Tahini-Dressed Raw Beets, Carrot Ribbons and Chickpeas with Arugula

This is basically Spring in a plate. Nothing screams this season like a salad with vibrant colors!

When the weather gets warmer, I love to make salads with whatever veggies are left in my fridge. This one came together as I was thinking about what ingredients would go well with tahini. See, a few weeks ago I received a jar of fresh tahini from Soom Foods, a Philadelphia-based food startup specialized in sesame products.

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Warm Green Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Lima Beans, and Feta Cheese

It’s finally my favorite time of the semester here in Philly, aka Restaurant Week! Basically for two weeks, twice a year, most of the best restaurants in town offer a $35 three-course menu. It’s an amazing deal for college students to have a taste of delicious places in town, that would otherwise be out of reach. I always anxiously await the dates to make reservations well in advance and discover a new place every time.

Warm Farro, Apple, Feta and Tomato Salad

“Another day, another salad”. That seems to be my motto these days. I’m on a salad roll for real, as I’ve been trying to take advantage of seasonal produce as much as possible. That’s actually one of my favorite things about the end of Summer/beginning of Autumn. All the amazing new vegetables that start popping up on farmer’s markets’ tables! I buy way too many vegetables when I go, and I know it when I technically don’t need to go, but I can’t help myself and it’s always a part of my Saturday ritual.

Fridge Friday: Summer Quinoa Greek Salad

Fridge Fridays are back, and with this new edition, I chose to turn some leftovers into a super fresh and tasty summer lunch! The other day, I was browsing my instagram feed when I saw a post with the hashtag “bestovers”. I loved it! Why? Because too often, leftovers are disregarded and go to waste. They’re not “glam”, or “pretty”, or “appetizing”, so some people simply forget them. I’d like to change that vision! Leftovers can be delicious, and in some cases, leftovers can be even better than the original thing. In other words, they truly can be “bestovers”!

“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.