Coulis and Quinoa x2

Ahoy. While away on a magical little trip to a faraway place with whales, kayaks, an a July tradition of a freak parade (Massachusetts), I made a simple and delicious meal for a wonderful family. But, little did they know that I was actually completing my first test of the recipes I intend to cook in my final cooking exam next week. While I spiced the recipes up a bit with some amazing pantry items (their kitchen was STOCKED!) and added an animal protein for local flair, the dinner served as a great trial run for the real practice dinner I prepared last night. Both meals incorporated the same Fruited Citrus Quinoa and Smokey Red Pepper Coulis recipes with only mild differences (mostly just prepared items such as jarred roasted peppers and fancy vinegars). Because of a limited list of ingredients for the final cooking exam, I had to "dumb it down" just a tad last night, but still had great success with the flavors and textures. The two recipes are listed below:

Fruited Citrus Quinoa: Yields 4 Servings
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 oranges, segmented and diced, juice reserved

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp honey (or 1 tsp maple syrup and 2 tsp rice syrup)

3 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup dried currants (or cherries)
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup parsley, minced

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Set aside uncovered to cool slightly.
2. Prepare dressing by whisking reserved orange juice, Dijon, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper until combined. Pour over quinoa.
3. Add diced orange segments, currants, red onion and parsley to quinoa and lightly toss to combine. Serve warm or cold.

Smokey Red Pepper Coulis: Yields 4 Servings
1 red bell pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/8 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Roast bell pepper over a gas burner, on a grill, or in the oven until the skin is charred. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove skin and seeds. Transfer to a blender or food processor.
2. Heat olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Sweat onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Add to blender.
3. Add paprika, maple, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally. Pour in 1-2 additional Tbsp of olive oil if needed to loosen the puree up. Serve over grilled fish or alongside Fruited Cirtus Quinoa.

Both of these dinners were colorful and flavorful. There was a grilled element in each (grilled fish in one and a grilled leek in the other) as well as a side vegetable (roasted asparagus in one and sauteed collard greens in the other). For protein, the exam meal has a garnish of spiced crispy chickpeas-yum! Hopefully I'll pass the test with these recipes!

Now, you should know that as I type, I am knee-deep in jam. Literally. I am on my 12th pint of jam right now. The jams of the day have included Strawberry Lemon Basil Jam, Apricot Jam with Nutmeg, and Peach Chutney. All summery. All local. All delicious. My Year of Canning has definitely re-commenced. Now, if I could just figure out where to put them all. Bathtub? Nightstand? My own personal Room of Requirement that is temperature and humidity controlled with rows of standing shelving units reaching to the sky? Dream on. (10 points if you know what the Room of Requirement is)

Last but certainly not least, tomorrow is the prep day for my group's Friday Night Dinner. Wahoo! Finally, it has arrived. Months of preparation and planning has finally come down to two days of cooking in a hot packed kitchen and the serving of 100 friendly strangers. Un, Deux, Trois will hopefully go off without a hitch. Pictures and recipes (if you're lucky) soon to come!!