Happy St. Patrick's Day! Unfortunately, because this festive holiday falls on a Monday this year, I'll be spending my day at work and school (don't feel too badly - I'm going to celebrate over the weekend). However, some celebration is necessary, so I prepared some festive food to celebrate.

Since I returned from Israel, I have been craving the tomato and cucumber salad I ate nearly every day. I decided to make the salad a little heartier by adding quinoa.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) has its history rooted in South America. While we often consume quinoa in a way similar to grains (i.e. oats, barley, etc.), quinoa is not a grain. Quinoa is actually from the same family as beets, spinach and Swiss chard. The portion of the plant that we are eating when we eat quinoa is the seed, although the stems and leaves are edible as well. And in comparison to grains, quinoa is a good source of protein and calcium, while having a low fat content!

Quinoa salad with tomato, cucumber and feta

(Yields 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3 tsp. parsley, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium cucumber, cubed
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta, crumbled
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer (Why? To remove quinoa's natural coating, saponin, which can make the quinoa taste slightly bitter)
2. In a small pot, bring water to boil. Add quinoa, cover the pot, and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes
3. Keeping quinoa covered, remove pot from heat and let stand for 5 minutes
4. Remove the lid and gently fluff quinoa with a fork, set aside
5. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until mixture is emulsified
6. Combine cooled quinoa, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber in a medium bowl
7. Pour lemon mixture into bowl and add feta. Toss gently to combine

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Although I did not receive cucumbers in my CSA "box" this past week, I had an extra cucumber in the refrigerator that needed to be eaten - and what better way to eat in than in a light and fresh cucumber salad?

While I'm sure most people have seen, if not eaten, a cucumber at some point, you would be surprised to know that cucumbers come in a variety of sizes and colors. Most commonly in grocery stores, you will find cucumbers that are long and dark-green with smooth skin. However, cucumbers can also be white, yellow, or even orange, and can vary in size and skin texture. Fun fact: cucumbers are the fourth most widely cultivated vegetable in the world (after tomato, cabbage and onion)!

Cucumber Dill Salad

(Yields 2-3 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandolin
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped (from my garden!)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Salt and pepper - to taste

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry cucumber and dill
2. Heat water, vinegar, sugar and shallots in a pot over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and shallots are softened - about 5 minutes. Set mixture aside and allow to cool
3. After peeling cucumber, CAREFULLY slice into thin slices on a mandolin. ALWAYS use the finger guard!!!
4. Place sliced cucumbers, shallot/vinegar mixture, chopped dill, salt and pepper into a bowl. Stir to combine.
5. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Quick, easy and delicious! This was eaten with grilled chicken, roasted red skin potatoes and a mixed greens salad (from the CSA).


And here is a picture of the finished cucumber dill salad.


Enjoy and thanks for reading!