Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Feta, Kalamata Olives and Dill

I love wandering through Whole Foods.  I could spend an afternoon wandering the isles looking at everything.  These days, I don't get much of an opportunity to sit and clog the grocery isles...because I am quickly reminded I have a toddler with me as a cheerio whizzes by my head.

But, while my little one does not share my patience for shopping, there is one thing we both have in common--we both love food.  What could be better than that?

I found this quinoa salad while wandering passed the salad bar at Whole Foods and fell in love with it.  It's no secret Whole Foods is often called "Whole Paycheck".  While I truly believe good food is worth every penny, there are ways you can make good things at home and maybe save a few bucks.

My secret?  Trader Joe!  It's my favorite haven for everything organic...and everything on the cheap.  I purchased the olives, feta and quinoa at Trader Joe.  I bought the dill at another local store.  AND no, TJ's didn't pay me to post this (If TJ's is reading this...feel free to contact me to be your local cheerleader)  I just love the store ;).

If you are unsure of what quinoa is, its a grain.  It is VERY easy to cook, basically boil water, pull the pot off the burner, throw your quinoa in and cover for a few minutes.  Its super easy and SUPER good for you!  I love the texture of it too.

This is one of my favorite 'go to' salads to have in my fridge.  I think you will love it too!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Feta, Kalamata Olives and Dill
Recipe by: Cafe Coco

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (cooked according to package instructions)
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
3/4 cup kalamata olives chopped coarsely
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
Olive oil, drizzled on the top.  My personal fave?  Katz and Co.

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package instructions, then cool completely.  Add feta cheese, kalamata olives, and dill.  Mix together.  Drizzle olive oil on top.  Serve!

Halibut Sandwich and Toasted Couscous Salad

Over the weekend, I was able to catch up on my favorite food network shows.  Giada's struck me (maybe it was because they were all hanging at the beach and there is no warm weather in sight in MI yet!).  After watching, my husband and I were drooling.  I look over at him, and said "Should we make this today?"  He gets up immediately from his seat and says, "Yes, I will get a pen a paper and write you a list".   That's my husband.  Mr. Helpful.

We made everything from the show, I made the kalamata dip (no pictured) first so we could snack on that while we prepped dinner.  The halibut sandwich (sorry the picture is rather dark!) was SO good.  Toasting the ciabatta bread with olive oil and then rubbing a garlic clove on it was probably my favorite part...and smelled SOO good!  The toasty couscous salad was also a play on flavors.  Every bite was different and unexpected.  I will definitely make it all again.  I wasn't a huge fan of the beer though.  I like dark bitter beer.  This was WAAAAAY too sweet.  I suppose if you enjoyed bourbon, you might enjoy the star anise and cinnamon in the beer.

Check out the recipes, here!

New Discovery: Millet Polenta

While reading my December issue of Fine Cooking Magazine I was enticed by the grain article.  I'm always looking to try something new so when I read you could use millet grains instead of corn meal to make polenta....I decided it was worth a trip to the grocery store.

Now let me forewarn you, millet, isn't really something you may find at your corner store but I would imagine at most fancy grocery stores, you should be able to find it.  I found mine at our local fancy grocer, Plum Market.  I would imagine a place like Whole Foods would have it also, although I didn't look the last time I went.  It's relatively inexpensive, and its a good source of iron.  It's also easy to make!

The verdict:  Absolutely YUMMY!  The grain has a nice nutty flavor with a smooth, buttery but, grainy texture.  You can top it off with a bit of butter or a good quality olive oil (I always use Katz for finishing).  In this case, I am showing it with the olive oil.  I actually paired this with a pot roast I made in my slow cooker and the au jus from the beef was fabulous!  I would totally make this again and again!

I changed the recipe quite a bit, for simplicity sake from the original, but I would definitely try it next time with the vegetables.

For the original recipe, click here.

Here is how I prepared it:

Millet Polenta
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine


Ingredients:
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup millet
1 1/2 cups cheddar (I used a mix of leftover nubs of cheese in my cheese drawer- havarti, farm house cheddar, manchego)
sea salt to taste

Directions:
Rinse and drain millet.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the millet.  Toast for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant.  Add butter and stir in until melted.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  COVER and simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir, recover for another 10 minutes.  Stir again and cover for another 5 minutes.  Stir in cheese and salt.  Serve.