Coconut and Lime Quinoa Salad

In the heat of summer, this zingy and slightly sweet quinoa salad hits the spot! The trick is to adjust the seasonings at the end ---- a good amount of lime and salt will elevate the flavors to deliver the ultimate YUM factor. 

Ingredients:

Quinoa

1 TB coconut oil

1 cup quinoa, well rinsed

1¾ cups of water

½ tsp salt

¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

zest of one lime

¼ cup cilantro minced

¼ cup currants, or other dried fruit chopped such as cranberries or raisins

½ cup red pepper, small dice

Dressing:

2 TB lime juice, plus more to taste

2 TB canola or grape seed oil (choose a mild oil)

½ tsp honey

¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in small pot.  Add the rinsed quinoa and let it toast, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the quinoa is coated and starts to stick to the pot.  Then add 1 ¾ cup water, ½ tsp salt, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.  Take the pot off the heat, gently fluff with a fork, add lime zest and coconut flakes, and let sit partially covered for another 10 minutes.

Transfer quinoa to a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.  To cool the quinoa more quickly, spread on a baking sheet with afork.   Add the remaining ingredients: cilantro, currants and red pepper.  Drizzle with dressing and toss gently. Taste, and add more lime, salt, or pepper, to your liking.

 Makes 4 cups.

Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad

As seen in Westchester Magazine, August 2016

Refreshing and light, this salad is the perfect antidote for a hot summer evening. It’s bursting with seasonal ingredients available at your local farmers’ market: juicy watermelon, ripe tomatoes, and sweet-smelling herbs.   Heirloom tomatoes come in a variety of beautiful colors.  Look for a mix of yellow, orange and red varieties, and choose a mild feta that won’t overpower the fresh produce. 

 Ingredients

3 lbs watermelon, preferably seedless, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 ½ lbs heirloom tomatoes (or other large tomato such as beefsteak), cut into 1-inch cubes

¾ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste

½ tsp freshly ground pepper plus more to taste 

3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

3 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

½ cup crumbled feta

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lime, juiced

lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Place the watermelon and tomatoes in a large bowl. Season with ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Toss gently and then drain excess liquid from the bowl.

Add the mint, basil and feta and toss gently to combine.

Drizzle the olive oil and lime juice over the salad. Adjust seasoning and serve with lime wedges.

Note about how to store basil:

Basil is sensitive to the cold. When wrapped up and stored in a chilly fridge, its leaves will quickly wilt and brown. Instead, you can extend the life of your basil by giving it room to breath at room temperature. To do this, trim the stems as you would cut flowers to remove dried-up ends, then stick the bunch in a tall glass of water. Loosely cover the basil with a plastic bag and keep it on the counter.   Now your basil will stay fresh for a week or more.