Southwest Quinoa Salad

For a vegetarian, dining at a good vegetarian restaurant is rather liberating. At most restaurants, you're confined to the less interesting salads, the kind that the chef doesn't feel could be improved upon with the addition of prosciutto, or anchovies, or smokey bacon, or duck confit. And the inevitable vegetarian-overly-rich-creamy-cheesy-starch-based main course - ravioli, risotto, etc (which is always served with truffles when it's meant to be extra fancy). And while these are usually pretty tasty, they don't offer that much in the way of nutrition, or variety. But when you dine at a vegetarian restaurant, there's a whole menu available to you. Which is pretty exciting if you've spent most of your life skimming menus for meaty words and hidden meaty foods lurking behind the menu (chicken stock in the rice at a Cuban restaurant, lard in 'authentic' refried beans, fish sauce in anything Asian that doesn't expressly say it's vegetarian, and half of what does). And what's even more fun is dining with another vegetarian who shares your enthusiasm for dishes with tofu and seitan and whole grains.


And so, a few years back I had the pleasure of sharing such a meal with my friend Anna at the Candle Cafe in New York. I had a salad that sounded delicious and proved to be quite good. There was a bed of spinach, then quinoa, grilled chipotle marinated tofu, and a plump avocado half spilling over with black beans and a creamy dressing. And when I asked for a wine pairing, our waitress turned me toward something I'd never seen, an organic torrontes. Torrontes - a white, unique to Argentina, is fruity and floral and still somewhat dry and delicious with spicy and smoky foods - which paired perfectly with my salad, quickly became one of my favorites. And the combination of quinoa, tofu, black beans and avocado inspired this salad that I think has evolved into something even more fun to eat that the original.


Southwest Quinoa Salad
Makes 2 servings

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable stock

2 cups mixed greens, washed dried and torn into bite sized pieces
1 avocado, peeled cored and diced
1 mango, peeled cored and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (oven roasted if out of season)
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp roasted salted sunflower seeds or pepitas

4 1/2 inch slices firm tofu, pressed in a paper towel to removed excess water
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsp chipotle ranch dressing, or substitute any southwest dressing

Combine quinoa and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off heat and let cool slightly. Fluff with a fork before serving.


Meanwhile, prepare fruits and vegetables. Heat a small skillet to medium high (without oil). Toss in frozen corn kernels along with a pinch of chili powder and allow to blacken in spots, one or two kernels may pop out of pan. Turn out onto cutting board and allow to cool.


Lay tofu slices out in a single layer. Season liberally with chili powder and lightly with salt, press seasoning into surface, flip and repeat on other side. Heat a very small amount of vegetable oil - just enough to lightly coat the bottom - in a small frying pan on medium high. (This technique for cooking tofu is easy in a nonstick skillet, can be done in a well seasoned cast iron pan with a flexible spatula, and proves very difficult in a stainless steel pan.) Lay tofu slices in pan shaking pan after they're in place to make sure they do not stick. Allow to cook on medium high heat for about 2 minutes per side until a slight crust has formed. Quickly add orange juice, soy sauce, and honey to pan (they may spit at you, but it's worth it) allow to bubble away and reduce into a glaze, flip tofu slices, turn off heat and allow to cool slightly in pan.


To assemble salad, lay out a ring of mixed greens, pile quinoa in center, then sprinkle on black beans, corn, avocado, mango, and tomatoes. Then top with tofu slices drizzle on dressing and top with sunflower seeds.


Note: When discussing my post for this salad Jon suggested that I have an awesome scale on my blog because "you wouldn't know just by looking at it how awesome [this] is" and he went on to say that everyone should try this at least once in their life. Just a word of advice.

Chipotle Fry Sauce

This is quite possibly the best condiment ever. Perfect for dipping crispy potato wedges or spread liberally on grilled portabello sandwiches or burgers, or just about anything, and it takes only minutes to prepare.


Chipotle Fry Sauce

Makes 2 Servings

1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp chipotle in adobo (you may need to cut the chipotle in half), finely minced
2 heaping tbsp low fat mayonnaise
2 heaping tbsp high quality ketchup
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, stir until evenly mixed. Chill until ready to serve.

Tip: Chipotles in Adobo usually come in a small can that is really more chipotle than you'd want in most recipes. Luckily, they freeze well. Simply place remainder of contents into a small resealable baggy trying to separate chunks so that they are easier to break apart when needed. These should last several months.

Trashy Food: Maeve's Veggie Nachos

I've loved veggie nachos for a long time, but my own recipe has changed quite a bit over the years. As a kid, I liked the challenge of making my own cheese sauce starting with a rue, mixing in some cheddar and a touch of salsa for a deliciously silky dip. Later, I simplified things by using grated cheese melted under the broiler. As a high school student, they became my snack food of choice when at the movies. And finally one of my college roommates introduced me to the idea of using a microwave (though I was a child of the 80's and 90's, somehow my family managed to live microwave-free for most of my youth, so it was quite a foreign and revolutionary idea for me). For several years I enjoyed quick and easy nachos with grated cheese and a variety of toppings - of course the traditional beans, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, but also to make it more meal like and less guilt enducing, some chopped zucchini, peppers, or defrosted corn. And then, I dated my first socks-and-sandals wearing, mountain climbing, beer drinking Washingtonian and had my latest breakthrough. We weren't a great culinary match. And we'd often ended up at happy hour drinking beer and sharing nachos. Most of them were terrible - gooey and greesey, and soggy, lacking flavor. But one stood out - there was a nice mix of textures and flavors, and instead of just beans and cheese, they'd added meatless riblets (available from Gardenburger) for a satisfying sweet and 'meaty' component and a nice protein boost. The relationship didn't work out, but I've stuck with the riblets!

Drawing on my many variations, this one is my favorite - simple to make, complex in flavor, and relatively healthy (for nachos).

Makes 2-3 Servings

Ingredients

Black Bean Dip
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp Chipotle in Adobo
1 tsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Cilantro, roughly chopped
3 tbsp Water
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
Salt to taste

Nachos
50 Corn Chips
4 oz Sharp Cheddar, grated (high quality sharp low fat cheese also works)
1 Recipe Black Bean Dip
1 Meatless Riblet, microwave according to package instructions, roughly dice
1/2 Cup Frozen Sweet Corn, defrosted and lightly salted
4 tbsp Prepared Salsa
1 Avocado, Finely Diced and Tossed in Lime Juice and Salt
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Lowfat Sour Cream

Blend half the black beans, chipotle, lime juice, water and cilantro in food processor. When well blended, mix in remaining beans and scallions, pulse just to combine - some beans should be in tact. Season with salt to taste. Lay about one third of the chips out in a single layer on a microwave proof plate. Evenly spread 1/3 of the cheese and dollop black bean dip onto each chip. Toss some of the corn and meatless riblets on top. Repeat for another 2 layers. Microwave for about 1 minute, until cheese has melted. Evely distribute dollops of salsa, avocado and scallions. Top with dollop on sour cream in center. Enjoy with a cold beer or red wine.

Variations

Instead of corn, add finely diced bell peppers, zucchini, and red onion.

If you don't have the time or equipment to make the black bean dip, simple sprinkle rinsed and drained black beans along with the chopped veggied/corn and lightly sprinkle with salt.

In case your avocado is less than perfect, salvadge whatever green flesh you can, and smash with the sour cream, lime juice, salt, and some chopped cilantro. Pile in center in place of the cour cream.

I prefer black beans and cheddar, but pinto beans, jack cheese, or queso fresco also work well. Or use a combination.