Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

I made this salad for lunch today for me and a friend. I have never eaten quinoa before but have heard how good it is for you, so I wanted to try it. I bought some from a local health food store and cooked it today. This was a great salad and pretty easy to make. I just boiled the quinoa for 20 minutes rather than steam it, because I don't have a sieve. I used most of one fresh jalapeno, and bottled lime juice rather than fresh. I would make this again for a light supper or for a summer picnic. It was light but still filling, and the quinoa has a nice texture.

Entertaining

We had some friends over for dinner tonight and I made a nice meal for the four of us. They are retired missionaries from Congo who we met at a conference a few months ago. The wife told us how much she appreciated our invitation, and commented that people just don't have others into their homes like they used to - most people will take you out to a restaurant but not entertain you in their own homes. I thought that was interesting and it made me want to have people over more! I guess it's becoming a lost art. I made a few recipes that I've tried before and a couple new ones.

Grilled Salmon Fillets with Balsamic Glaze
One of my favorite ways to cook salmon. It's pretty easy and quick, but very tasty. If you like balsamic vinegar you would like this one.
Roasted Asparagus with Anise Seeds
I bought anise seeds a couple years back for one recipe that my husband didn't care much for, so the anise has been sitting in my cupboard since then. I found this one today and got to finally put some of it to use! I used a mortar and pestle to crush the seeds. I didn't cut the asparagus up because I like how the whole spears look on a plate. The anise gives a pleasant flavor, and roasted asparagus has a nice crisp-tender texture.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
I made the mistake of letting my husband do this one. He likes things "healthy", so he used 1% milk instead of cream, and only two tablespoons of butter (I had used more like 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes, so it should have been more like 6 tablespoons of butter in it). I thought they were okay, but I would have liked them richer. Mmm. Butter.
Strawberry Shortcake
I've made this one before. The biscuits didn't rise much this time, not sure why. I really like this recipe. In terms of dessert, this is an oldie but goodie.

Mango Salsa

We were invited to a salsa themed party yesterday, so I made mango salsa. I've made this a couple times before and it is always a hit. Not only is it delicious, but it's also very colorful and presents well. The original recipe doesn't call for jalapeno, but I find it essential to bring a little depth to the flavor. You taste the sweetness of the mango first, and then get hit with a little heat a few seconds later. I chop up one jalapeno with the seeds and throw it in there. I used four mangoes and a whole red bell pepper for mine.

Buttermilk Honey Wheat Bread

My husband's grandma is downsizing. Last time she did that, we got her TV. This time, we have been blessed with her bread machine. I've tried using a bread machine in the past and was disappointed with the results - but I think you just have to find the right recipe, and accept the fact that your bread will look more like a block than a loaf. I've made this bread once so far, and am making it a second time in the bread machine as I write. It has a nice flavor, is moist, has good structure and a nice slightly crunchy crust. Or as my husband said to me after he ate a slice - "... you've done a very good thing."

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

I have made this bread five or six times now, and it is one of my favorites. It's an easy bread to make for get togethers, and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. I've played around with the sugar content a few times - 3 cups of sugar is way too much. I usually use 2 1/4 cups of white sugar. This last time I used 1 1/4 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar. I can't tell a big difference using brown sugar, but, hey, variety is the spice of life, I say. The last few times I have added a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, which made a great bread into a rock-my-world bread. :) Which just goes to show you the truth of the old adage that you can't go wrong with chocolate chips. It's kind of like a stick of butter. Any recipe that starts with a stick of butter is going to be tasty. Artery clogging as well, but I digress. Anyway, I've tried to use mini-chocolate chips but it wasn't nearly as good as the regular sized ones. I always get compliments when I make this one.

Spicy Garbanzo Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup

My hubby wanted me to try this one. We thought it was very tasty but needed more fluid - otherwise it is more like a stew. Instead of turkey sausage in casings, I bought one of those tubes of turkey sausage which was much cheaper.

Oatmeal Coconut Raspberry Bars

I am not a big fan of bars - I prefer the taste of cookies, but cookies are so much more labor intensive. I found this bar recipe, though, and decided to give it a whirl. They are really good. I burned the coconut the first time that I tried toasting it - I only had them in the oven for four minutes and they were already way too brown, so I had to start over with new coconut. Lesson learned. Now I know how to toast coconut. I also forgot the salt, but they are fine without it. I used Polaner's All Fruit which looked a little better for you than the regular jams on the shelf. I'll make these again.