I've been trying to cook quick, healthy meals for myself. For me, and for you.
Well, ok, a balanced diet can allow a chocolate chip cookie with sea salt sometimes too, especially when I bought it at a HUGE bakesale with all of the proceeds going to Japan. Yum.
And ok, I believe that a balanced diet also allows a trip to Oakland's newest mac n' cheese hotspot, Homeroom. "Mac the Goat" (goat cheese and scallions) and Peanut Butter Pie. I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was phenomenal.
Alright alright, back to quick healthy meals. Today I took a walk to the farmer's market. I sat in the sun, I started to read a book for fun, and I bought some colorful items to cook for dinner.
Chioggia Beets (google image them, so beautiful!) aka Candy-Stripe Beets:
Red-Stemmed Swiss Chard:
Yuba aka Tofu Skins:
I roasted the beets with a little water for about 45 minutes to an hour. I chopped my beets and added them to my sauteed chard. I mixed everything together with some quinoa and black beans and topped it all off with my spicy yuba.
I now have a happy tummy. I've been needing this.
But really, can you please come over for dinner? I need some company and I want to cook for you AND I will do your dishes. Please. It will be fun, I promise.
Roasted Beets, Sauteed Chard, and Quinoa Salad with YUBA!!!
I listed all of the ingredients in italics before each step
Serves 4-6 (or 1 + leftovers!)
Beets, about 1 pound
salt
water
red vinegar
1. Roast your beets. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and trim your beets then place them in a baking pan, sprinkle the beets with salt, and fill the pan with about 1/8th of an inch of water. Cover and roast for about 30 minutes to an hour, until a knife can very easily pierce the beets through to the center. Cool, peel (I used a combo of a paring knife plus my hands; its messy, don't sweat it), chop, and sprinkle with salt and some red vinegar.
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch chard
salt
vinegar
water or broth
2. Saute the chard. Slice an onion and set aside. Wash your chard. Pull the leaves from the ribs. Trim the ends from the ribs and then cut them into thin slices. Cut the leaves into wide ribbons. Heat a pan with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender. Add some salt. Add a little bit of water or stock if the pan gets dry and the onions begin to stick and brown.
1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup broth
3. Prepare your quinoa. I used 1 cup of quinoa (rinsed), 1 cup of vegetable broth (leftover from making my polenta earlier this week), and 1 cup of water. Combine everything in the pan, boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 mintues.
Everything in steps 1-3 + black beans + yuba
4. Assembly. Combine the beets and the chard. Dump the quinoa into the mix. I added black beans because I had some left over from earlier in the week. Salt, pepper, vinegar (I used red), and top with yuba, or cheese, or nuts, or whatever the heck you feel like.
Yuba aka Tofu Skins:
I roasted the beets with a little water for about 45 minutes to an hour. I chopped my beets and added them to my sauteed chard. I mixed everything together with some quinoa and black beans and topped it all off with my spicy yuba.
I now have a happy tummy. I've been needing this.
But really, can you please come over for dinner? I need some company and I want to cook for you AND I will do your dishes. Please. It will be fun, I promise.
Roasted Beets, Sauteed Chard, and Quinoa Salad with YUBA!!!
I listed all of the ingredients in italics before each step
Serves 4-6 (or 1 + leftovers!)
Beets, about 1 pound
salt
water
red vinegar
1. Roast your beets. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and trim your beets then place them in a baking pan, sprinkle the beets with salt, and fill the pan with about 1/8th of an inch of water. Cover and roast for about 30 minutes to an hour, until a knife can very easily pierce the beets through to the center. Cool, peel (I used a combo of a paring knife plus my hands; its messy, don't sweat it), chop, and sprinkle with salt and some red vinegar.
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch chard
salt
vinegar
water or broth
2. Saute the chard. Slice an onion and set aside. Wash your chard. Pull the leaves from the ribs. Trim the ends from the ribs and then cut them into thin slices. Cut the leaves into wide ribbons. Heat a pan with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender. Add some salt. Add a little bit of water or stock if the pan gets dry and the onions begin to stick and brown.
1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup broth
3. Prepare your quinoa. I used 1 cup of quinoa (rinsed), 1 cup of vegetable broth (leftover from making my polenta earlier this week), and 1 cup of water. Combine everything in the pan, boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 mintues.
Everything in steps 1-3 + black beans + yuba
4. Assembly. Combine the beets and the chard. Dump the quinoa into the mix. I added black beans because I had some left over from earlier in the week. Salt, pepper, vinegar (I used red), and top with yuba, or cheese, or nuts, or whatever the heck you feel like.
