Looking for a potluck dish? You’ve got it right here!

However, let me be honest, I think I had some pot-luck bad luck when it came to taking pictures of the completed dish. So, I apologize for the lackluster photos. I couldn’t *not* share this recipe because it really was just that good.

We had to say goodbye to two of our original vegetarian potluck crew as they move on to Boston. Our theme for the night was an Italian feast. Charged with bringing a side-dish, I wanted something flavorful and interesting. This fit that bill.

You can serve this salad warm or cold. Perfect for a potluck so you don’t have to worry about heating anything up.

Smoky paprika is something you should keep in your spice rack at all times. It adds a unique flavor to any dish.

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Paprika Vinaigrette
Recipe from: Katherine Martinelli

• 1½ cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• Salt
• 6 small or 3 large portabello mushrooms (about 6 ounces), sliced
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 (15- to 16-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 unpeeled cucumber, chopped
• 6 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro/coriander
• 1½ cups crumbled feta or Bulgarian cheese (about 7 ounces), divided
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• ½ cup olive oil
• Pepper

1. Put the quinoa in a large saucepan and 1¾ cup water, or enough water to cover quinoa by about 1 inch. Season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and drain of any remaining liquid, if there is any. Allow to cool slightly. (Megabeth note: I just made my quinoa in the rice cooker. Used the same quinoa to water ratio, turned on the cooker and let it cook while I prepared the rest of the ingredients.)
2. Heat a drop of olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) until very hot. Add the portabello mushrooms and cook until tender and cooked through. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook until fully absorbed, another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Put the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, 1 cup of cheese, and half of the mushrooms in a large bowl.
4. Add the cooled quinoa and toss gently to blend.
5. Whisk vinegar and smoked paprika in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
6. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.
7. Sprinkle remaining feta and mushrooms over and serve immediately.

Dear Romanesco Cauliflower,

How have I not met you before this moment?

How casually I walked through my organic market searching for eggplant, sweet potatoes and cabbage ignoring your mere existence all these years. Then you appeared suddenly in front of me, all swirly and mesmerizing, standing out amongst the other produce.

Sure, I may be labeled as easy and perhaps shallow for just falling in love with that unique look of yours and knew I had to have you.

I took you home, not sure of what I was going to do but knew I had to do something….

So, I chopped you up, roasted you with some olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and a spritz of liquid aminos.

Are you a broccoli? Are you a cauliflower? I don’t know and I don’t care. When roasted up simply with some olive oil and pine nuts, you are just good, good, good.

We shall meet again, I’m sure.

(more…)

You can make plain rice any day of the week, but with a few extra items (many you probably already have in your pantry) you can take an ordinary side-dish and turn it into something a bit more interesting.

Cooking the rice in tomato juice adds a deep flavor to the base of this recipe. Add to that the salty capers and robust sun-dried tomatoes so it takes on a lighter note. And, finally, who can resist the taste of an artichoke heart, which rounds out this dish.

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You ever have those moments where you’re smacking yourself for not thinking of something sooner? Well, I had that in the creation of this recipe.

You see, I was the recipient of a GIANT zucchini from a friend’s garden. (Apparently, she has these monster plants, that spit out monster zucchinis that hide under the leaves until they practically grow legs, walk up her stairs and knock on her door to ask to be let in.)

So, I’m staring at the mutant she gave me…as it stared back at me from the counter. I wanted to grill it, but wanted to do something different. I had goat cheese, I had some fresh herbs and I had olive oil. But, one thing stood in my way, it was 847 degrees outside and I really didn’t want to have to stand there flipping things on a hot grill.

Then, I heard a little tiny voice coming from the zucchini that said, “Hey, you. Slice me vertically, but not all the way through. Stuff the goat cheese and herbs in the slices, drizzle on olive oil, salt and pepper, then wrap me in tin foil.”

Whaaaaat? Seriously? Why didn’t I think of that sooner?

I began to joyously prep the zucchini, happy at my task. When, suddenly, the potatoes in the cupboard started singing: “Grill us, maybe?” And, the knives came out so they could become some packet potatoes (mainly so I could get that song out of my head). I chopped up those lyrical potatoes, drizzled with olive oil, threw in some chopped garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and basil.

I then plopped the humungoid zucchini on the grill next to the packet potatoes. I only came back a few times just to roll around the zucchini and flip the potato  packets to ensure everything was evenly cooked. Ta-da. No hot grill babysitting required.

Once off the grill, the zucchini was roasted to perfection and the goat cheese melted into a gooey loveliness of fresh herby goodness. It could either be served with each person receiving a whole slice, or cutting the slices into pieces. I chose to cut it into pieces.

I could sit back and enjoy this delectable grilled behemoth with a glass of wine – happy the vegetable voices inside my head subsided. (But, hey, with the idea that giant zucchini had, they can talk to me whenever they’d like.)

Grilled Zucchini with Goat Cheese and Fresh Herbs
by Megabeth

Zucchinis (the fatter the better, the more the merrier)
Goat cheese
Olive oil
Fresh herbs – oregano, basil, parsley, etc., chopped
Salt and pepper

Starting close to the top of the zucchini, slice lengthwise towards the other end, but do not cut all the way through. Place zucchini on aluminum foil.

Squish – yes, that’s a technical cooking term – as much goat cheese and the herbs as you like into the gaps.

Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the zucchini.

Wrap zucchini up and place on hot grill for 15 – 20 minutes (depending on size of zucchini). Rotate periodically so as not to scorch on one side. Carefully remove foil and enjoy!