Quinoa salad

Salad:
5-6 cups cooked quinoa
3 cups corn
1/2 cup chopped fine red onion
1/2 chopped red pepper
1 cucumber chopped
1 little round of queso fresco (optional.  or maybe use home-made ricotta)
cherry tomatoes if you want
Avocados are yummy in it if you want

Dressing:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (regular white works too)
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cloves garlic
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c.  canola oil
1 bunch of chopped cilantro

Mix salad ingredients together.  If you don't add the avocados in the salad, but instead on top, the salad lasts very well in the fridge for a week.

Blend all the dressing ingredients well before adding the finely chopped cilantro.  Sometimes I just throw that in the blender too.

Mix all together and enjoy.  I have changed the original recipe to my liking.  It is a forgiving recipe.  Add whatever veggies you like.  The original recipe called for 1 cup of oil.  I think 1/3 or even less is just fine.  It is very good with the cheese mixed in, but if you are planning on eating it all week (it makes lots)  the cheese and avocado are good just sprinkled on.

Tuscan Tomato Soup and Focaccia (Aunt M)

Tuscan Tomato Soup

The Chef’s Table Restaurant

3 T. Olive Oil

2 Onions finely diced

5 cups Canned Tomatoes (3 - 14 oz. cans or home canned)

2 cups Chicken Broth

1 cup Heavy Cream

½ - 3/4 cup Pesto

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook onions in oil until translucent. Add tomatoes and allow to warm and simmer. Add broth and simmer about 15 minutes. Add whipping cream and pesto. Blend to desired consistency. Salt and pepper.

Focaccia

2 Tbs. yeast

¼ cup olive oil

5 - 6 cups flour

1 Tbs. salt

2 cups warm water

Mix above ingredients into a soft dough.  Let rise one hour.  Roll the dough flat to 1/3” thickness and you can shape it into 2 pizza round pans or 1 large flat baking sheet.  Let rise again, about 20 minutes.  Press with fingertips to dimple the surface and then drizzle with ¼ cup olive oil.

Sprinkle on top of bread:

Coarsely ground salt

2 Tbs. chopped or crushed garlic

2-3 Tbs. fresh minced Rosemary

Bake at 375 for 17-20 minutes or until done.

Michelle's note: I just made this Tuscan Tomato Soup and Focaccia for dinner Sunday.  I have made the soup before and it is Keith's favorite!  It was my first time making the focaccia and it was so easy and yummy.  I cut it into squares and made it into chicken paninis with roasted red peppers.  Yummmmmm!  Maybe you will want to put it on the family blog, or at least give the recipes a try!

Anna's note: I made this combo on 4/24. It is awesome. Miles said it was his favorite soup in the world and Mia wasn't getting it fast enough with a spoon so she drank most of hers. The focaccia was a hit, too. Matt took a couple of pictures. I only added five cups of flour, instead of six, because my dough was so stiff after five--maybe because I used white whole-wheat. I accidentally doubled the pesto, and we still loved it. Can you tell I had two little helpers? Thanks, M, for the delicious recipe.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese (simple and cheap)

2 quarts milk (whole is recommended)
1 cup plain yogurt (again, whole is recommended)
Optional: 1/2 cup heavy cream (I left this out and it was still great)
2 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt

1. In large pot, bring the milk, yogurt, heavy cream (if using), vinegar, and salt to a boil. Very gently boil for one to two minutes, until the milk is curdled.
2. Meanwhile, line strainer with clean kitchen towel (or cheesecloth) and set it over a deep bowl.
3. Pour the milk mixture into the strainer and let drain for 15 minutes. Gather the towel around the curds and squeeze gently to extract excess liquid (be careful not to make it too dry).

Storage: Homemade ricotta is best served slightly warm, although it can be refrigerated up to three days.

Makes 2 cups. This recipe is easily halved or doubled. I've loved this recipe!

I like this little tidbit from the original recipe:

Please welcome author, pastry chef, and delightful raconteur David Lebovitz of DavidLebovitz.com who shares with us his way of making homemade ricotta cheese. If you haven't yet picked up David's latest book The Sweet Life in Paris you're missing out! ~Elise

With so many fabulous cheeses made in France (where I live) I guess there's not the need to import more from elsewhere. But for those of us that occasionally make recipes calling for a large amount of ricotta, there aren't any 2-pound tubs available, just tiny plastic containers in the supermarket. You can find very good ricotta by taking a trip to an Italian épicerie, although if you need a large quantity, you'll quickly find yourself headed for the maison des pauvres. (The Poor House.)

Making ricotta really is easy and for the price of a quart or two of milk, you can have a lovely mound of freshly-made, still-warm ricotta with very little effort. Homemade ricotta makes a wonderful base for Italian cheesecakes, ravioli fillings, and lasagna. I like to serve a spoonful of this with sliced fresh fruit; peaches, nectarines, or berries are lovely, along with a drizzle of honey. It also make a nice accompaniment to a stewed apricot compote, fresh or ripe figs, or poached dried fruits in the winter.

Brown Rice and Black Bean Burgers

2 cups cooked brown rice (I usually have a stash frozen)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup finely-chopped onion (about one small onion)
handful of chopped cilantro
1/3 TBS minced jalapeno or green chilies (canned is fine)
1/4 cup salsa
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs (or ~1/2 cup whole wheat flour)

Mix well. Add more bread crumbs or flour if the patties are not shapeable. I've never been able to get them a great consistency for shaping, no matter how much flour/crumbs I add, so I cook them in one of two ways:

Easiest--pretend you're making huge cookies and spoon the mixture onto a greased cookie sheet. Shape them a little once they are spooned on and cook at 375 for 7-10 minutes per side (it is a little bit of a pain to flip them halfway). I usually add a slice of cheese for the last couple of minutes.

Easy but more time-consuming--heat about two TBS. olive oil in a skillet and fry the burgers on medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side, adding cheese at the end.

I serve these on a bun with spinach, guacamole (or just sliced avocado), and red onion. Miles likes his with ketchup and mayonnaise. We've also added hummus. They're also great without a bun.

Note, this is a combination of a couple of recipes. You can really play with it. I've added lentils, when I didn't have enough black beans, I've used great northern beans when I don't have black beans, I've also added a tsp. or so of red chili paste. You just can't go wrong with rice and beans!