strawberry quinoa salad

i've been trying to bring something new to work each week so i don't get too sick of my lunches, but this is the second week in a row that i've made this strawberry quinoa salad!

strawberry quinoa salad adapted from here

1 cup (uncooked) quinoa

2 cups water
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 cups baby salad greens
1/2 cup ricotta salata, crumbled
1/3 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp raw honey
salt and pepper


cook your quinoa first. place quinoa and water in pot and bring to a boil. once boiling, turn the heat down to low/simmer, cover the pot, and cook for about 15 minutes. after the 15 minutes, remove pot from heat, but keep it covered for about 5 more minutes. remove top and fluff quinoa with a fork.

once the quinoa is cooled completely, add it to a large salad bowl with the sliced strawberries, mint, scallions, basil, and salad greens. top the salad with the ricotta salata and the sunflower seeds.

in a separate bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. if you're not eating the entire salad at once, separate the dressing and use only as needed to avoid sogginess.

friday

 

happy friday! our friend from connecticut is coming for a visit, which means we'll be doing our fair share of drinking and eating out this weekend. a hike is also in the cards, as well as (hopefully) finishing my book that's due back to the library on sunday!

ps--BIG NEWS! i just found out this morning that my kitchen is being featured on apartment therapy/the kitchn for the small cool kitchen contest. please head over there and vote for me! you'll need to sign up quickly and then "favorite" my kitchen. they do the entries in waves, and mine is in the last wave so i only have until AUGUST 2nd to get as many votes as the people who've been up there for a month or so :)

i heart portland

this past weekend, we went to an outdoor concert at the oregon zoo. the lawn space is not exactly huge, so you need to get there quite early to secure a decent spot. in the two hours that we had to kill before the show started, we were allowed to roam the zoo and check out the animals. there was also an impressive selection of food carts and local beer and wine. where else can you sit outside and listen to good music, eat a vegan brown rice bowl, and hang out with an elephant? only in portland.

friday

 

i'm looking forward to all sorts of wonderful live music this weekend: a show tonight at the zoo, and father john misty and youth lagoon on sunday. happy friday!

crunchy salad with ricotta salata

i was inspired to make this salad after my friend brought it to a picnic. it has incredible flavor, texture, and staying power (thanks to the addition of the chickpeas) -- a salad lover's dream!

crunchy salad with ricotta salata adapted from smitten kitchen

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 scallions, thinly sliced
a handful of mint leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ricotta salata
1/3 cup toasted and salted sunflower seeds

2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp chili powder


mix tomatoes, radishes, chickpeas, scallions, ricotta salata and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. in a separate bowl, whisk lime juice, olive oil, salt and chili powder. pour dressing over the salad. mix to combine and garnish with the sliced mint.

scenes from instagram

1. ice cream at oui presse
2. terrarium
3. chris and i at the mississippi street fair
4. white rose kombucha
5. house-cured lox and creme fraiche on spelt bread from little t american baker
6. cactus and candle
7. ceviche and my handsome date
8. penny, stretching it out
9. rose macaron from pix
10. kitchen counter 

friday

happy friday! it's been a week since i saw moonrise kingdom and i'm still gushing about it. i was worried that it would be overly pretentious, but everything (especially the cast and the sweet coastal setting) was just perfect.

i heart portland

just like last summer, i don't have a gym membership or student bus pass anymore. i'm still working at my graduate assistantship until september, so i've been commuting on foot a few times a week. my favorite part of my commute is the walk to work -- i take more time than i should, weaving through the streets on the east side before i walk over the bridge that brings me downtown. i love looking at all of the charming houses and brightly-colored flowers in the cool morning air. it helps clear my head before i sit in a stale office all day.

tofu summer rolls

new favorite summer dinner! so fresh and satisfying. no oven required -- they are perfect for hot, sticky nights.

tofu summer rolls (makes five rolls)

5 sheets rice paper

lettuce (butter, baby romaine)

1/2 block extra firm tofu -- pressed and sliced thin

1 small avocado

fresh mint

fresh basil

fresh cilantro

peanuts

to make the rice paper sheets pliable, soak them one at a time in warm water for about ten seconds. lay rice paper on a cutting board and add (in the middle) lettuce, tofu, avocado, fresh herbs and peanuts. fold the bottom of the circular rice paper over the contents in the middle. next, fold in the two sides. finally, tightly roll everything forward.

i chilled mine in the fridge and then served them with a dipping sauce (tamari, sriracha, lime juice, sesame oil).

friday

 

happy friday! i'm still adjusting to my new work schedule, so i've been crashing hard at the end of the week. hopefully i can make it through our date night (ice cream and moonrise kingdom) tonight!

i heart portland

each time i return to portland, it feels more and more like home. i'm sure it has something to do with the beautiful weather, but lately i've been feeling particularly enamored with this city. i heart portland may turn into a little series on the blog, and today's post is all about the fresh and inventive food that's within walking distance of my apartment (spoiler alert: all future posts will probably be about food, too).

1. kale salad and cornmeal crust pizza with smoked mozzarella, balsamic onions + corn.
2. olives before feasting on clams and potato pancakes at navarre.
3. salt & straw -- almond brittle with salted ganache and sea salt ice cream with caramel.

scenes from home

more pictures from my trip to connecticut >>

 

1. potato chips and wine (dinner, c/o my mom)

2. jennings beach

3. kerry

4. penny

5. some of my favorite books

6. another one of dad's plants