Tag: dill

Greek Quinoa Layered Jar Salad

Greek Quinoa Layered Jar Salad

For someone that hates to be late to anything It seems I am always last to jump on the bandwagon when trying new ingredients in the kitchen. For the first time ever I have tried Quinoa!  I tried it in this layered Mason jar salad and now I am a huge fan!

Quinoa, pronounced (keen-wah), is considered to be a whole grain but it actually is not. It’s a seed and it’s gluten-free, cholesterol-free, high in protein, and provides 9 essential amino acids. It is thought to help stave off a number of diseases, reduces the frequency of migraines and reduces the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks.

I love to keep these layered jar salads in the fridge for quick and easy lunches or those dinners when you have no time to cook. They generally start with the dressing in the bottom of the jar, followed by the hardier ingredients, keeping the lettuce near the top of the jar to keep the salad crisp. This salad will last 3 to 4 days stored in the refrigerator.

 

Greek Quinoa Layered Jar Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 quart Mason jars, with lids
  • 1 c. Quinoa
  • 2 c. vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped dill
  • ¼ c. diced red onion
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • ¼ tsp. dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ⅛ tsp. ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
  • ½ hothouse cucumber, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ c kalamata olives, seeds removed and cut in half
  • 5 oz. feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
Instructions
  1. Combine rinsed Quinoa in a saucepan with 2 cups broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes or until Quinoa has absorbed all of the broth.
  2. Turn off the heat and place a lid on the pot. Let Quinoa steam for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Stir in chopped dill and red onion. Let cool.
  3. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, and Dijon until mixed well. Divide evenly between the 4 quart jars. Layer the veggies in the jar starting with the tomatoes, the bell pepper and cucumber.
  4. Divide the Quinoa among the jars, spooning it in. Top with feta and olives. At this point you can press down the ingredients slightly in the jar.
  5. Top off each salad with a handful of chopped lettuce. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Pour the contents into a bowl when you are ready to eat!

 

Asparagus Roll Ups

 

asparagus-roll-ups

It’s July, and my mind has been on Christmas. So much so, that I started my Christmas shopping list last week. In recent years, it has become very short which makes it even more important that the gifts I buy are perfect. Because it’s “Christmas in July” at my house, I am sharing an excellent recipe that I tried for the first time at my families First Annual Bolton Ladies Ugly Christmas Sweater party back in December. My cousin, Nancy, brought these fabulous asparagus roll-ups to our afternoon tea menu and they were the hit of the party.

Nancy’s recipe was like so many that has been handed down through the years, no measurements. This recipe has the measurements that I used but feel free to adjust, as you like. I prefer using freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Also, roasting the asparagus was not part of the original recipe so you would be okay skipping this step if you like. I ran out of wheat bread and used a few pieces of white bread pieces, which also tasted good.

 

Asparagus Roll Ups
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 bunch fresh small asparagus spears
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
  • 4-oz. crumbled blue cheese
  • 2 - 3 tbsp. Hormel Real Crumbled Bacon (original)
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
  • 16 slices whole wheat bread or honey wheat bread
  • ¼ c. unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Trim tough ends of asparagus and discard. Place asparagus on baking sheet and drizzle with a small olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in oven and roast until bring green and crisp-tender. (about 7 minutes) Remove from oven and cool completely. When cool, blot with a paper towel to remove most of olive oil. Lower oven temperature to 400°F.
  2. With an electric mixer blend cream cheese and blue cheese together. Stir in dill and bacon, set aside.
  3. Stack about 4 pieces of bread and remove crust with a serrated knife. Repeat with remaining slices of bread. With a rolling pin, flatten each slice of bread.
  4. Spread bread with a small amount of the cream cheese mixture, to cover one side. Place 3 to 4 asparagus spears, tips pointed out on the same end, on the cream cheese mixture, close to one edge. Roll up, starting with the asparagus side of the bread. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
  5. Bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
Freeze unbaked roll-ups in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator, and bake as directed.