RS March Party Recipes

Killer Quinoa Salad Recipe  - Serves 6

Serve this nutty-textured salad alone or with grilled chicken or pork. This is an excellent buffet salad that can sit out longer than most buffet dishes since it doesn't contain dairy or meat.

Dressing:

• finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1⁄2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1⁄2 tsp. paprika
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

• 1 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed well
• 1⁄2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1⁄4 cup finely diced dried apricots
• warm water
• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 green onions, sliced diagonally
• 1⁄4 cup toasted slivered or sliced almonds

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, coriander, cumin and paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a saucepan, combine quinoa, salt and cold water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Fluff with a fork, spread on a large baking sheet and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, place cranberries and apricots in a small bowl. Cover with warm water and let stand for about 5 minutes or until plump. Drain and set aside.

Peel avocados and cut into bite-sized chunks. Place in a bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. of the dressing to prevent discoloration. Place cooled quinoa in a large salad bowl. Add cranberry mixture, avocados, green onions and almonds. Add the remaining dressing and toss to combine.

The dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. The quinoa can be cooked up to 1 day in advance; after cooling, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.  From Fan Fare! Best of Bridge Cookbook by Sally Vaughan-Johnston & The Best of Bridge © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/food/Killer-Quinoa-Salad-Recipe_2#ixzz3UlVknmX0

**Note: The recipe above is very delicious but we used this optional dressing recipe instead.

• 6 tbsp. fresh orange juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. freshly grated orange zest
• 1 tsp. thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Melting Roasted Potatoes

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, making sure one of the oven racks is in the upper-middle position. Square the ends off the potatoes by cutting off the rounded edges (you don't have to chop off a lot, but you want the ends flat) and then cutting the potatoes into about 1-inch thick slices.
2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the butter, thyme, salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in a single layer in a 9X13-inch ceramic or metal baking dish (don't use glass as it can shatter when adding the chicken broth later).
3. Roast the potatoes for 20-22 minutes, until the bottoms are browning around the edges. Remove the baking pan from the oven and flip the potatoes with a flat spatula. Return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven, flip the potatoes again and add the chicken broth and garlic. Roast once more (last time, promise) until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has reduced just slightly, about 15 minutes.
5. Serve the potatoes with the sauce drizzled over the top.

** Note: We substituted  vegetable broth and basil for the chicken broth & thyme to go with our roast beef dinner.

3.0

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/melting-roasted-potatoes/

Printed from Mel\'s Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)

Recipe Source: slightly adapted from Cook’s Country Dec/Jan 2014 (changed salt and pepper amounts, cut down the butter a bit, decreased baking temp and adjusted time)