Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Feta and Dill

I know it’s still February, but I think a spring bug bit me.  The new strawberries, asparagus, sugar snap peas and artichokes were calling my name last weekend at the farmer’s market and I felt myself thinking ahead to the next season. Just noticing that the sun is setting later and later is making me giddy.  Yesterday I was working at home and felt inspired to make one of my favorite quinoa dishes with baby spinach, fresh dill and mint.  It was like a bowl of fresh air.

This salad is based on the ingredients in spanakopita, the very rich and tasty Greek pie made from layers of phyllo dough (and butter), stuffed with cheese, spinach and herbs.  My friend John gave me his mother, Libby’s heavenly recipe for spanakopita which I have been making for at least 10 years now, but not quite as often as I used to since loads of dairy, processed wheat and fat aren’t friendly to a certain someone.  So these days spanakopita makes an appearance only once a year at our Yom Kippur break-the-fast dinner.  Don’t feel sorry for me too fast.

Since I still crave those flavors, I came up with a lighter and fresher way to enjoy them.  Hence this salad was born.   Would you think I was lying if I told you I like this quinoa just as much, maybe more than spanakopita?  Of course, I acknowledge this is still a salad and not a flaky, buttery hot mess of three kinds of cheese bound by chopped spinach.  But I do like this quinoa better!!  I like that it’s fresh, zingy and makes me feel energized instead of weighed down.  Quinoa has that effect on me.  It’s gluten-free and full of high quality protein, fiber and healthful minerals.  For something so nutritious, it is also bouncy and light.  Plus I can prepare this salad in a faction of the time it takes me to butter 20 sheets of phyllo dough.

My girls came home from school yesterday and polished off what was left in the serving bowl.  I was hoping to ask Mr. Picky to try one bite.  In the past, he has only been willing to eat the spinach leaves after he wiped them clean with his napkin.  But lately I’ve noticed he has been a little more tolerant of quinoa, not minding if a spoonful or two gets mixed in with some kale salad or sugar snap peas.  This is part of the slow and steady process to which I have committed.

For those of you with actual dietary restrictions or aversions, this is an incredibly flexible recipe.  Vegans and dairy-free people can omit the feta and add some kalamata olives for a salty bite.  I know there are mint-haters out there (really? very hard to believe!), so feel free to leave that out, especially since Libby’s recipe calls for only dill.  And for those of you who would rather not use pine nuts, I have also used sliced almonds or roasted pistachios before with success.  I love quinoa with a little crunch.  This salad is the perfect lunch or light dinner on its own, but I have also served this with dozens of different sides including roasted carrots and beets, grilled zucchini,  sauteed green beans with shallots or minted snap peas.  Can you say “Spring It On?!”

 

Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Feta and Dill

Pamela
5 from 5 votes
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Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa RINSED (see Step 1)
  • Sea salt
  • ½ cup pine nuts toasted (optional)
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced or 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 6 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves 3 ounces
  • ½ cup chopped fresh dill
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh mint optional
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 ounces feta preferably made from goat or sheep’s milk
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Instructions
 

  • Rinse quinoa in a bowl with water or place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Drain and transfer to a medium saucepan with a pinch of sea salt and 1 ¾ cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let sit, covered for 10 minutes. Quinoa can remain in the pot until ready to combine with other salad ingredients or transfer to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Allow quinoa to cool slightly.
  • To the quinoa add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. * Or you can place the spinach on a serving platter and toss with 1 Tablespoon of the lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. Combine quinoa with remaining ingredients and mound on top of the spinach leaves. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Other additions can include Kalamata olives, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and/or fresh corn kernels.
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White bean salad with celery and mint (and sometimes tuna)

Happy summer!  I really can’t believe it’s here, but I am just thrilled to bits.  Even though I still teach during the summer, I find that my schedule with the kids is a little easier and frees me up to spend a bit more time cooking.  The ironic thing is that during the summer, we don’t need to “cook” as much.  The weather is warmer and our bodies can tolerate more raw or lightly cooked foods.  But this has to be my favorite season for just the sheer bounty of vegetables and fruits available.  You can find me literally bouncing around the farmer’s markets in the summer overbuying berries and stone fruits, corn, eggplant, greens and tomatoes.  This past Saturday I bought a bushel of mint that was so gorgeous and fragrant, I couldn’t resist.  But I should have since already I GROW mint on my patio.

I also love summer since we entertain much more frequently and it’s a wonderful chance to catch up with friends.  I enjoyed a little quiet time this morning planning some weekend meals with guests in mind.  I have several new recipes I’ll be trying out, like chicken and vegetable kabobs with chimichurri sauce, black bean burgers with a smoky red pepper spread, and cantaloupe and cucumber salad.  I’m hoping they get the thumbs-up and I’ll post them before the end of the season.  Also, the kids and I have been having fun dipping big chunks of peeled ripe bananas into melted dark chocolate and freezing them.  But in as much as I get excited about experimenting, I also love my favorite stand-bys.

One of my regular dishes in the summer is this white bean, celery and mint salad.  By now you know I have a thing for creamy and crunchy together and I clearly have no self-control when a healthy bunch of mint seduces me.  On a beach day, I like to put the fixings out for a make-your-own sandwich bar.   Whether we choose to eat a quick bite at home or pack the sandwiches to go, this bean salad is always the perfect side to chicken salad, grilled vegetables or a humble turkey on wheat.  It is a great salad to bring on a picnic since the beans and celery don’t suffer after sitting in dressing for hours.  But the recipe is so easy that you might find yourself at home for lunch one day and decide that you can pull a beautiful healthful salad together with that can of white beans in your pantry and a simple vinaigrette.

Beans are a great source of inexpensive, low-fat protein and contain a ton of soluble fiber — so great for helping balance the LDL and HDL levels.  I am pretty good about planning meals in advance, so I will usually soak dried beans and make them from scratch, but opening up a can of Eden Organic beans is just fine, although a tad more expensive.  Sometimes I add canned tuna to this salad and you really need nothing more, although my girls love to take crusty bread and scoop up the salad and eat it that way.  Now would be a good time to mention that I dread BPA, which is a plastic and resin ingredient found in the linings of most cans, as well as water bottles and is associated with several health problems including breast cancer and infertility.  Thankfully, Eden Organics and Vital Choice Seafood do not use BPA in their can liners.

Please stop in again for more fresh, healthful and seasonal recipes to share with family and friends.  I’m looking forward to a great summer!

 

White Bean Salad with Celery and Mint (and Sometimes Tuna)

Pamela
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound dried Great Northern or cannellini beans*
  • 1 medium onion quartered
  • 1 stalk celery quartered
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 2- inch piece kombu if you have it**
  • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
  • Dressing:
  • ¾ cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar preferably unpasteurized
  • ½ teaspoon raw honey
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 ½ cups chopped celery
  • 1 shallot cut into thin half-moon slices ar ½ red onion, small dice
  • 1 ½ cups loosely packed mint leaves chopped
  • 1 7- ounces can albacore tuna packed in oil or water optional, flaked

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the beans and pick over for small stones or debris. Soak the beans in cold water overnight with a 2-inch piece of kombu.
  • Discard the soaking liquid, and place the beans and the other ingredients for cooking them in a 6-quart pot. Add enough cold water to fill the pot half full. Bring to a boil. Simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours, until the beans are tender. Turn off the heat, add the tablespoon of kosher salt and allow to cool in the cooking liquid. Drain and discard the cooking liquid, onion, celery and kombu.
  • Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified.
  • To make the salad, transfer the cooked beans to a serving bowl. Add the celery, sliced shallot, fresh mint and (optional tuna.) Pour the dressing over the beans and toss to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

*Or you can use 6 cups drained and rinsed canned beans, approximately 3 or 4 cans.
** Kombu is a seaweed which helps tenderize the beans and make them more digestible. If you also cook the beans with the kombu, it adds alkalinity. I buy Eden kombu at Whole Foods or from amazon.com
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

white bean salad with celery and mint (and sometimes tuna)

serves 8

 

1 pound dried Great Northern or cannellini beans*

1 medium onion, quartered

1 stalk celery, quartered

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 2-inch piece kombu (if you have it)**

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

 

Dressing:

¾ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar, preferably unpasteurized

½ teaspoon raw honey

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 

1 ½ cups chopped celery

1 shallot, cut into thin half-moon slices ar ½ red onion, small dice

1 ½ cups loosely packed mint leaves, chopped

1 7-ounces can albacore tuna packed in oil or water (optional), flaked

  1. Rinse the beans and pick over for small stones or debris.  Soak the beans in cold water overnight with a 2-inch piece of kombu.
  2. Discard the soaking liquid, and place the beans and the other ingredients for cooking them in a 6-quart pot.  Add enough cold water to fill the pot half full.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours, until the beans are tender.  Turn off the heat, add the tablespoon of kosher salt and allow to cool in the cooking liquid.  Drain and discard the cooking liquid, onion, celery and kombu.
  3. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified.
  4. To make the salad, transfer the cooked beans to a serving bowl.  Add the celery, sliced shallot, fresh mint and (optional tuna.)  Pour the dressing over the beans and toss to blend.  Serve at room temperature.

 

*Or you can use 6 cups drained and rinsed canned beans, approximately 3 or 4 cans.

** Kombu is a seaweed which helps tenderize the beans and make them more digestible.  If you also cook the beans with the kombu, it adds alkalinity.  I buy Eden kombu at Whole Foods or from amazon.com

 

Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe

Father’s Day is this Sunday and we are getting ready to celebrate the man of the house.  I have already begun planning my menu, which no doubt will involve some grilling since we all know that’s a man’s favorite thing to do.  If my husband had his way, the meal would consist of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, grilled corn and ice cream sandwiches.  And the reason my husband has been able to maintain his girlish figure all these years is because he is not in charge of meals.  Before you accuse me of being no fun whatsoever, please know that grass-fed burgers with raw cheddar cheese and Applegate Farms organic grass-fed hot dogs will be in the house.  Thankfully several people in our family like my turkey burgers enough that I will be making a batch of those.  But more importantly, what am I going to eat?

Did I really find a way to make Father’s Day all about me?  No, no, this will be Dad’s day, but it’s my job to make sure there’s a little balance in the meal and protein for the non-hot dog eaters.  Like me.  When I think about one of my favorite things to make for a backyard barbecue, something versatile enough to complement anything, delicious in its own right, lovely to look at and healthful enough that you can almost justify eating all that meat, quinoa tabbouleh immediately comes to mind.  Just look at it!  Light and bouncy quinoa mixed with sweet cherry tomatoes (use whatever colors you like), crunchy cucumber and all those fresh herbs.  Who wouldn’t want to eat it?  Don’t answer that, because I know what you’re thinking.  I took this salad to my friend Karen and Jonathan’s house the other day for a barbecue and every man there not only tried the quinoa, but finished every little grain.

Quinoa works really well as a substitute for tabbouleh’s traditional bulgar wheat.  (Like you really need to eat more gluten.)  You can even mix different colors of quinoa and different colors of tomatoes.  When I brought it to Karen’s, the quinoa was still too warm to mix with all the vegetables and herbs so I kept that in a separate container and brought a little glass jar with the lemon juice, olive oil and salt.  Everything else was prepared ahead and kept in a serving bowl.  Before we sat down to eat, I mixed the quinoa with the vegetables and herbs and poured in the dressing.  Super easy, really nutritious and you know what?  Real men don’t eat quiche, but they do eat quinoa!

 

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Pamela
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • Sea salt
  • 2 cups diced unpeeled Persian or Japanese cucumber or cucumber with a tasty skin
  • 2 cups halved or quartered cherry tomatoes
  • 4 scallions thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or as much as you can chop -- the more the better!
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Rinse quinoa in a bowl with water or place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a saucepan and add a healthy pinch of sea salt and 1 ¾ cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl and allow to cool. Fluff with a fork periodically.
  • Combine cooled quinoa and remaining ingredients plus 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt. Toss to mix well. Taste for seasoning.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

Minted sugar snap peas recipe

Minted Sugar Snap Peas | Pamela Salzman

Minted Sugar Snap Peas | Pamela Salzman

When I’m not teaching cooking classes, I volunteer as a garden educator for a non-profit organization called Growing Great.  I help students at a local elementary school maintain a beautiful organic garden as well as teach them the fundamentals about growing vegetables and fruit.  I think it’s really important that our kids know where our food comes from.  I am fortunate to have grown up with gardens my whole life.  My father has an unbelievable green thumb and we were lucky enough to be able to go to the backyard before dinner and find something that looked good enough to eat.  Yet, no matter how many times I plant a seed in the ground, I am still amazed at what happens.  With some sun, water and a little TLC, that little granule turns into a gorgeous plant that bears incredible-tasting vegetables.

This year our little school garden had a bounty of sugar snap peas.  We picked baskets upon baskets of them to sell at the school’s annual farmer’s market, although we would have had pounds more but the kids couldn’t resist eating them straight off the vine.  Far be it from me to discourage them!  Sugar snap peas are always the most popular spring vegetable that we sell.  They are even more sweet and juicy when they are freshly picked — a real treat!  They are perfect raw in a lunchbox or as an afterschool snack.  But I just love any peas when paired with mint.  It’s a match made in heaven.

If you can find really fresh snap peas, you won’t have to do much to them to make them taste divine.  This recipe is incredibly easy to prepare and delicious in its simplicity.  The only “work” here is trimming the peas and I usually have one of my kids do that.

Minted Sugar Snap Peas | Pamela Salzman

Since the peas cook so quickly, I usually call everyone down for dinner and then turn the heat on under the pot.  I can always count on a little bickering before everyone settles down to his or her seat, so the timing is perfect.  Just keep to the short cook time.  I do think snap peas are better with a little crunch.  This preparation also works with carrots, asparagus, and English peas, too.  If you mix a few together, you’ll just have Springtime in a bowl.

Minted Sugar Snap Peas | Pamela Salzman

Minted Sugar Snap Peas

Pamela
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound sugar snap peas trimmed
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot thinly sliced or 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
  • 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
  • 3-4 Tablespoons water

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
  • Remove garlic if that’s what you used. Season to taste for salt. That's all there is to it. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Notes

Sometimes I like to add the zest of one small orange, lemon or lime to the pot.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!