GREEN BEAN + BLACK QUINOA SALAD

I made a post out of what I had on hand! Congratulations, self! I have wandered from my grocery budget lately. I can pinch pennies on most things, but get me to a market and I feel like I am spending monopoly money. The same girl who holds on to gift cards that have under a fifty cent value... yeah. Lately, I've been coming home with pretty bottles of red wine from Trader Joes and the things is, I prefer white wines, I don't even like red wine! They're inexpensive bottles, but that's beside the point. So, of course I cried out of guilt, punished myself by drinking the red wine I don't even like (this is a confusing punishment, I'm aware), and am pretty sure I snapped out of the grocery addiction.

I tend to become a bit unmotivated when the weather warms up, and I'm certainly not turning on our ancient oven which heats up the entire upstairs. I have loads of green beans from my CSA basket, and admit they're not really a vegetable I would purchase otherwise. The green bean isn't known for being the most versatile ingredient - sort of akwardly lanky and reminiscent of your grandma's, creamy holiday casserole. But as a hater of waste and in my renewed frugalness, I dressed them up enough to be a dish I would bring to a backyard dinner party, or something I would take a bite of while passing the fridge for a snack.

The green beans stay crisp from a quick blanch, and the quinoa adds a bit of protein to fill you up. If you like your salads to be a little easier to eat, simply chop up those lanky beans to bite size pieces. Ignore the oven, have a tasty salad and it's the weekend again, party people.

GREEN BEAN + BLACK QUINOA SALAD // Serves 4-6

I made my dressing with a lemon infused olive oil because I had some and I am obsessed with it, but it is not necessary. Use that if you have it, and if you'd like a bit of citrus, add a bit of fresh lemon zest when tossing everything together.

// Dressing //

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white balsamic or champagne vinegar

2 tsp. agave nectar or honey

2 cloves garlic, grated

Handful of basil leaves

1 tsp. sea salt

fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup quinoa (black or red is pretty, but any color works)

1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed

4 scallions/green onions

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed, roughly chopped

In a blender or food processor, whirl all of the dressing ingredients together. Taste for salt and pepper and set aside in the fridge.

Bring 1 cup water to a boil and add the quinoa, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and leave the cover ajar to cool.

Blanch or steam the green beans until just barely tender. Drain well. Give them a rough chop. Add green beans to the cooled quinoa. Thinly slice the scallions and add them, and half of the chopped hazelnuts to the bowl and toss with desired amount of the dressing. Finish the salad with a few grinds of fresh black pepper and the rest of the hazelnuts. We could add some shaved parm here. Serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge. The leftovers hold up great.

CURRY SPICED POMMES FRITES + CUCUMBER DIP

Currently Loving:

Adele's newest album. If I wasn't pursuing a career in food, I would try out to be her back up singer. I'm already practicing in the car as it's always smart to have a plan B.

Perusing recipe ideas on Pinterest (Introduction to this organizational wonderland from my sister in law whose offspring can also fall on this list).

Positive, encouraging emails from you party people. I appreciate letters/emails so so much.

Dried beans from Rancho Gordo. Most specifically the Runner Cannellini Beans. Big, creamy, pillowy white beans. Never thought I would be so particular that I would be mail ordering beans, but, here I am.

The last Meyer lemons from my parents tree. Homemade Apricot Jam. Puffins Cereal. Lessons learned. Love.

Because I want to offer more meal ideas, I will point you over to Lovely Morning for these fabulous looking veggie burgers. That tasty recipe and some of these baked fries and you've got yourself a filling and tasty dinner!

CURRY SPICED POMMES FRITES + CUCUMBER DIP // Serves 2

Inspired by Veggie Belly via Pinterest

Because I know you are thinking what I thought, "will this work with yams/sweet potatoes?". I tried it. They have a higher water content than a russet, so they don't quite crisp up like russet. I still ate them, of course, but comparatively, they need a few minutes longer in the oven and were still a tad soggy in texture. Tasty? Yes. Crispy pomme frite? No.

1 Russet Potato (about 10 oz.)

1 Tbsp. Melted Coconut Oil or Ghee

Heaping 1/2 tsp. Curry Powder

Few generous pinches of Salt

Cucumber Dip

1/3 Cup Seeded and Finely Diced Cucumber

1 Tbsp. Chopped Mint

1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley

1/2 Cup Whole or Lowfat Greek Yogurt

Salt + Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 415'

1. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the potato into 1/8'' slices, lengthwise. Pat them dry with a dishtowel or paper towel. Layer up like-size pieces, and cut them into small matchsticks, more narrow than a ballpoint pen.

2. Toss the matchsticks gently with the curry mix. Matchsticks should be coated, but not soggy. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and put lay as many as you can in a single layer, this will have to be done in shifts. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Bake them on the middle rack for 10-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Watch them closely, you want them to have some brown spots, but not turn to charcoal. Mine were super thin, so they got a bit charred.

3. While they bake, mix the diced cucumber, both herbs, yogurt and a pinch of salt and pepper together and set aside.

4. Eat them hot from the oven with the yogurt dip. You can use the same parchment for the second round, or prepare a second baking tray and put it in as soon as the first batch is done. Repeat process of spreading them out in a single layer with a few pinches of salt on top.

STRAWBERRY+LEEK QUESADILLAS.

One of my very best girlfriends from college has a personal blog where she includes little ramblings of her life, a picture every now and then or a sweet thought. Kristine is my kindred spirit as far as communication goes. Both of us mildly moody, vulnerable talkers, easy tears - she's the best kind of friend to have when you need to process life with someone. She posted a rhetorical question asking "what will be the tone of your life?". A melody, as she calls it, made up of words, conversations and attitudes. I tried to think of mine, and came up with a list of a few things I wanted it to be, but couldn't settle on one word that would qualify as my aspired tone. You don't often think of yourself in the form of complimentary adjectives, but this question isn't about patting yourself on the back, as it is setting a thesis for the rest of your story.

Are you ready for my utterly general response? Loveliness. To be enjoyable, delightful, gracious, to inspire and be full of love. I'm excited by sending notes, nurturing, doing favors, feeding people, listening, and want to do more of it. Love. Maybe it's too big or too vague of a word to throw out as one's tone, but it makes sense to me right now.

As we stayed up late last night talking about this, I asked Hugh what he thought my tone would be, and he named it... and when I explained how I thought his tone was 'intention', complimenting the purpose with which he does things, he said I was close, "I want my tone to be, BE AWESOME. It's the same as intention, but in Hugh language." Can't say I'm surprised. Always dependable to lighten the mood.

May that encourage you to give this some thought. It doesn't have to be a heavy question, you can just want to be awesome, but it's important to boil the big things down every now and then. It may be an endless endeavor, but a little perspective is always welcome.

This is hardly a recipe, but I wanted to give some ballpark measurements and hints for those who want them. Pick up the most fragrant basket of strawberries, deep red right up to the stem. Then add sauteed leeks with their subtle onion flavor, all held together by the creamy tartness from the goat cheese. It's a ten minute snack of pure LOVELINESS.

STRAWBERRY + LEEK QUESADILLAS

Makes 1

1 Leek

2 tsp. Coconut Oil/Olive Oil

2 Brown Rice Tortillas

1/3 Cup Soft Goats Cheese

1/3 Cup Grated Mozzarella

Thinly Sliced Strawberries

Fresh Ground Pepper

Cilantro

1. Remove the tough, dark green top of the leek, to use only the white and light green parts. Slice the leek in half length wise and clean out any dirt. Slice thin.

2. Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a large pan and saute the leeks with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes until softened and just browning in parts. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Over medium high heat, warm the remaining tsp. of oil and lay down one of the tortillas. Use your discretion as far as filling amounts. All across the tortilla, sprinkle half of both cheeses, desired amount of the sauteed leeks, strawberries, a sprinkle of pepper and the rest of the cheese. Cover with the other tortilla and cook about 2 minutes until the bottom is browned, flip the quesadilla and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. Slice and sprinkle some cilantro if you'd like.

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