Warm Taco Salad w/ Quinoa

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth
• cooking oil or butter
• 1 lb ground beef or imitation meat*
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small poblano chili, diced
• 1 tbs Mexene chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt to taste
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 lime
• sour cream or greek yogurt mixed with lime juice
• optional: fresh cilantro for garnish
• optional: shrimp

*I’ve had the best results with Upton’s Naturals seitan

1. In a small saucepan, add quinoa over high heat and toast, stirring frequently, until warm. Add chicken broth. Reduce heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is cooked through.
2. Mix chili powder, cumin, paprika. Set aside.
3. In a separate frying pan, heat 1 tbs oil on medium high until shimmering and add soy crumbles. Season with salt and half of the seasonings. Break up crumbles and stir until heated through. Remove from pan and set aside in a large bowl.
4. ]In remaining oil (or add more if needed) saute onions until soft and translucent ~5-10 minutes. Add poblano and continue to saute 10 min until soft and onions are just caramelized. Remove from heat.
5. In large bowl with soy crumbles, mix in onions, poblanos, and cooked quinoa. Mix evenly.
6. Serve with fresh diced tomatoes, avocados, a dollop of sour cream/greek yogurt, and cilantr.
7. Optional: Top with shrimp sauted in butter and Tony Chachere’s seasoning.

Sesame Glazed Salmon + Wasabi Lime Mashed Potatoes

Definitely making this again. Careful with the salmon! I purchased a very thin, very expensive, tail-end filet of sockeye salmon today and over cooked it at 10 minutes. ): Always adjust recipes depending on the cut of fish you have. Other than being slightly dry, flavor was great. Thank you, Epicurious.

Oh, and I’m actually rather proud of my wasabi lime concoction. Only reason why that made it to the table today is ’cause I had a craving for a spicy tuna roll while shopping at Whole Foods. It came with little packets of wasabi. And seeing as spicy tuna rolls are spicy as is, I had a bunch of left over wasabi. Annnnd because I try to keep white potatoes out of my kitchen, I only make sweet potato mash these days. Sweet, spicy, tangy. Can’t go wrong.

SESAME GLAZED SALMON
adapted from epicurious.

• 1 lb salmon fillets(4 filets)
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 3 tbs lime juice
• 3 tbs honey/agave nector
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbs butter
• ~1 tsp corn starch, dissolved in water
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Add garlic and rep pepper flakes, saute until fragrant.
3. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, and honey. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium high.
4. Add corn starch mixture and stir. Continue to reduce glaze until it reaches the consistency of honey. ~10 min.
5. Lay filets on greased aluminum foil. Brush on thin layer of glaze. Bake 5-10 min, depending on thickness of filet.
6. Brush on more glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over garlic-y saute spinach.

WASABI LIME MASHED POTATOES

• 1 large white sweet potato
• 1 tsp wasabi paste or to taste
• juice of 1/2 small lime
• 1 pinch ginger, powder
• 1-2 tbs butter
• 1/3+ cup milk
• salt to taste

Dice potatoes into small cubes. Cover with wet paper towels. Microwave 5 min. Mash in butter, milk, seasonings to consistency of preference.