Quinoa with Corn, Scallions, Basil and Mint

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Gourmet  | August 2006
yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
2 ears corn, shucked (Our corn was really fresh, so I just used the kernals raw.)
finely grated fresh lemon zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tbls. butter, melted
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 tablespoon mild honey
salt, to taste (it absorbs a lot)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked quinoa
3 shallots, chopped
1/8 cup chopped fresh mint
1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
Preparation
Put corn in a 5- to 6-quart wide pot, then add water to cover and bring to a boil, covered. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer corn with tongs to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut kernels off cobs with a large heavy knife.
Meanwhile, whisk together lemon zest and juice, butter, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in corn, scallions, mint, and salt and pepper to taste. I added rotisserie chicken, about 1 1/2 cups cubed.  I also put out fresh chopped tomatoes to place on top.

If you’ve never used Quinoa, head to Quinoa Basic Directions (either find in Pasta/Grains category on the side, or do a search up top).  Basically, it’s like rice, with a little more liquid to grain.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

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This is one of those recipes that you pick up while meandering through the blogosphere and end up really liking it.  I do like it.  See additional post.
Ingredients
1/2 medium cauliflower, cored and broken up into 3/4-inch florets (4+ cups)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, or 1 cup quartered tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh sage
3 large cloves garlic
2 ounces of bacon, fat trimmed and cut into small dice
8 ounces orecchiette pasta
5 ounces spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Lay out cauliflower and tomatoes in a roasting pan, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until just lightly browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

2 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water).

3 While water is heating, pulse garlic, sage, and prosciutto together in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Once cauliflower has browned lightly, remove from oven, toss cauliflower with garlic prosciutto mixture, and return to oven to cook for 5-7 minutes more.

4 Boil pasta uncovered (rolling boil) for 9-10 minutes until firm, but done (al dente). Reserve one cup of pasta liquid. Drain water from pot. Add cauliflower, arugula (or spinach), and Parmesan to the pasta. Stir in enough cooking water to moisten. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.