Thursday, April 26, 2012

The more cheese, the better!

Summer Squash Three Cheese Enchiladas Casserole
from Not your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook


Ingredients:
tbl olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb green zucchini or other summer squash, ends trimmed, and cut into 3/4 in thick rounds
1 lb yellow scalloped squash or other summer squash, cut into 3/4 in rounds
1 tsp dried oregano or 2 tbl minced fresh oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup fresh corn kernels, or frozen corn-thawed
2 cups finely shredded Monterey jack cheese
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 bottle green chile enchilada sauce
1 dozen soft corn tortillas, each cut into 4 strips
8 oz queso fresco or rinsed and well drained mild feta cheese, crumbled


Saute onions in oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini/squash and saute a few minutes until brown. Add the spices, garlic and corn. Remove from heat. 

Combine the Jack and Cheddar cheese.  Pour 1/2 c of the enchilada sauce mix into the slow cooker and spread it around.

Layer the 4 items, 1/3 tortilla strips, 1/4 enchilada sauce, 1/3 sauteed veggies, 1/4 cheese. Sprinkle 1/4 queso fresco on top of the layer. Repeat layers two more times, ending with the queso fresco. 

Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hrs or on LOW for 4 hrs. The casserole will begin to brown around the edges, but do not allow it to burn.

Just another quinoa salad

Quinoa Salad with Apples, Walnuts and a whole bunch of other yummy stuff
from Finecooking.com

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups quinoa, preferably red 
Sea salt 
5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed 
1 large red onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise 
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar 
4 oz. arugula, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 3 cups) 
4 oz. aged Gouda, finely diced (about 1 cup) 
3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced 
1 large, crisp apple, such as Fuji or Pink Lady, cut into 1/2-inch dice 
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 
1 cup finely diced fennel 
3/4 cup dried cranberries 
3 Tbs. sherry vinegar 
Freshly ground black pepper 



Directions:


In a bowl, rinse the quinoa with water, rubbing it between your fingers for about 10 seconds. Drain and transfer it to a 3-quart pot. Add 2-1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp. sea salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender but still delicately crunchy, about 15 minutes.

Drain the quinoa and return it to the pot. Cover and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes; then fluff it with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa cooks, heat 2 Tbs. of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring frequently, until tender and brown around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and toss with the onions until the vinegar cooks away, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, mix the quinoa, onions, arugula, cheese, celery, apple, walnuts, fennel, and cranberries.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil with the sherry vinegar, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Add the dressing to the salad and gently mix it in. Let rest a moment; then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if the salad seems dry.


Ad-meyer this salad

Meyer Lemon Radicchio Salad
from Whole Living magazine


Ingredients:
1 Meyer lemon
  • 1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 15-oz. can rinsed and drained chickpeas
  • 2 cups sliced radicchio
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
Chop lemon into 1/2-inch pieces and remove seeds. In a medium bowl toss with onion, parsley, chickpeas, radicchio, feta, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.