Summertime Quinua

For those of you familiar with Heidi Swanson's wonderful blog "101 Cookbooks," you'll recognize the recipe in this post! It features so much goodness -- tofu, quinoa, roasted tomatoes and corn, and my special additions -- cilantro pesto and sunflower seeds : ) I got the cilantro pesto from Whole Foods -- they market the cilantro pesto as their "nut-free" pesto, and I think it looks fairly easy to make from scratch, too. The Bear's Pond brand lists only four ingredients -- cilantro, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice. In any case, this totally tastes like summer.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 bunch red-stemmed kale, chopped
1 bag frozen corn (or the corn from 6 husks of corn, roasted)
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, roasted
1 shallot, minced
1 package firm tofu, cubed
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
cilantro pesto (Bear's Pond, from WF)

I'll confess -- this recipe has a lot of "steps" to it, but the cumulative effect is so flavorful -- totally worth it! There are a few things you can do to streamline your cooking time: make the quinoa and roast the tomatoes ahead of time. Then, sautee your shallot in olive oil, add the corn, kale and salt until the mixture is mostly cooked. Stir in the quinoa. In a separate frying pan, sautee your tofu cubes with a little bit of olive oil and about two to three tablespoons of the cilantro pesto. Add the tofu cubes and pesto into the quinoa mix. Add the sunflower seeds and roasted tomatoes and you are ready to go!

WARNING: This recipe makes a lot of food -- definitely enough for a family of four, maybe even for two nights : ) I cooked it all because I didn't want the kale to go bad, and I'm sometimes guilty of letting tofu sit too long in the fridge. So, now I have a few frozen dinners on deck for my week of comment writing and exam grading : ) Either totally responsible of me here, or totally a form of procrastination : )

Spring Fettucini with Leeks and Peas (and Lima Beans!)

I was looking to make a particularly spring-like Easter dinner and found this recipe from Real Simple. The leeks are so flavorful -- this dish really does taste like spring! Wine suggestions welcomed!

Ingredients:
12 ounces fettucini
2 leeks, halved lengthwise and slice into crescents
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup heavy or light creme (I used light)
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1 10-ounce package frozen lima beans
tarragon
parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
salt and pepper to taste

Once you've prepared the leeks, begin by sautéing them in the olive oil for about 8 to 10 minutes. You'll want to use a large sautee pan, because you'll use the same pan for the pasta later on. While you are preparing the leeks, you can boil the pasta. When the leeks look tender, add the creme, and the let the mixture thicken. I added about 1 teaspoon of salt and a healthy sprinkling of black pepper, as well. When the pasta is almost ready, add the frozen peas and lima beans. Drain and add the pasta mixture to the leeks and cream. Add tarragon and cheese. Enjoy!