Summer Food

Ah...Summertime!

It's time for a big food post! Jack and I have had a busy summer. The kitchen is coming along slowly as a result, but Seattle has had such a wonderful, nearly rainless summer, it's hard to stay inside. We spent part of July in Michigan with my family and there was a potluck family reunion involved. Here is what I brought:


Quinoa Tabbouleh

Yield 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped seeded tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Stir in tomato and remaining ingredients. Cover; let stand 1 hour. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 1999

This recipe is healthy, easy, and filling; perfect for a summer potluck. A few weeks after making it in Michigan, I brought it to my company picnic. (Don't worry, I made a fresh batch.)

While in Michigan, Jack and I were treated to a very delicious French Onion Soup made by my Aunt Mary and Uncle Eric, behold:

I don't have a recipe for this, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to track one down. I wish that I had gotten a picture of all of the amazing homemade food we had on the trip. My Aunt Laura specializes in soup and we were lucky enough to have her Lemongrass Chicken Soup with Cilantro our first night in Michigan. My Uncle Joe also has a expertise; pies. Oh, it's good to be a part of this family. Sadly, I have no pictures of these delights, but I did snag a photo of my Aunt Kaye's Blueberry Galette... it tasted like summer.


Are you sick of scrolling yet? There's one more recipe I'd like to share. Saturday night I made a stir fry.

That shrimp is trying to escape!














Jack wasn't sure he liked stir fry, but he's come around. He also isn't sure about sesame, but he didn't mention anything as he ate dinner. He may not know about the sesame oil ingredient until he reads this...we'll see how long it takes for him to mention it to me. Jack, do you read my blog?

Sesame-Orange Shrimp and Chicken Stir-Fry

Rachel Spear, Casper, Wyoming, Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup chicken mixture and 1/2 cup rice)

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 
  Stir-fry:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup mushrooms, halved
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, cooked and peeled
• 3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Preparation

1. To prepare sauce, combine the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Set aside.

2. To prepare stir-fry, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, and stir-fry for 4 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan, and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chopped broccoli and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to the pan; stir-fry for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Return chicken to pan, and stir in shrimp. Add sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Thanks for reading!