What I did over winter vacation.

Intentions for winter vacation: architecture reading and research, work out every day, catch up on blogging.

What I did on winter vacation: worked out every day (over 9 hours of cardio, go me!), became obsessed with pinterest and re-pinning recipes.

Send forth the recipes I have tried so far:

Baked Brie Bites (adapted from joy the baker)

I thought these would make a great appetizer, but people were too frightened by their large size.  Damn you puff pastry for puffing up to look so big!  They were actually quite delicious and my family doesn't know what they were missing.

yields 24 bites

What you need:
2 sheets puff pastry thawed but still cold
1/2 wedge of brie
1 cup dried figs, chopped
1 egg, beaten

What you do:
1. Unroll pastry sheets* and cut into thirds, then cut each strip into 4.  3x4=12x2=24.  Yay math.
2. Place a small chunk of brie on the center of half of the pastry rectangles and top with a bit of dried fig.  You will know what the right amount is by eye.  (sorry, I don't really measure things...)
3.  Beat the egg well and brush it along all four edge of each rectangle.
4.  Place remaining rectangles atop of brie and fig pieces and seal edges with a fork or a nifty edge sealer.
5.  Place on cookie sheet and brush tops with egg wash (you don't have to do this part, but it makes them a pretty golden brown)
6.  Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes, or until you are sure they are done.
7.  Eat ASAP, they will be hot at first, but they are delish.
*Ensure floured side is down on the parchment, or flour it, otherwise it will stick, I learned the hard way.




Quinoa Corn Salad


Always on the prowl for new things to do to quinoa, this recipe at Just a Taste intrigued me, so I adapted it for dinner last night.  It's amazing, a new favorite, though next time I will probably make 1/2 this amount.

the dressing

yields 8-10 servings

What you need:
bag of frozen corn
8-10 scallions, chopped
2 c uncooked quinoa
1 T lemon zest
the juice of 1-2 lemons (about 2-3 T)
1/4 c melted margarine (I use Earth Balance*)
1 T honey
salt and pepper to taste
*I choose Earth Balance because it is dairy free and not bad for you like many margarine's can be.  It contains natural ingredients and no hidden trans fats  


What you do:
1. Cook quinoa according to package directions (usually a 1:2 quinoa:water ratio, for about 15 minutes after boil has been reached)
2. Cook corn according to package directions
3.  In a large bowl, combine lemon zest, juice, margarine, honey, salt and pepper.  Whisk together.
4.  When quinoa and corn are cooked, put them in bowl, along with chopped scallions.
5.  Stir together and serve.

I ate a big bowl on top of some mixed greens. (good hot or cold)  I served it to Danny under a chicken breast.  This one is a winner for veg and non-veg alike.  Bon Appetit!

so simple and so delish!