether and it’ll still be a great bowl of quinoa with veggies and crispy smoked ham. All in all, this dish made for a perfect quick and easy lunch. Bon appétit!

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Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brussel sprouts (sliced)
• 1/4 yellow onion
• 1 slice of prosciutto (or bacon)
• 1 serving of pesto rosso
• crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• fresh basil (optional)
• salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cover the dried quinoa with ½ cup water, and cook until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender (about 15 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, heat up olive oil in a pan. Roughly chop the onion, slice the brussel sprouts and let everything cook on medium-high heat until lightly brown. Add a splash of water and let it evaporate to further soften it all. Add the strips of prosciutto and let it cook for another minute.
3. When the quinoa is cooked, toss with the pesto rosso, prosciutto and caramelized brussel sprouts and onions. Top with chopped fresh basil, and some crumbled feta cheese.

Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad with Shrimp

As I’ve told you already, I’m a big fan of Asian gastronomy. As much as I enjoy going to the restaurant though, it’s always fun to try and recreate some classics at home. Today, the nice weather got me in the mood to try a thai inspired cold noodle salad. This was wonderfully refreshing and a nice change to my usual go-to lunch options. The spicy soy-lime dressing really makes the dish come together as it deliciously coats the noodles and veggies. I can think of a hundred ways to play around with combinations for this salad. It’s really up to your creativity and whatever is left in your fridge. Bon appétit!

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Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1 bundle vermicelli rice noodles
• 1/2 carrot
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper
• 1 cup mixed shredded red and green cabbage, kale, brocoli and Brussel sprouts (I use Trader Joe’s “Cruciferous Crush” but any homemade combination would work)
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
• a handful of raw cashew nuts
• a bunch of fresh mint

Soy-Lime Dressing:

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp agave nectar (or honey)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice (with zest)
• 1/2 tsp sriracha

Directions:

1. To cook the noodles, put water to a boil. Cover the dried noodles with the boiling water and let it sit for 3-5 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. Drain the cooked noodles, and let them cool down.
2. Meanwhile, cook the shrimp. I use frozen shrimp that I heat up in a pan with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes.
3. Next, use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons with the carrot and the bell pepper, and put them in a bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes sliced in half, the chopped fresh mint, and the shredded crunchy veggies. Toss it all together.
4. Make the Spicy Soy-Lime dressing by mixing all the ingredients well together.
5. To plate, put the half of the veggies in a bowl, followed by the cooked noodles, and the remaining veggies and the shrimp on top. Toss with the dressing and finish with freshly chopped mint, and raw cashew pieces.