And the Winner is...

I first had quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) a few years ago at a work potluck. I think it's become more mainstream since then, and we have slowly introduced it into our diet in rotation with our regular rice, couscous or barley side dishes. I love grain salads in summer, and the first time we made this Jeff and I both knew we had an absolute hit. I've made this for four batches of company this summer, and the rave reviews keep coming. It was, therefore, pretty easy to name this recipe our salad of Summer 2012.

adapted from Sweet Sugar Bean blog

serves 6-8 as a side dish

1 small** butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1/2 chunks
~ 2 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well
1 3/4 cups water or chicken broth
1 cup pecans or almonds, chopped and toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 green onions chopped
handful of fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon (to make 2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 *F. Peel and chop the sqaush, then toss it into a shallow casserole. Add olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper; mix well so each piece of squash is coated. Roast for 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with brown sugar. Return to oven for another 10 minutes or until squash is cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. **If the squash is large, I cube the whole thing and freeze half.

To cook quinoa, rinse it very well, drain it, and place it in a saucepan with water/chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine cooled cooked quinoa and roasted squash (along with syrup created by the brown sugar) along with the nuts, cranberries, and chopped green onions. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, basil and maple syrup. Pour over salad and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature, or cold. This salad keeps very well in the fridge for a few days- if it's not gobbled up before then.

I hope you enjoyed our five favourite salads of Summer 2012 . Have a great long weekend!

It's all Greek to me

When I asked Jeff for his favourite new salad of the summer, he reminded me of one that I make every few weeks. I can't believe I forgot about ελληνική σαλάτα (pronounced ellinikí saláta, which means Greek Salad) as it consistently remains near the top of our list of favourites. It's very simple, fresh and easy and delicious- that makes it a total winner for me, and one we had to include in our countdown.

From the Greek Grandma of my friend Noula and Better Homes & Gardens, August 1997 issue
serves ~4 as a side salad

2-3 large tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 cup (or can) of Kalamata Olives
1 small block of feta cheese.
as much red onion as you like
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano (or 2 tsp. fresh)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and feta cheese into 1 inch cubes and combine in a serving bowl (I dice the onions smaller because I'm not a big fan of red onion). Add the salt, pepper and oregano; drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil and stir well to combine. I usually leave it sit at room temperature for an hour before serving, but you can serve immediately as well. 

New take on coleslaw

Coleslaw is not the first thing that comes to mind when I'm thinking about making a salad. Jeff and I both like traditional coleslaw... but we don't seem to go out of our way for it. Until now. This "new" coleslaw, with mango and another fantastic dressing, is becoming a regular repeat around here. While this comes in at #3 on our list of new favourite summer salads, I expect that we'll see it often through the winter as well.

photo courtesy of Sweet Sugar Bean

Adapted from Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi
serves 6 as a side salad

2 Tbsp. lime juice (~1 lime)
zest of 1 lime
4 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sriracha sauce or chili garlic sauce
3 Tbsp. vegetable, olive or grape seed oil
salt to taste
1/2 head red cabbage, finely shredded
7 leaves of Napa cabbage, finely shredded
1 mango, cut into thin strips
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh mint, shredded
1/2 cups fresh cilantro, shredded
1/2 cups fresh basil, shredded
1  Tbsp.  diced jalapeno (optional)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Combine the lime juice, lime zest, maple syrup, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, vegetable oil and salt in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake it like the dickens. In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients. Add the dressing and toss well. Adjust seasonings and garnish with roasted peanuts.

* I often use leftover dressing to make Summery Beef Fajitas

Peachy keen

We LOVE peaches, and there is no better time to eat them than in August when they are fresh off the tree. We're lucky here on the Island to get a great supply of super fresh Okanagan peaches, and this salad with it's out of this world dressing has become a new favourite.

Adapted from A Farm Girl's Dabbles blog
Dressing yield: 3/4 cup

Dressing: Puree the following ingredients in a blender. If it is too thick, thin out with a few tablespoons of milk. I usually make this dressing a few hours before serving and store the leftovers for up to two weeks in the fridge.

1 large ripe peach, peeled, pit removed, and diced
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2  Tbsp. honey

zest of one lime
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (~ 1 lime)

1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Salad: This dressing is excellent on a mixture of torn fresh salad greens, diced red onion, crumbled feta or goat cheese, toasted almonds and grilled (as in the photo above) or fresh peaches. 

Summer countdown

We have eaten a lot of salad over the past two months. Summer on Vancouver Island is typically short, in between spring and fall rains. This year, summer was a six week heat wave; while we greatly enjoyed the sun and 30+ degree temperatures, there were more than a few nights when a cold supper was our preference. I repeated a number of our favourite salads (like the  Grain, Bean & Mango Salad,  Asian Cabbage Salad  and Tomato Salad  already featured here), but also challenged myself to try a few new recipes. Some weren't so great, and some have already been repeated several times.

To celebrate this final week of summer, this week on the blog I'm going to count down our five favourite new salads from 2012.

adapted from Karen Barnaby

serves 4 as a side salad

1 Tbsp shredded coconut

1 Tbsp boiling water

1 English cucumber, finely chopped

juice and zest of 1 lime

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped

In a small bowl, combine coconut and boiling water. Mix and set aside to cool (the coconut will absorb the water and takes ~30 minutes to cool). While this cools, chop cucumber and add lime juice and zest, pepper flakes, salt, sugar and olive oil. 

Just before serving, mix in the coconut and peanuts. Enjoy!

Praise to the Lord, The Almighty

After a summer of great weather and lots of time outside, this is a hymn that keeps coming to mind. The arrangement is by F. Melius Christiansen and the wonderful singers are the Luther College Nordic Choir. 

The Van Island Canoodle

Our local news guy made the international news yesterday and found 15 minutes of fame he probably would prefer to forget.

Motormouth

Jeff here. After my bathroom model rendering on Wednesday, this is my second post in a week! Stef and I thought this was really cool. Sort of a modern take on the one man band (see photo below). Have a great weekend.

Photo from website of Performer Bill Brookman

Yes, we realize it's just a faucet

We have chosen every material for our upcoming bathroom renovation, except the faucets. Faucets are another one of those things where there are far too many choices... so we had to narrow down our requirements. Our needs are simple- we want a good quality, single handle faucet that will stand up to lots of everyday use and look good, too. After much research, here are our two finalists.

Option 1: The Kalia Umani

Pros: made in Canada of solid brass and it's excellent quality. The lever on top moves effortlessly in all directions so you can change the temperature or pressure with a fingertip. Matches a shower faucet that we like. I thinks it looks fine and like that it is not overly trendy. The small base looks easy to clean.

Cons: The more expensive option. No water conservation features built-in. Jeff doesn't like how it looks. Needs to be special ordered.

Option 2: The Moen 90 Degree

Pros: Also very good quality and super stylish. Supposedly conserves water. Also has great handle maneuverability to control both pressure and temperature.  Matches a shower faucet that we really like. Jeff thinks it's über cool and is utterly besotted with it. The cheaper option, available locally, in stock. Customer reviews are excellent.

Cons: Not all brass construction. It's stylish... but maybe too stylish? I'm not convinced and wonder if it's trendiness will date quickly. Not sure if larger base would be more difficult to clean. 

side view of the Moen 90 degree faucet

The Next Plan

Those who know me know that I am a planner. Yes- I admit that I feel better about life when I have a plan. It's just how I roll.

Jeff and I are gutting our main bathroom next weekend. A few weeks ago, we put together our plan and chose materials and decided on what we need to accomplish in this project. Our goals? More storage. Better storage. Maximized functionality. And a bit of style. Here is what the bathroom is now:

First impression: function and storage isn't great, nor is style. And since this photo is taken while standing in the front entrance to our house, you now can see how how important this room is to overall first impressions.

View looking straight into the bathroom. Ho Hum. We salvaged the door's from Jeff's parents when they renovated their house (our old doors had etched pictures of fish) and they were a great improvement. The shower surround is so pitted that nothing will clean it anymore. 

A look at what's usually behind the bathroom door (don't worry- the door was just off for a day being painted!).

A look back at the vanity

And here is a model Jeff whipped up for what we hope to have in about three week's time:

The footprint is exactly the same but with more storage, wider counter surface, a larger mirror, a small recessed closet and fairly simple clean lines. I ordered the bathtub this morning so it seems, the project has begun!

Salmon #15: Green Sauce

This is the third grilled salmon recipe in a row... 'tis the season for grilling, I suppose. While the concept is very similar to recipe #13 (simple grilled salmon, seasoned only with salt and pepper, and topped by a green sauce), the flavours are completely different. I don't know how this salmon challenge keeps uncovering dishes that are so unique yet so delicious, but we declare this another winner.

from Foodie Blogger Ana Helena Campbell

serves 4-6

1/2 juice of lime, as well as zest

1  avocado
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp green onions
1 tbsp fresh cilantro (or parsley, if you prefer)
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 large salmon filets, sliced into single portions

salt and pepper

Sauce: Zest lime and set aside. In a food processor add lime juice, avocado, garlic, green onions, cilantro, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Process all the ingredients until well combined. Add the olive oil slowly, and process all the ingredients until smooth. Mix in zest and set aside for a few minutes until ready to serve.

Salmon: Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Using a hot oil coated grill or grill pan, add the salmon for 3-4 minutes each side (depending on the thickness of the filet), or until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily. Serve immediately with avocado sauce.

Amazing Glass

During my first trip to England, my friend P and I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Hanging under the main lobby dome was this incredible hand blown glass sculpture. I really, really liked it (check out this great post from the V&A on the challenges of cleaning it).

A few years ago, Jeff and I went to Las Vegas.  My cousin strongly recommended that we walk through the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel, just to see the ceiling. We did. And I really, really liked it.

On vacation in Florida last spring, Jeff and I went to the Fairchild Botanical Gardens. While walking through the beautiful grounds, we happened on two things that looked strangely familiar. Again, I really, really liked them.

Finally, when thinking about what to do with our large bird bath/pond, I keep thinking about these floating glass orbs and onions I saw nearly a decade ago, at the New York Botanical Gardens. I really, really liked them.

These are all the works of Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly, who does some pretty big and incredible things with glass. As you can tell, I've become a fan. Three of Chihuly's largest, permanent installations are in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington.

Chihuly Garden and Glass at the Seattle Centre

The Sculpture Pacific Sun in the Glass House. Photo by Inside Bainbridge

Glass display in Exhibition Hall.  Photo by Inside Bainbridge

Chihuly Bridge of Glass at the Tacoma Museum of Glass

Seaform Pavilion ceiling on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass Photo source

 Tacoma Union Station

Poppy Window Photo source

For a long time, Jeff and I have wanted to go to the Tacoma Museum of Flight. Adding on these three glass exhibits and a few of Seattle/Tacoma's great restaurants, we could have the makings for a pretty fantastic weekend trip.

Weary Travellin'

One of my favourite Canadian choirs with a great arrangement of a wonderful spiritual.

Summer supper

When it's hot, I don't feel like cooking. We made this again last week during our ongoing western heat wave and it was great- not only because it does not require heating up your kitchen, but because it's so fresh and delicious.

serves 2-3

1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp  maple syrup
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sriracha sauce or chili garlic sauce
2 tsp vegetable or grape seed oil

2 tsp  sesame oil

salt to taste

flour tortillas

1 small steak, grilled and sliced
whatever  vegetables hit your fancy (tomato, red onion, avocado, lettuce, and chopped basil are our favourites, but you could add just about anything. For more kick, add some chopped jalapenos) 

Combine lime juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, sriracha/chili garlic sauce, and oils together. Stir or shake well to combine. Add salt  to taste and set aside. Grill beef until done to your liking, and set aside to rest. Grill tortilla shells until warmed, and assemble fajitas. Add dressing and enjoy!

My view Wednesday

Potential floor tiles for our main bathroom renovation.

Yes- now that one project is finished, another begins!

More Than Just Lipstick

You might remember, back in November 2010, we renovated the our front entrance stairs and porch. It went from this:

to this: 

Last summer, Jeff put in a brick landing and hung shutters. This summer, we've concentrated on landscaping.  The week of my graduation (mid June), it looked like this: 

And now, after a date with a can of high gloss black paint, here's a peak of what the final reveal will FINALLY look like (we're just waiting for a new mailbox and house numbers): 

Our original goal was to create some curb appeal.... and I think we've been successful. HOORAY!

Salmon #14: A l'Orange

Since trying Salmon with Grapefruit Sauce back at recipe #5 and getting less than favorable results, I've been a little reticent to try another salmon recipe flavoured with citrus. I need not have worried, however, because this recipe was quite good. I suspect it would do really well under the broiler as well- a good alternative for rainy winter days when firing up the barbecue is a miserable task.

adapted from All Recipes

serves 3

1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 salmon filet
2 scallions, thinly sliced with green (optional)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Mix together marmalade, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and vinegar; set aside. Remove visible bones from salmon and drizzle with half the glaze. Grill over medium heat (we grill salmon on foil to minimize cleanup. The skin sticks to the foil and the fish never burns!) for ~10 minutes or until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily. Serve immediately; the original recipe suggests a sprinkling of green onions or sesame seeds but as you can see, I completely forgot. 

New Feature

When I went back to school, a lot of things went on hold in our lives. Doing creative stuff was one of those things. Now that we're transitioning back to "normal" life, I've been trying to get back into sewing things, painting things, decorating things etc. but it's hard to find momentum and know exactly where to start. To make this happen more, I'm going to post something creative, every Monday. I'm hoping that in celebrating the creative endeavors of others, I'll be inspired to get a few projects done myself.

To get us started, here is a sweet water colour that rings true for me. I would have LOVED a print of this during the decade I lived in Ontario (the heart is just above the city where I grew up).

Audrey & Gem Watercolour Prints