It Doesn't Suck...

This recipe is tweaked and adapted from Natural Health Magazine.  It'll keep for a week in the fridge, and makes a much better midnight snack than cereal.

"Lanie's cooking: At least it's better than cereal!"  Hmm....perhaps I should hire a marketing person....

OK, let's do this:
Curry Apple Quinoa Salad
makes 6-8 servings
total time 20 min

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water
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1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

pinch of salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

juice of 2 limes
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2 medium carrots, shredded on a cheese grater.  Don't have a cheese grater?  Use a potato peeler to peel slivers, stack 'em up and cut them in half lengthwise.

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas rinsed and drained

3 organic green onions, thinly sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, halved, cored and chopped

handful toasted pumpkin seeds (toast them in a dry pan - it'll only take about 30 seconds)


1 handful parsley, chopped
1 handful cilantro, chopped 
Salt and pepper to taste


Bring the water to a boil in a covered saucepan.  Add quinoa, reduce heat, cover and simmer until water is absorbed (about 10 minutes).  Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.


While quinoa is cooking and then cooling, combine the second group of ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Once the quinoa is cooled, stir in the third group of ingredients, then stir in the dressing.  Eat as a midnight snack.  Unless you're a gremlin.

When prepping a lot of ingredients, it can be helpful to prep them and set them up in separate bowls.  It's called mis en place which is French for "See, I went to culinary school!"  It makes you look professional and gives you a smug sense of accomplishment as well as 10.000 extra dirty dishes.

Curry Deviled Eggs

Must...fight...urge...to...make...smelly jokes!

Seriously though, this dish is a simple yet impressive twist on a real crowd pleaser.

OK, let's do this:

Curry Deviled Eggs
Makes 24 pieces
Hands on time 10 min, total time 25 min

12 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
2 T mustard
1 T shallots, minced small
3 T celery, minced small
2 T pickle, minced small or pickle relish
1/4 t cayenne
1/2 T curry powder
salt and pepper, to taste

1 zip-loc baggie

Boil the eggs for 12 minutes, then set in a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, peel the eggs and slice lengthwise.

Pop the yolks into a bowl and combine with remaining ingredients.  Use a fork to mash it up really, really well - it should be smooth.  Ideally you should put it in your fabulous little food processor.  What?!  You didn't buy it yet?!  That's just insane.

Take the plastic baggie and cut a teensie piece of the corner off.  Congratulations!  You just made a pastry bag!  Fill the bag with the yolk mixture and gently squeeze it into the egg white halves.

Wanna Make it FANCY?!

If you take nothing else from this blog, remember this:

ARUGULA ALWAYS MAKES IT FANCY.

Place a few arugula leaves on a plate.  Put the deviled egg on the arugula.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.  If you get any fancier you'll have to start cooking with elbow length black satin gloves.  Even you, Jamil.

Thinking of taking these to a Thanksgiving potluck?  Here's a trick:
Stick a short glass or bowl over one of the eggs to keep plastic wrap from sticking to the other eggs.