Fennel & Mushroom Quinoa

Happy Easter!

Yeah, I know this dish isn't really Easter-related, but it's the thought that counts right? I never got around to making the Easter cupcakes that I planned. I ran out of time and egg whites--after having them for breakfast everyday how wouldn't I.

Anyways, I decided I am definitely staying in Boston for a part of the summer (May & June) and I am very excited. Early morning runs followed by tanning reading sessions on my roof deck? I think so. I'll be taking classes too though, so it's not all fun and games. Although really, it kind of is--summer college students can vouch for it. Plus, given the four--yes four-- months of vacation that I have, why not spend a couple of months in one of my favorite cities?

Here is another quinoa dish that I can across and I immediately bookmarked. It easy and delicious. I'm bias because it has some of my favorite ingredients (mushrooms and fennel), but it is quite tasty. And healthy too, so eat up. Enjoy!

Fennel Mushroom Quinoa (adapted from Weight Watchers)
Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 25 minutes.
Makes about 4 servings

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup leeks, sliced into 1-inch rings
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cup sliced Shiitake mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When about to simmer, add leeks and fennel and reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Add mushrooms to pan and cook for another ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat until quinoa is ready.
2. Meanwhile, rinse quinoa in cold water 3 times and drain well. Place quinoa and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff using a fork; season with salt and pepper.
3. Add quinoa and soy sauce to vegetables and stir over low heat for 1 minute. 

Spring Veggies

Two days. I am two days away from Spring Break! I can't wait.

Let me tell you what I have planned. Four days in Vegas, at the Venetian--whoop whoop--; four days in Coronado, near the beach; and one Saint Patrick's Day combined with a birthday celebration (not mine) in Boston. I am psyched.

But I still have to get through a long day of classes tomorrow and hours of packing on Friday. Almost there though, almost there--or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

Anyways, before food blogging there is something else I want to talk about. The second issue of TasteBUds is going to print ... drumroll please ... tomorrow! Yes, tomorrow. That adds to my SB excitement, because when I come back I will have 200 copies of the lovely second issue in my hands!

So yeah, I'm excited for the next week and a half. And now here is my dish for the night. It's a simple fennel and artichoke dish, but it's absolutely delicious--if you don't believe me, ask my roommate who ate the half I was saving for later.

Roasted Fennel and Artichoke Hearts (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 40 minutes.

• 1 fennel bulb, cut into 3/4-inch wedges + 1 tablespoon of the fronds reserved for garnish
• 1 can whole artichoke hearts in water, drained and cut in half lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Arrange fennel and artichoke pieces on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast veggies until caramelized on both sides, about 35 minutes, tossing halfway.
2. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Serve and garnish with fennel fronds.

Shrimp with Fennel and SD Tomatoes

I have been slacking in the kitchen lately, but let me tell you, cooking for one is no fun at all. The thought of having to eat the same dish every single night simply does not motivate me to cook. Hence why I have been cooking simple recipes (and goodies that I have been craving) once or twice a week.

I promise I will try to change this; especially since I will be done with classes in less than two weeks. Fingers crossed I will have a job by then, but either way I am going to make myself fall back into a foodie schedule. July will consist of, hopefully, at least four posts a week.

On a different note, this weekend was lovely. Despite the fact that I had to bust out five long answer questions and a 1000-word essay for my history take-home exam, and study for my calculus exam, I found myself really happy. I am sure the weather had a lot to do with it. My good mood just seems to get better and better though. I do not know what it is that is making me have a new outlook on life, but it's working. Knock on wood and hope it sticks for more than a week.

So, enough said, here is the recipe for my dinner last night. Once again I was craving shrimp. I think the reason is that a) shrimp are deliciously fresh b) they make a perfect light dinner and c) they are quick to prepare and easy to cook.

Shrimp with Fennel and Sun-dried Tomatoes (adapted from the Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (substitute for flavored olive oil such as Basil-infused is available)
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, and thinly sliced crosswise
• S & P
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 teaspoon rosemary

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add fennel and cook for about three minutes, or until slightly tender. Season with S & P.
2. Add tomatoes and shallot and cook for one more minute, stirring occasionally. 
3. Season shrimp with S & P. Add shrimp and cook. While shrimp are cooking, add rosemary and stir so that it is incorporated evenly. Cook shrimp until slightly pink, one minute on each side. Remove from heat and serve.

Fresh Baguette & Turkey

On Monday morning, I stopped at Barnes & Nobles (pretending I wasn't going to buy anything) and came out with the coolest cookbook ever. How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

When I got home and started reading the book (I actually read the whole intro and everything) I started to get more and more excited. Today, I went to Borders and bought two more books. Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh, and a cookie book that I will introduce later. 

Anyways, tonight I made turkey and bread. There's nothing as rewarding as warm freshly baked bread waiting to be dipped into olive oil and eaten. Yum.

The turkey was good too... (I'm kidding, it was great!)

French Baguette (from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman)

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

*The recipe asks for a food processor, but since I don't have one, I just used my hands.

1. Put the flour, salt, and yeast in a big bowl. Add 1 cup of water and knead until dough is formed. If needed, keep adding water by the tablespoon. You want the dough to be moist but not too wet. If you add too much water, add more flour to balance.
2. Leave dough in bowl to rise, covered with plastic, at least an hour (up to three hours at room temperature).
3. Once dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured surface and form bread. (I made three baguettes so that I could freeze two and eat one tonight). Let dough rise covered with a towel for another hour or two.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slash the bread with a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts. Transfer baguette to a lightly oiled baking sheet (or pizza stone if you have one). Lower heat to 375 F and bake bread until golden brown.

Roast Boneless Turkey Breast with Fennel (adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman)

• 2 fennel bulbs, both trimmed, one sliced and the other finely chopped.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 to grease pan
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• S & P
• 1 turkey breast*
• 1 cup orange juice

*(I really don't know how much the one that I used weighed since it had been in my freezer since Thanksgiving. Oops!)

1. Heat the oven to 450F. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the sliced fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Add ginger paste and S & P and cook until fennel is slightly browned. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
2. While fennel is cooking, grease a baking dish with remaining olive oil. Add chopped fennel and sprinkle some salt. Place turkey on baking dish and sprinkle some more salt. Add orange juice. 
3. Cook turkey in the oven for about 30-35 minutes or until its almost done (155-165F if you have a thermometer). Add sliced fennel and return dish to the oven for 5 more minutes, or until turkey is done.

Fish & Fennel (and Carrots!)

So I've never cooked fish before (I just realized there's a lot of first in this blog haha). Anyways, I found this Parmesan Crusted Tilapia recipe on a very good cooking blog:http://www.howsweeteats.com/ and I decided to make it. But since I like cod a lot more than tilapia, I tweaked it to fit my taste!

I did only 2 filets because my roommate doesn't like fish and having tons of it left in my fridge is not an option (there's still one fillet waiting for me there now though).

I have to say the fish was delicious; and the veggies that I made to accompany it were also. (Roasted fennel and baby carrots).

I know my pictures aren't really like How Sweet Eat's, but bear with me, I'm just starting this whole food blogging thing.

Seafood Continued...

With this dish I am keeping up with two of my resolutions: cooking for myself and eating seafood!

I decided to make Salmon Cakes after flipping through a Gourmet magazine that is lying in my kitchen cabinet.

One word: delicious!

They didn't take me the 25 mins. that the recipe claims, but they were definitely worth the work.

Here is the recipe for the Summer Salmon Cakes with Zucchini Fennel Slaw

The Zucchini Fennel Slaw is also delicious, but I did add more fennel and lemon juice, since I am not the mayo fan. Either way its a delicious accompaniment for the salmon cakes!