"My-Thai" Quinoa

I have very mixed feelings about Ayin Harah – the Evil Eye.  I am completely split – part of me is a firm believer, the other part isn't so sure.  So, last week I wrote about my “good” but crazy week.  This week I spent hours in the emergency room with one of my kids…did I give myself an Ayin Harah by talking about how smoothly things were going for a change?  Or was our unscheduled hospital field trip just a moment of falling off the cliff yelling “noooooooooooooooooooooo”?  Can someone really effect how your life progresses by their evil thoughts directed at you?  I actually went to a Rabbi in Israel a few months ago who is purported to be able to remove the “Evil Eye” from you.  I am truly not sure that it worked, but it was cool anyway.  He melted some lead (really, lead) in a small crucible, held a skillet over my head, then poured the scalding lead into the skillet and said some special prayers.  It was really, really fascinating to watch.  The lead cooled into an intriguing pattern and, according to the Rabbi, the patterns manifested different forms of the Evil Eye.  His prayers (theoretically) removed any “Evil Eye” from me (whew!).  According to the Rabbi, boy had I been in trouble - Evil Eyes all over the place!!  I left his house feeling that a weight had been removed from my shoulders.  The skeptic in me said it was all in my head, but I erred on the side of caution and went with the voice in my head that  believed that all was hunky dorey in Sharon Matten land after all traces of “Evil Eye” were removed from my being.  I guess I’ll never really know the truth.  Good and bad things happened after my official Ayin Harah Removal session.  I will just have to be resigned that this is one of those things that I will never truly understand.

Another thing I do not understand is quinoa!  What the heck is quinoa anyway??  Is it a grain?  Is it rice? Why does it look so weird?  How does it grow? Do I want to eat it, and for heaven’s sake…how did it manage to be considered a “super food”?  What’s up with that?  For a long time, some of my friends that manage to eat healthier foods have extolled the virtues of quinoa.  I was so confounded by it that I went online and did some research.  Here’s the scoop:  Quinoa is actually a seed!  According to Wikipedia, the most reliable source of information on the web, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.  Tumbleweeds.  That explains a lot about my confusion.  It’s packed with lots of good for you stuff, like protein, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and much, much more.  In fact, according to the www.whfoods.com website, The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has officially declared that the year 2013 be recognized as "The International Year of the Quinoa.”  Yes, Quinoa! WOW!  Knock me over with a feather!  No matter how good it was supposed to be for me though, quinoa really scared me.  I’m not sure why, it just did, until I found an amazing recipe for “Thai Quinoa” in Suzie Fishbein’s “Passover by Design” cookbook.  The recipe combines a lot of fresh ingredients that are currently in season, many that can be found in my Optimistic Garden.  It’s a great combination of sweet and spicy (we love spicy!), and if there are any leftovers they make a great quick lunch or light dinner.   I modified the recipe to accommodate the quantities of ingredients I had on hand, but it was great even with the changes of slightly less quinoa and onion, and lots more mango.  And so, the “My-Thai” Quinoa  recipe was born.  There was an additional bonus to the “My-Thai” Quinoa recipe - I got to use my favorite Mango cutter*!  Hooray!

Sweet & spicy quinoa...delicious!  Who knew??

I’m still unsure as to whether I had an Ayin Harah this week.  My home grown basil had a fantastic week, but some animal (probably one with two legs!) stole my single, solitary, super-hot Inferno pepper!  So sad!  I think I’ll stick with my general life philosophy motto regardless – It’s all good!!

*For tips on cubing a mango watch the official Kosher Everyday “Mango Cutting Movie”!

My-Thai Quinoa Inredients (GFE - Great for the Gluten-Free Eater)

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 1 jalepeno pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/3 cup minced red onion (I used the Hindy Chopper)
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced*
• 2 tablespoons canola (or olive) oil
• ½  teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Thai Quinoa by Suzie Fishbein

·         1 1/2  cups  dry quinoa

·         3 cups  water

·         1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

·         6 leaves  fresh basil,  finely chopped

·         3 sprigs  fresh cilantro leaves, gently torn (discard stems)

·         1/2  cup  minced red onion  (1/2 small red onion)

·         1/2  mango , peeled, pitted, and cut in to 1/2-inch dice

·         2 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil

·         3/4 teaspoon  sea salt , fine

·         1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon  lime juice

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly either in a strainer or in a pot and drain.  (Do not skip this step or a bitter tasting, natural soap-like coating will remain).  Once the quinoa is drained place it into a medium pot with the water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes or until the berries turn translucent and the outer layer pops off.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the minced jalapeno, basil, cilantro, red onion, and mango.  Drizzle in the oil, salt, and lime juice.  Stir to combine.

Add the drained quinoa and toss to combine.  Season with salt to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature

Source:   "Passover By Design”  By: Suzie Fishbein,  Page 210"

Notes:

1. One Shabbat I realized that I had forgotten to cut my basil leaves off of the basil plant on my windowsill before Shabbat, and I had forgotten to purchase fresh cilantro!  Oops!  Although it wasn’t as fresh tasting, the dried ingredients did work well in a pinch.
2. One of our Shabbat guests, Reuben V., suggested that this recipe might be really good with some fresh mint.  I have to agree.  You can either substitute some of the basil or cilantro for the mint, or only use the mint, or have fun trying different variations of the recipe – it’s all good!
3. Strangely enough, I have become a “Quinoa Convert”.  Stay tuned for more recipes…

 All the ingredients...

 Check out the cool mango cutter...

Perfectly cut mango's every time!

 All the fresh ingredients - quinoa included!

 Mix it all together...

 Sweet and Spicy!

It tastes as good as it looks!!

   Some of our Optimistic Garden harvest!

Check out the gorgeous Heirloom Black Krim Tomato

in the back - how cool is that??!!

Kosher Everyday is dedicated to the memory of my father

Dr. Theodore Saltzberg - Tuvia Ben Nachum Z”L

May his memory be for a blessing - Yihi zichro baruch.

Look for additional information about Edible Experience Kosher Everyday at www.koshereveryday.com,

aish.com, Mishpacha Magazine’s Kosher Inspired Magazine,

The Chicago Tribune Syndication,

 or on Facebook at Edible Experience by Sharon Matten.

These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Edible Experience Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!

Congratulations!

KosherEveryday is one of the finalists for the 

2011 CBS Most Valuable Blogger Awards!! 

Grilled Chicken and Raspberry Syrup Vinaigrette Salad

I was that mom.  When my boys were little I refused to get an x-box, Nintendo, Sega, or any other game system.  I was the “mean” mom who wouldn’t let her boys win an Olympic gold medal for sitting on the couch and exercising only their thumbs. They didn’t like it.  Fast forward a few years.  Nintendo came out with the Wii system where you theoretically have to get up and actually interact with the games. After much cajoling from all the kids we agreed to get a Wii for our house.  We figured (surprisingly correctly) that when the weather was crummy outside and the kids were looking for something to do with their friends they could play Wii tennis, or bowling, or basketball.  Fun right?  One of the concessions that we made to one of our older boys was to get a single “non-exercise” based Wii game, Mario Kart, that he could play with his friends when they came over.  For the un-Wii-initiated, in Mario Kart you have fun, sort of outrageous characters (Funky Kong) , that drive fun, sort of outrageous cars/carts/motorcycles (can you say Piranha Prowler?!!) and race against 11 other players along fun, nearly always outrageous race tracks.  Along the way players can pick up all kinds of crazy “weapons” to thwart the other players, like banana peels, vision obstructing ink, tortoise shells, bombs, and player shrinking lightning bolts – just to name a few. There are also obstacles along the race path – wacky characters, cows, ghosts, and big character smushing things.  It’s essential to stay on the road the whole time because if you lose control of your car, you end off careening into an endless abyss yelling “noooooooooooooooooooooo” – until the an imaginary game character gently places you back onto the track (usually in 12^th place of course) and you continue on trying to finish the race – hopefully not in last place!   It turns out that I am terrible at Mario Kart.  I love playing (shame on me, right?) but I always seem to be running into the obstacles, getting hit by another player’s ink, bombs, or shrinking lightning, and just when I’m actually in first place I end up flying off into the endless abyss yelling “noooooooooooooooooooooo” and in last place again.  The best part – no matter how many times you crash or fall into the abyss you never die, you just come back to the game to try again.  I have even practiced by myself a few times (don’t tell my kids – I’ll be the source of endless ridicule) and when I do I sometimes manage to come in first place – but when “real-life” comes into play, i.e playing against actual opponents I’m lucky if I don’t come in last.

The last time I was playing Mario Kart I had an epiphany.  My life is Mario Kart.  I feel like I’m constantly racing with all kinds of crazy obstacles constantly being thrown in my path.  And just when I feel like I’m getting ahead and things are going according to plan, something happens and I’m flying off into an endless abyss yelling “noooooooooooooooooooooo”!!!  I’m secretly planning and “practicing” hoping that the next time I’m faced with a challenge I’ll be better equipped to handle it, but more often than not - “noooooooooooooooooooooo”!!!  This week B”H, I’ve been gently placed back on the track, hopefully not too far behind to continue with my life’s race.

How can you resist this salad?!!!!

One of my current challenges is getting to Minyan 3 times a day (ok, it’s really two you can theoretically combine Mincha and Maariv together).  I find it’s kind of like the Mario Kart banana peel.  You’re zooming along your day, actually accomplishing something, and then “woa!” got to stop and go to minyan!!  As there aren’t a whole lot of women saying kaddish in general, in a sad way it’s kind of nice when I have another woman with me at minyan saying kaddish.  I think it’s something that guys who say kaddish almost take for granted – they are surrounded by their peers, gaining support and strength from the “chevrah”.  So when my friend Leyla, who is saying kaddish for her Mother, comes to my shul and davens with me, it’s a real comfort.  There is strength and a sense of connection in two voices saying kaddish versus just one.  The added bonus is there is a friend to shmooz with between Mincha and Maariv (not counting dear husband!).  Recently Leyla was in Shul and was mentioning how she had been so busy that she threw together a super quick dinner of salad with grilled chicken.  She was short a bunch of ingredients for dressing so she grabbed a bottle of strawberry syrup, added some vinegar and poured it on the salad – and it was awesome!!  The syrup added the sweetness and flavor to the dressing – no additional sugar needed.  Thanks Leyla – guess what we had for our salad this past week because of your genius??!!  Grilled Chicken and Raspberry Syrup Vinaigrette Salad!!  I had some grilled chicken breasts left over from last Shabbat, found some super-delicious-in-season avocados at the mega fruit store, and had a gorgeous variety of mini heirloom tomatoes freshly picked from the Optimistic Garden.  Into the salad with some cut romaine they went.  I grabbed the bottle of raspberry syrup (that everyone has in their pantry but never knows what to do with), added some wonderful balsamic vinegar for additional “depth”, a little olive oil and had an awesome salad – just like Leyla said!  After the salad was completely gone from the serving bowl, sweet son actually said “Mom, don’t you need more pictures of this salad?” Confused I said “Huh?” “Well duh, the salad was amazing and I’m trying to get you to make another one!!”  I love it when things work out!!  I’m back on the track, and maybe, just maybe I won’t come in last….at least this week!!

Optimistic Garden
Tomatoes!!!

Grilled Chicken and Raspberry Syrup Vinaigrette Salad

• 16 oz romaine lettuce, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 small avocadoes, diced
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 barbecued chicken breasts, shredded into bite size pieces
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons raspberry syrup
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Place the romaine lettuce, avocadoes, chicken, and grape tomatoes in a large salad bowl.  Toss to combine.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the balsamic vinegar, raspberry syrup, and extra virgin olive oil.  Stir to combine.

Sprinkle the pepper and salt over the salad, then pour the dressing over the salad.  Lightly toss to evenly coat the salad.  Serve to your hungry family!

All the fresh, gorgeous, delicious ingredients!

 Pretty and healthy too!

 Just make the dressing in a small bowl...

 Delicious!!! 

(and super easy to make!)

 Bonus:

Dried mint from the Optimistic Garden!

Kosher Everyday is dedicated to the memory of my father

Dr. Theodore Saltzberg - Tuvia Ben Nachum Z”L

May his memory be for a blessing - Yihi zichro baruch.

Look for additional information about Edible Experience Kosher Everyday at www.koshereveryday.com,

aish.com, Mishpacha Magazine’s Kosher Inspired Magazine,

The Chicago Tribune Syndication,

 or on Facebook at Edible Experience by Sharon Matten.

These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Edible Experience Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!

Congratulations!

KosherEveryday is one of the finalists for the 

2011 CBS Most Valuable Blogger Awards!!