There are few things in life that I feel better about eating than Costco's quinoa salad. Its healthy, full of flavor, with a delicious good for you crunch. In case you don't have a Costco near you, or GASP! don't have a membership, never fear. We have come up with our own recipe for this delicious quinoa goodness. 

2 cups red and white quinoa (mixed)
1/3 cup tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup cucumbers, diced
1 cup cooked mung bean
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons fresh kale, minced
salt and pepper

Rinse and boil your quinoa in 6 cups water with a spinkling of salt. Simmer on reduced heat for about 15 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and toss with olive oil. Add vinegar and lemon juice & zest. Mix in vegetables, beans, and herbs. Season to taste. Serve immediatley. 

1. 
   

Shrimp Po'Boy (or Shrimp Poor Boys as I grew up calling them) are a wonderful diversion from your normal bunned sandwich. These shrimp are breaded in a flakey and flavorful batter, pan fried, and surrounded by crisp fresh veggies. You will be so happy to have this sandwich in your mouth. I promise. 

Ingredients: 

3 gourmet buns

12 shrimp, thawed and deveined 

1 cucumber, sliced

6 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup flour

2 1/2 tsp lavender salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon relish

2 dashes hot sauce

Mix your salt, peppers, garlic, thyme, & oregano together in a small bowl. Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Dip your shrimp in the buttermilk, then the flour, then your spice mixture. Then fry your shrimp until each side is golden, about 2 minutes per side. Mix together your mayo, mustard, relish, and hot sauce. Spread your mayo on each side of your buns, place your shrimp, cucumbers, and tomatoes in your buns. Serve immediately. 

This is a great, easy, fun and fresh idea for your next meal. Enjoy!

If you haven't noticed a pattern on this blog, we love a unique twist on a traditional dish. In summer, regular hamburgers can get a bit boring, so we decided to do a little Greek twist to ours today. Behold our Greek Tzatziki Burgers. 

These ooey gooey burgers are extremely flavorful. They have a wonderful crunch from the veggies, a bite from the tzatziki sauce, and then you finish it off with a supple 1/2 pound of flavorful beef. They are wonderful. 

Burger Ingredients: 

1/2 pound of 80% lean ground beef per person

1 inch green onion stem per person, chopped, 

1/2 tsp fresh dill per person, chopped

1/2 pita per person

1 romaine lettuce leaf per person

5 slices of cucumber per person 

Tzatziki Ingredients: 

Found HERE 

Mix your ground beef with your chopped scallions, dill, lavender salt & pepper. Shape into parties that are in triangle shapes or that will match the shape of your pitas. Grill until each patty has a nice crust on the outside. Fill your pita with one patty each, lettuce, cucumber, and then top with your fresh tzatziki sauce. 

We hope you enjoy another wonderful flavorful easy weeknight meal. 
Bon Appetite!

Nachos speak my love language. Chips, cheese, beans, I mean, c'mon! When I found a recipe for a mediterranean version, I couldn't get to the grocery store fast enough. Here is my own little spin on them. They are crunchy and creamy. The marinated beans are so satisfying. You will be so happy with this dish. Trust me.

Ingredients: 

3 Pitas
2 cans garbanzo beans
1/2 cup greek yogurt
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander seeds 
1 cup chicken stock
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup arugula 
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper


Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven safe pan on the stove. Add your onions and saute until soft and cooked through. Add your cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic, and lemon zest. Drain and rinse your beans. Add your beans and stock to the pan and boil for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp salt and pepper. Cover and bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Cut your pitas into triangles and separate the sides from one another. brush each side with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, bake in oven along side your beans for about 10 minutes until golden and crispy. 

Mix your tahini, water, lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, and your greek yogurt. Salt and pepper as needed. 

Layer your chips on a plate. Top with beans, tahini sauce, cucumber, feta, and arugula. Serve immediately and have a party in your mouth!