Thursday, April 7, 2011

French Friday with Dorie: Garlicky Crumb-Coated Broccoli & Quinoa, Fruit, and Nut Salad

Garlicky Crumb-Coated Broccoli

Quinoa, Fruit, and Nut Salad
I'm catching up today after missing last week's Quinoa Salad with Fruit and Nuts and also back on track with the Broccoli.  Last week was crazy!  All business taxes are with the CPA for review, payday was  a piece of work, and just for "fun" I was responsible for a wonderful sit-down dinner for 350 people.  I made over 1500 desserts, and tons of other foods, my daughters came to help, friends also helped.  Our extravaganza was beautiful and the food was fabulous.  I fried my brains and killed by feet, but I will be up for it again this fall...I must be nuts!  But I actually had great fun...the people who helped were amazing, and it is always a joy to be in the kitchen with other food loving people, all laughing, making messes, creating, encouraging, learning, and being successful, and in fact, coming together with results that exceeded all our expectations.  For example:  One of my daughters hand chopped all ingredients to make 12 gallons of beautiful fresh salsa and it was so good that I'm still receiving compliments.  And I confess that I used a couple of our Dorie recipes that wowed the crowd. ..especially those buttery tart crusts.   So, my new Dorie recipes are being put to good use again.

After taking a couple of days off from my kitchen, I was ready to get back in.  And, after all my desserts, some healthy foods were appreciated by all the family.  Hubby loved the quinoa salad.  I took bowls of this flavorful dish to both Hubby and Number 1 Son to the office for their lunch...received thumbs up from each.  Hubby actually asked for this salad again as his dinner and talked about it again the next day.  Quinoa is trendy among his work-out friends.  His gym serves a similar lunch item as a healthy after workout meal.  He was impressed with all the mix-ins and the great flavor.  He would like this salad regularly...makes me happy to have a new recipe that he enjoyed so much.

I want to remember what I added to the quinoa that hubby enjoyed so much:  pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried apples, oranges, bananas, cherries, plumbs, blueberries, mango, and cranberries.  I chopped fresh basil from the garden, juiced one of our lemons, used salt, pepper, ginger and EVO. After mixing these ingredients with the quinoa, this salad was spooned on greens and topped with plain yogurt...well it was plain until I sweetened it with agave nectar.  The added sweetness of the agave was just right.


Healthy and Flavorful
Hubby also loved the broccoli.  The garlicky crumb coating was really tasty...he ate all the leftovers the next day and enjoyed this dish again.  Paired with a bowl of steamed shrimp he was a happy man.  

Very nice to have 2 quick new meals that make my man so satisfied...both  meals left him feeling very healthy.  And because they are light, he had room to enjoy some of my leftover desserts.

Again so I remember:  I used fresh chopped mint with the broccoli.  For the bread crumbs I used a piece of day-old 4 cheese sour dough bread that I crumbled in the food processor...added a nice flavor to this dish.

We enjoyed these simple, healthy recipes.  I will make them again soon.

20 comments:

  1. Oh I bet the four cheese bread as your crumbs was divine! Can we get a copy of that mouth watering salsa recipe? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. How fun to fix a big dinner like that! You are certainly braver than I am.

    Both of your dishes look great. I loved both of them and I agree that is nice to fix some recipes that are a little lighter and healthier.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Both dishes look great! I am happy that we've had two healthy dishes in a row. (Healthy compared to the other fun, butter-laden ffwD recipes!) Great to see you getting caught up with all that was going on with you this week! Kudos!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love both of the dishes! So glad you enjoyed these! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very nice. And WOW about your dinner. Sounds like you had great help!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hmmm... your broccoli is more zesty and less bready than mine. Fun.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Can't believe you are back in the kitchen after your big shindig...I think I'd need a week or two off! Sounds like a great time was had by all. I really like your quinoa photo...it's quite lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This was perfect timing, having these two simple recipes back to back during these busy weeks! I'm in awe at your skills and drive to cook for so many people.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's a really big crowd you catered to and I'm amazed by your energy! And you had the tenacity to drum up not one but two dishes for FFwD, both of which looks amazing, btw. Love your variations.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am tired just reading that you made 1500 desserts. Quinoa is trendy at my gym- they feature it almost every week in the take-away meals.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I was wondering what happened to you last week! I am glad that you are okay - tired, but okay! It sounds like your event was amazing and I am sure the food was wonderful. Both your quinoa salad and your broccoli look so good. Seeing your photo of the quinoa salad makes me want to make it again. It was so good and healthy and I would like to take some to work for lunch next week. Hope you have a restful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  12. 350 people and 1500 desserts. I like that ratio :)
    Your broccoli and quinoa both look delicious. Glad you liked them.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow! Your dinner feat is so impressive. I'm glad it was so much fun for you at the same time.

    Your version of the quinoa sounds absolutely mouthwatering. Great add-ins. Mint and four-cheese sourdough breadcrumbs sound like great choices for the broccoli, too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful job with both dishes! I love all the extra goodies you added to the quinoa, but am most impressed that your hubby would eat it...mine is way too picky...but it just made more for me :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. The cheese bread sounds like it made an awesome bread crumb. What a great variation!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, I can't imagine making 1500 desserts. I'm amazed you got back into the kitchen so soon afterwards. Glad you husband loved the quinoa so much!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Very impressive - I can't really get my head around preparing 1500 desserts...help or not. That sounds like a challenge for a very seasoned caterer. I will definitely keep this in mind when I get stressed over the next dinner party for eight :) We loved the recipes, as did Nana...though she was less sold on the quinoa. We are going to play around with different recipes for this amazing seed, but after we master the eclairs. Gotta have your priorities in order......

    ReplyDelete
  18. Everyone who has made this dish seems to be impressed! I really need to give this a try :)!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. 1500 desserts? here I was feeling tired after getting a couple more cookie/treats orders than usual... You're like a superwoman :) and catching up with FFwD, you deserve a quiet weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Glad both dishes were such a big hit. My husband loved the broccoli but the quinoa not so much. Your pictures are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete