Tag Archives: lemon

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Rainbow Quinoa Salad

This is a quick chop-chuck-‘n-chew recipe that I make all the time, depending on what grain and vegetable leftovers I have. I chop the vegetables small, toss with cooked quinoa (or any grain for that matter) and fold in a simple lemon and olive oil dressing. It’s a fresh, light, and satisfying way to get rid of veggies on their last leg and put to good use otherwise bland grains.

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Its glowsomeness revealed:

Quinoa: is a protein powerhouse (one cup has 9 grams), containing all  of the essential amino acids and is thus a complete protein, is rich in fiber and digests slowly as to provide a feeling of fullness, acts an an internal cleanser and helps keep you “regular”, contributes to liver health with it vitamin B and folate content, builds bones with his good calcium content, and offer 15 percent of the U.S. recommended daily allowance of iron in just one cup, helping to deliver oxygen to the blood and boosting energy and brain power.

Keeps you sharp, thin, and strong. Make sure you get some!

Rainbow Quinoa Salad

by Aylin @ Glow Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 yellow red pepper, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Instructions

Begin by chopping the veggies into fine pieces. Grate the carrot.  Add to two cups of cooked quinoa.

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For the dressing, whisk together salt, pepper, olive oil and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Fold into quinoa mixture until all is evenly coated.

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The dressing helps break down the toughness of the raw vegetables, evening out the textures and making for an awesome bite.

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Serve and enjoy!

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Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

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Pink Cauliflower Dip

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Sometimes the only thing that makes  a vegetable appealing is everything…but it. A flavorful dressing, sauce, or dip can make the difference between a blah, force-fed meal and one that you inhale in 5 minutes flat. This dip ensures the latter.

I hate cooking with cauliflower and broccoli. Sure, I love their taste (nothing beats a broccoli and cheese [and lots of it] casserole), but they’re tough, often a hit-or-miss in terms of cooking properly, and can get messy when preparing.

But, I found that by steaming in a covered saucepan with only 1-inch deep water boiling at the bottom, cooks these cruciferous vegetables quickly and hassle-free.

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I either eat them as such, seasoned with salt, pepper, nooch (nutritional yeast), and butter or I puree them to make something a bit more creative.

Pink Cauliflower Dip

by GK

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, steamed
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives (leave some for garnish)
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/2 roasted beet
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Tonight, I tossed the cooled-down, steamed cauliflower (an entire head) with 1/2 roasted beet, 1 tbsp chopped chives, 2 tbsp chopped basil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp mustard, the juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper and 1/4 cup of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

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The texture is creamy, but light. The taste has an overtone of “what is that?!” (but totally in a good way). The mustard cuts the neutrality of the cauliflower and the garlic – to say nothing of its stellar color – gives it enough oomph to make it gather a crowd on any dinner table or appetizer spread at a party.

This recipe’s flavors are more pronounced when cold, but it pairs wonderfully with white fish or used as a thicker salad dressing for otherwise uninspired greens.

My dip was in good company, aside some broccoli that had been steamed and cooked with garlic. Garnish with chives.

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Enjoy this versatile dip!

xo Aylin

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Simple Salmon

B-12 is the only vitamin you cannot derive from plant sources. While there are synthetic B-12 supplements on the market and nutritional yeast provides some of the vitamin, I personally wouldn’t turn to supplements if I knew I could get my share from a food source, and nutritional yeast simply doesn’t provide enough.

Not being vegan, I love my fish and value its importance in getting in that B-12 in my system.

Salmon is among my favorite fish, and because of its high-fat content and distinct taste, I like to eat it as simply as possible. Usually, this means salt, pepper, lemon and herbs. With some dill in the fridge that is on its last stretch, tonight was fitting occasion for baked salmon with fresh dill.

Simple Salmon

by GlowKitchen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8-12 minutes

Easy baked salmon with a lemon and dill garnish.

Ingredients (1 serving)

  • 1 salmon fillet
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • handful of dill, chopped
  • juice from half a lemon

Instructions

Begin by searing the salmon fillet, skin-side down, in a hot pan. The fat from the salmon is enough, so there is no need to add oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper as it cooks.

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When the salmon has cooked about halfway through, remove it from the pan and seal it in aluminum foil.

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Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, or until perfectly cooked through, and not a second more. It should be tender to the touch. Salmon is best when it is just cooked through, but no more. It should melt in your mouth!

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Remove from the oven and garnish with lemon and chopped dill.

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Perfection.

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Look how tender and buttery soft!

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Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

 

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Avocado Mint Alfredo Pasta

Avocados are god-sent. As healthy as they are, they mimic the decadence of many a favorite creamy salad dressing, pasta sauce or dip. And all that fat? Don’t worry ’bout it – your body knows what to do with it!

The mint adds a refreshing zest and the lemon cuts the avocado-ey taste, leaving behind a rich, fragrant pasta dish ready under 10 minutes.

Avocado Mint Alfredo Pasta

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Ingredients:

– 2 servings of pasta cooked according to package instructions

– 1 avocado

– 1 tsp sea salt

– 1 tsp black pepper

– juice of 1 lemon

– handful of fresh mint

– 2 cloves garlic

Servings: 2

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. I used a rice flour pasta that was gluten-free.

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Assemble the ingredients (lemon not pictured).

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Do the dirty and add them all to the food processor in no specific order.

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Blend until smooth. Stuff starts to smell good right about now.

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Drain the pasta of choice, stopping the cooking process by rinsing it thoroughly.

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Fold the avocado alfredo into the pasta until evenly coated.

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Serve and garnish with fresh mint.

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The pasta is still warm and the sauce just the right balance of savory, zesty and light.

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There should have been leftovers, but would I honestly let that happen?

Bon Appetit!

 

xo Aylin

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Light Lemon Pepper Quinoa

A recent find:

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Kale chips! The taste was a big “meh”. They had a soggy texture. I like my kale chips crispy. The spices gave the chips a smoked taste, which is unlike the kinds I’ve tried in the States. But I’d rather crunch through them, not chew. Maybe I’ll make my own soon.

While I was munching away on the kale chips, I was also making a side dish. Turkey doesn’t have quinoa, except for the imported kind. And since most things are locally-sourced around here, it was a huge surprise to see one of my usual staples hiding in my local grocery store. From Italy.

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I love quinoa, but I am not a huge fan of overly-flavored quinoa. Usually, I cook it with a little salt and call it a day, but sometimes a fragrant touch gives it an oomph without the clouding effects of numerous vegetable, spice or oil additions.

Lemon Pepper Quinoa

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Ingredients:

– 1 tbsp lemon zest

– 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

– 1/2 tsp salt

– 1/4 tsp lemon pepper (or just regular pepper)

– 1 shallot (I used 4 abnormally small shallots), diced

– 1 cup quinoa

– 2.5 cups water

– lemon zest for garnish

Servings: 3-4

Directions:

Let a medium-sized pot head to medium.

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Zest the lemon.

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Add the salt to the lemon zest and smear into the table surface with the side of a knife, allowing all the juices of the lemon zest to release more flavor. The salt will break down the cell walls and extract the juice of the zest.

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Dice the shallots.

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In a heated pot, add the olive oil, lemon zest, and shallots.

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Sautee for 2-3 minutes.

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Add the quinoa and mix until well combined.

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Add the lemon pepper in this step, just before the water.

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Add the water and cover the pot until the mixture reaches a boil, then reduce the temperature to low, allowing it to simmer until finished.

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Serve.

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Add more lemon zest for garnish and additional flavor.

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Voila!

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Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

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Everyday Deuces

My two go-to salads are 1-2-3-ready and neutral enough to have on a daily basis, but don’t let their simplicity fool you–they pack a flavor punch!

The first salad I made yesterday, and it lets the green leaves do the talking. It’s abundant and a wonderful complement to a denser meal.

Lemon and Scallion Green Leaf Salad

Ingredients:

1 head of green leaf lettuce
2 scallions
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 diced tomato
Salt & pepper

Directions:

Begin by peeling off the outside layer two scallions and dicing them evenly (note: those are my father’s hands).

Wash the head of green leaf lettuce and chop it relatively thinly width-wise.

Next add the lemon…

and the olive oil…

And lastly, toss in the tomato for some color contrast.

A feast for the eyes, and a wonderful way to begin the meal 🙂

Next salad.

This salad is a Turkish salad, which is a lot like a Greek salad only the vegetables are cut smaller. It is also doesn’t have any greens, except for the parsley. My family eats this salad every night.

Turkish Salad (Coban Salatasi)

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion (I used white in this recipe because it’s all I had on hand)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 hot green pepper, diced
1 bunch finely chopped parsley
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Red pepper flakes

Directions:

Dice the onions, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Take 1/2 green pepper and slice it length-wise in half, removing the seeds. Then dice it and add to the salad mix.

Add salt & pepper. Make sure to add the salt to the onions, scrunching them with your hands as to release its juices. The salt helps this happen and makes the onions softer and easier to eat.

Then comes the parsley–finally chopped!

Toss dem all up!

Add the fixin’s…

(olive oil, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes)

The cheese comes next (totally optional). I am using a sheep feta of Bulgarian variety. It’s a yum-fest.

I also added a few black olives I had on hand for even more flava!

And that’s all! Two great salads for everyday munchin’. Both are raw (save for the cheese), a palette cleanser, and flood your body with nutrients and enzymes. Enjoy!

xoxo