We began our journey into a less meat centric diet about a year and a half ago. I thought the process would be relatively difficult since I couldn't really think of many meatless dishes aside from pasta or those that contained meat substitutes. Considering my type-A personality I was up for the challenge to broaden my "vegetarian" horizons. My first task was to find and subscribe to some vegetarian living blogs. Around this time I also received a free subscription to Bon Appetit magazine which had the most delicious meat free meals. My mouth practically watered looking at the beautiful photography and reading through the recipe lists. By taking the plunge and having relatively low expectations we became huge fans of a variety of grains and of course lentils. One of our favorite discoveries was quinoa- the super "grain." This little guy packs so much flavor and nutrition, making meatless meals a real treat rather than a sacrifice. My husband and I both crave this recipe and we have made countless iterations of it based on what I have in the house. We also fall back on quinoa in lieu of rice or pasta occasionally. My next challenge is locating some organic red quinoa which I hear has an even more fabulous flavor. I will be highlighting other quinoa recipes in the future, so stay tuned!

Quinoa Summer Salad
**I adapted this recipe from one in Bon Appetit magainze that used farro, which at the time I didn't have so I subbed quinoa and it was a masterpiece! The measurements are pretty much all relative and this recipe is so adaptable to what you have on hand and your tastes.  There are very few of what I call "non-negotiable" ingredients in this dish that make it a hit time and time again: the dressing, the feta or goat cheese, green onions, and fresh herbs. The rest is up to you.


1 C quinoa, organic if you can find it
2 C water
blanched green beans (I used edamame because its what I had on hand!)
fresh corn (frozen works too in a pinch, just run it under water and drain)
green onions
fresh herbs- I like to use parsley or cilantro, basil is a little too savory for this recipe so I wouldnt use it (Cilantro source: FFM)
feta or chevre (Source: Blue Jacket Dairy)
spicy grainy mustard
lemon juice
olive oil
garlic or shallot
kosher salt
**if I have grape or cherry tomatoes I halve them and toss 'em in for a little extra color

Cook quinoa either on the stovetop or in the microwave. I like to use the fewest dishes possible so I microwave mine in a big bowl- 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water. Cook uncovered in microwave for 5 min at 100%. Then cover and cook for 10-15 min. on 30%, stopping to stir halfway through. Fluff with a fork and set aside while you chop.

Chop your veggies and herbs. Combine garlic or shallot and kosher salt and press with the back of a spoon into a small bowl to mash the garlic up a bit. Mix lemon juice (usually use about 2 TBL) and grainy mustard (about 1-2 TBL) and olive oil (1-2 TBL) with garlic and salt mixture. Dump your veggies, herbs, and dressing in with the quinoa and toss to coat evenly. S&P and add feta or chevre and toss gently.

You might be surprised to know that as a scientist, I have had several discussions on this very (seemingly) simple question. I firmly stand by my assessment that it was indeed the chicken, but that's another topic for another day. At any rate, I dont' really care which came first- whether the free range (pasture fed) chicken that produced the eggs we received from Holistic Farms in our FFM bundle this week or the cafe au lait colored eggs because the fact remains, they are delicious!

I've been somewhat of an organic, free range, locally produced egg skeptic but I really can't remember why having now tasted these eggs. Perhaps it was my biased judgment that organic eggs were "too expensive." The $3+ a dozen was certainly off putting when I knew I could get eggs for 89 cents a dozen. But really, what's "too expensive" for good quality, good taste, responsible farming practices? As a culture we have been misled to believe that food should be cheap. The only way that food is cheap is because we have made it that way by abandoning sustainable and responsible farming techniques and have grown accustomed to tomatoes year round and bananas in North America- where, I for one, have never seen a banana tree actually grow. I'm sure most of you have seen the recent food documentary called "Food, Inc" and if you haven't, you should. If you are reading this blog you probably are an organic and local supporter already so I don't plan to belabor the point but I think it is important to mention. I may not be able to personally afford a diet consisting entirely local, organic and responsibly farmed products seeing as how I am a graduate student (though I sure wish I could!). But I think we can all make smarter choices about what we are putting into our bodies.  In order to afford better food, we have cut down our meat intake to about 1-3 meals a week on average and embraced some creative vegetarian options which I will be highlighting soon. My meat and exercise loving husband was skeptical at first, but now he is fully convinced you can get a well balanced and protein rich food from things other than meat. In turn we have become healthier, wealthier and hopefully more wise. After all, maybe if more people cut out the cable package or downgraded our data plans for our cell phones that we convince ourselves are necessities, we would get back to what's really important- being healthy and warm and happy.

As soon as I got the email about the contents of this weeks package, I immediately knew what I would do with some of the spinach, eggs, cheese and sausage buns. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Egg "Salad" Sandwiches
*This isn't so much a cut and dry sort of recipe. Add your favorite toppings and there are no exact measurements. Perhaps that's why I'm a better cook than I am a baker- in my everyday job, measurements have to be precise and exact, but at home I can just be creative and cook to what tastes "right"! This quantities I have given are for one sandwich.




1 Sausage Bun (Source: our FFM bundle!)
2 free range eggs (Source: Holistic Farms, see link above)
2-3 slices of grass fed Blue Gouda Cheese (Source: Mayfield Creamery)
1-2 spinach leaves (Source: our FFM bundle!)
Garlic Aioli- just finely chop some garlic and mix it with either store bought mayo or homemade!
Thinly sliced onions (I like to use yellow or vidalia onions but use whatever you like)
Butter

Lightly butter sausage bun and grill until warm and toasted (I used my grill pan!). Warm some butter in a non stick skillet and cook eggs to your preference (I basically fried mine). **IMPORTANT*** In my opinion, when you cook eggs you should always S&P them while they are cooking. Shmear the garlic aioli on the bun and layer onions, cheese, spinach and eggs. Enjoy!

I can remember the first time I ever had a radish. I was living and studying in Airdrie, Scotland for the semester and it was rainy and cold. Every day. All the time. But despite the dreary weather, the country was and is beautiful and I was always warm when sharing a meal with the people of Airdrie RPC on Sunday afternoons. I distinctly recall being confused by these delectable root vegetables that my host served up on my plate, caramelized in butter and seasoned with sea salt. I had never seen radishes outside of a bucket of water on a salad bar at Old Country Buffet so my opinion of radishes was quite biased, I must admit. On the same plate were parsnips, another virtually unknown vegetable. This was uncharted foodie territory for me and I was convinced that I would be disappointed by these THINGS that had the apparent texture of styrofoam. Not wanting to be rude, I politely took a bite- the radishes first. And my preconceived notions about root vegetables were dramatically shattered. These little red globes were delicious! Throughout my time in Scotland, I grew to love a variety of other root vegetables (I am particularly fond of parsnip soup and turnip mash) and lament the fact that I live in an apartment and cannot grow my own. FFM CSA to the rescue! In our first week we were given a gloriously scarlet bunch of plump radishes- with greens attached. But these are unlike any other radish I have ever had. So tender; so delicate and fresh tasting. And the texture was so soft! I was almost convinced these weren't really radishes because I actually liked them even more than those I've already grown to love.


So, here is the first recipe of 3 using up our radishes. This is a much more "typical" preparation, but it's a good one to expose yourself to these cheery vegetables. 

Paprika Chicken with Buttered (Or Olive Oiled) Warm Radishes
adapted from Rachel Ray 


(*** Disclaimer: I am not a huge fan of Rachel Ray because its seems like everything she makes is the same and I am so tired of her tired little "yummo" phrases. However, this recipe is great! Trust me, and I hope you enjoy my take on it)


8 oz egg noodles or spaghetti, fresh or dried
2 lbs chicken, choose your favorite- white or dark meat, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (I usually use either yellow or vidalia onions)
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp sweet paprika, smoked if you have it
1/2 C water or chicken stock (please dont use canned or boxed stock or boullion cubes, if you dont have homemade stock, just use water. I promise it will come out fine!)
2-3 TBL butter
1 lb radishes, trimmed and halved
1/2 C sour cream, or plain non fat yogurt, or heavy cream (Ive used all three and they all work, though the sour cream/yogurt result in the creamiest dishes)
Chives
Parsley
S&P
Olive oil


Cook up your pasta to al dente in salted water. Drain and return to the pan with a little butter.


Brown your chicken in a skillet in olive oil for about 3-4 min. Add the sliced onions and garlic, paprika, and S&P. Cook for a few minutes and then add your stock or water to deglaze the pan and let simmer for about 2 min.


While this is working, heat up a little butter in a skillet and toss your radishes in cut side down for 2-3 min. Flip/stir and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until tender and remove from heat. Toss with chives and S&P.


When the chicken pan is deglazed, remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. 


Serve the chicken on top of the pasta and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve radishes on the side.
**Makes great leftovers (this recipe serves about 4 people)




Stay tuned for radish iteration Nos. 2 and 3!