Tabbouleh with Quinoa

Summer salad time! Parsley is seriously overlooked because it's an herb and usually only used as garnish. Nutrition-wise however, parsley is an amazingly healthy green, rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins (A, B, C, E and K), dietary fiber, essential volatile oils, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and folates. Wow, that was a long list of goodness! So here's a way to get a whole lot of good in you, fast: tabbouleh!

This parsley salad makes a great starter or side for two, but sometimes I demolish the entire recipe as a main. Because I'm hungry. And it's completely guilt free.

I've used quinoa instead of the traditional bulgur, and lime instead of lemon. Also opting out of cucumber. Bonus is that I got to use our homegrown tomatoes - yay! 

Yield: 2 sides or 1 main

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 small, ripe tomatoes (or 1 medium)
• 2 green onion
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• juice of 1 lime (approx 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp sumac
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the quinoa in advance to allow time for it to cool. Add water, cumin, and salt to quinoa in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and set a timer for 15min. Let cool completely after it has cooked. 

Wash all vegetables thoroughly, and dry parsley in salad spinner. 

Mince garlic, dice tomatoes, and thinly slice the green onion and parsley. Use all leafy parts of the parsley, and discard parsley stems or save for some other use (I keep the stems to make vegetable broth).

Juice the lime. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl, along with the lime juice, olive oil and seasonings. Let marinate for 10min before serving. Enjoy! 

Avocado Cheddar Scramble

$2 for a sack of 11 peewee avocados? Sold! California rocks. 
And these mini avocados are the perfect size for a lunchtime scrambler. 

Yield: Lunch for one

• 1 pee wee avocado
• 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp skim milk
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil
• dash of paprika

Peel, pit and slice the avocado into small, bite-sized pieces. 

Grate cheese (feel free to grate more or less than 1/3 cup, according to your preference). 

Beat eggs, milk, parley, salt and pepper in a small bowl with a fork for one minute. Add half of the grated cheese to eggs and beat to incorporate. 

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan at medium. Pour egg mixture into pan. When you see the edges of the egg begin to set, start stirring with a spatula. Stir for one minute, then add remaining cheese. Stir for another minute, then add chopped avocado. Continue stirring for another 5 minutes, increasing heat to high for the final minute (I like my eggs hot). 

Serve with a sprinkle of paprika. 

Thin, Herbed Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I was at my Child Development course last week and as the prof was discussing the uniqueness of each child's development within the context of universal trends, cultural experience and individual growth, she announced, "We are all pizzas!" Mmm pizza. Wait, what? Prof explained we're all pizzas because we all start with the same base but develop differently as we design our own toppings... and something deep and adorable about pizzas except all I could think about at this point was making and eating pizza. 

But like she said, we all start with the same base. So here's my recipe for pizza crust, and the rest, I'll leave up to you. Get creative! We typically make a meat-lovers and I like to add thinly sliced zucchini and spinach to the mix. I tried something different for my parents a few weeks ago, which turned out pretty delish... smoked oysters, mushroom and avocado. When it comes to cheese, you really can't go wrong, whether it's cheddar, mozza, jack, or whatever's in the fridge, just use lots of it. Try BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce. Add personality!! (I always translate personality to an excessive dose of spices and herbs). Have fun! 

Oh, and my pizzas aren't round... My round, pizza-shaped baking pan seems smaller... and we're hungry people, so this recipe fits the next largest pan in the house which happens to be a 15.25 x 10.25 x 0.75 inch baking sheet. 

Smoked oyster, mushroom, avocado & cheese please.

Yield: 1 large pizza crust (fit to a 15.25 x 10.25 x 0.75 inch baking sheet)

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt (or regular salt)
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano*
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley*
• 1/2 tsp dried basil*
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro*
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp skim milk

* Crush the herbs between your fingers. This helps release volatile oils and increase the herb's flavor.

Preheat the oven to 410.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients (water, olive oil & skim milk). Fold in with a rubber spatula until everything is combined (all dry ingredients moistened). 

Meat lovers version with ham, pastrami, turkey pepperoni & mozza

Turn over into baking sheet. You can use a rolling pin here, but I don't enjoy dough sticking to the rolling pin, so wash your hands all clean before getting them dirty in the next couple minutes! I smoosh the dough flat with my palms at the center of the pan, and work the dough outwards with my palms until it is more or less evenly spread out and covers the entire pan. 

Bake crust for 10min. Remove from oven and let cool before adding sauce and toppings of your choice. Once you've designed your pie, bake at 425 for 12-14min. Let cool before slicing and serving. 

{  Remember, this is a thin crust recipe, so it won't seem like there's enough dough, but trust me, there is!! Sure, my smooshing method doesn't produce uniformity in pizza crust thickness, but it really won't affect the taste of your pizza and won't be noticeable after you load it up with toppings. Call it rustic if that feels trendier :) }