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corn quinoa black bean salad

28. July 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I mentioned earlier this week that I was going to make this corn-rice salad from BHG. I just whipped  up my own version and let me tell you- woww. Might be the best salad I’ve ever had…and it’s perfect for summer. And I bet it would be great if you made it ahead of time too.

My version

In a bowl, combine cooked quinoa (cooled to room temperature), black beans, several pieces of chopped jalapenos, sliced cherry or grape tomatoes, slices of red onion and avocado, several planks of corn (or a handful of canned corn), and a dash each of sea salt, pepper, olive oil, and rice vinegar. Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro. Serve at room temperature.

Confession: I put in about 10 dashes of rice vinegar and a dash or two of Crystal hot sauce! Yum.

Note: To cut planks, place an ear on its side on a cutting board. Holding the corn firmly with fingers away from the blade, cut off a side of the corn. Rotate and repeat until all sides are removed. Use a spatula to gently move planks to salad.

*I didn’t list measurements; get inspired and play it by ear (no pun intended…ear of corn? Get it?). Salads are very difficult to mess up!

corn quinoa black bean salad

beginnings of the salad

corn quinoa black bean salad

fiddling with aperture settings icon smile corn quinoa black bean salad

corn quinoa black bean salad

working lunch- twitter, v8 juice, water, and salad!

cucumber dill summer salad

20. July 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking · Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Remember how I wrote this morning about creative salad mixes? Immediately afterward, I was browsing Martha Stewart Living (at 5:45am before my 6:00am Pilates class, eek!) and was inspired by the spread on zucchini, which featured a zucchini dill salad. I decided to make an adjustment and use cucumber instead!

I’m currently sitting at Weaver Street in Carrboro, enjoying the dregs of my salad marinade.

persian tomato cucumber salad recipe cucumber dill summer salad Photo credit

Coarsely chop cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion if you’d like. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle on sea salt, pepper, and plenty of dill. Let sit for several hours before eating so that vegetables fully absorb the juices. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.

So refreshing! And fantastic enjoyed with an almond iced coffee, mango peach applesauce, half of a hummus London broil sandwich, and baby carrots. Or you know, whatever… icon smile cucumber dill summer salad

proving that girls can grill!

29. May 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

screen shot 2011 05 29 at 1 25 21 pm proving that girls can grill!

I recently discovered that I have a grill in my apartment’s garden patio, so my friend and I decided to try our hand at grilling. I was on a mission to prove that girls can grill, and I was definitely successful. And I say “I” instead of “we” because her only job was to make the margaritas haha.

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on the menu

Roasted Garlic Teeny Tiny Potatoes: based on this recipe; for tomorrow’s BBQ, I’m going to parboil the potatoes to ensure that they are cooked throughout. I’m also using Tuscan Italian dressing as a marinade this time around.

Italian-Style Mini Zucchini: based on this recipe; I simply cut the mini zucchinis in half and marinated them in homemade Italian dressing. Amazing!

Chile Lime Chicken Burgers: from the frozen section of Trader Joe’s. Incredibly easy to prepare.

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For tomorrow’s BBQ, I am making the above adjustments to the potatoes; preparing more mini zucchinis; marinating peppers, onion, tomatoes, and more zucchini in Island Soyaki; grilling summer squash; brushing herb butter on husked corn; and tossing together a crunchy cabbage salad.

Photo credits: here, here, & here

pixel proving that girls can grill!
+Cristina Roman