Inspiration at the Farmer's Market

Gigantic sugar snap peas

After a debaucherous week of eating in San Francisco, I needed to get back to fit and fiber. So last Sunday, I went to the Alhambra Farmer's Market in search for some cooking inspiration. What I found was an enormous variety of produce, and a renewed excitement for the simple goodness of vegetables.

Roasting beets with sea salt

Beets, jalapenos, cilantro, lemons, artichokes, sugar snap peas, green beans, sweet corn, red bell peppers and spring mix all went straight to my head - so many ideas! I just had to get home fast else risk forgetting all the wonderful combinations and recipes that were flooding my brain.

With the jalapeno and cilantro, I made a paste to rub on some red snapper I had purchased the day before. I let it marinate for a few hours then popped it in the oven. The beets went straight onto a roasting pan and got a good dash of sea salt; they went perfectly with the spring mix I bought and the goat cheese I already had in the fridge.

Quinoa, corn and pepper stuffed hearts

The artichokes, red pepper, onions and sweet corn became a stuffed artichoke heart dish. I mixed the vegetables with some spicy quinoa I had made and added a bit of lemon zest for balance and flavor. The lemon also came in handy for the hearts; add them to the boiling water to avoid discoloration of the tender artichoke hearts.

Beet and goat cheese salad

The snap peas and green beans? They served as the perfect side dish to my snapper and artichoke heart dinner. After a week of eating like this, I felt back to my normal self.

Snap peas, spicy snapper and stuffed hearts

Tomorrow I will go again for more fresh inspiration. Let's see what next week brings...

My Quinoa Obsession Continues...

I have a quinoa obsession. Ever since I discovered this grain about 4 years ago, I use it in place of rice, couscous, lentils...everything. And it's not just because I have several boxes in my pantry (sometimes I forget what I already have in my pantry, and with quinoa, this has been a problem for unknown reasons).

Quinoa is so easy to make, so versatile and so very satisfying - and it's HEALTHY! For me, it's like a super healthy version of pasta; something I love, but try to stay away from since it makes me blow up like a balloon. It's also a grain that I've learned to create with. I cook with it so much, I just make up recipes based on what flavors I feel like tasting and somehow it always works out with quinoa.

Golden delicious grains of goodness

Last weekend I made up a curried quinoa dish, and it's been a staple of my lunch every day this week. I simply used curry powder in the chicken stock I used to cook the quinoa in, so it came out with a light but flavorful curry essence. I added some diced red onions, toasted pine nuts and lots of sweet basil for a fantastic salad that can be served hot or cold or room temperature. I'll try to recreate the recipe below.

Curried couscous with Opah, broccoli and snap peas

Curried Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, washed and drained

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon curry powder

4 tablespoons chopped sweet basil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts

Pour chicken or vegetable stock in a saucepan and add curry powder to the cold stock and whisk until powder is full dissolved. Pour in quinoa and cook following package directions. After quinoa is cooked, put the basil and onions into a large bowl, and add cooked quinoa and toss together. Add pine nuts. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.