Just Crumbs...

Quinoa pronounced keen-wah. What the heck is that? Well, it is a grain, a very small grain that can be very diversified from breakfast, to lunch, to dinner, and even dessert. It can be difficult to find, especially for those in the Midwest (at least when I lived there it was or when I did find it, it was very expensive).  Don't let this discourage you. I substituted (oh yes, as I usually do).


 I happened upon this recipe a year ago from Food52 (click the link for the original recipe) when I was wanting to try Kale, but didn't really know what to do with it. I couldn't find quinoa, so like I stated above I substituted. I used barley. Yep, good old cheap barley for 97 cents a pound. It worked and it was good. The original recipe called for walnut oil. I was not spending that kind of money on walnut oil, that I would use just a few times for it to sit on my pantry shelf. Now, I would MAYBE buy walnut oil, because I would use it as a substitute for some other oil that a recipe called for. Just use olive oil, I still do for this recipe. Oh and the pine nuts that the original recipe called for, yes they were substituted too. I used chopped almonds. Actually the only original ingredients I used for this recipe were the kale, goat cheese, salt and pepper (for this time and photos I did use Quinoa). Guess what it still turns out magnificent each and every time.


Did I mention how easy this was? It is. And it is all cooked in ONE pot. Clean up is easy. In the end you have a great delicious and nutritious dinner waiting for you to enjoy.


     Bring the water to a boil in a LARGE covered pot. Add the quinoa or barley, onions, and garlic, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.
     While the grain are cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, olive oil, nuts, and goat cheese.
     Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed -- the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff and transfer it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients.    Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.                                                     

You seen read the title and thought "What in the world?" Then you seen the picture and now your thinking, "Well, maybe". It is that time of year again when most of us have zucchini coming out of our ears. We all try to be creative in coming up with ways to use the bountiful crop that grows so plentiful this time of year. This is one of those creative recipes.


We have all had zucchini bread, had it in a stir fry, sometimes in lasagna, etc... we use every way imaginable. We get in zucchini ruts this time of year. I am about to add another recipe to your zucchini collection. How about on pizza? Yes, zucchini on pizza. It is out of the ordinary, nontraditional, but mighty tasty. I adapted this recipe from Deb over at Smitten Kitchen. I stumbled across this recipe last zucchini season, thought Hmmm, interesting. I will have to try this....tonight. Am I glad I did.


We eat pizza at least once a week at my house. We love it. We love unique toppings, and trying unique flavor combinations. Pizza is so versatile. Pizza is fun. Pizza is tasty. This pizza is a summer favorite at our house.
I make my own dough. I love making pizza dough. It is cheap and easy. Time consuming? Yes, but it is wait time; it is well worth it. You're more than welcome to use store bought dough, it will taste fine. I choose to make my own dough, because I can add garlic, italian seasonings, fresh cracked pepper, etc... Whatever I am in the mood for, I add to my dough. It builds character, not only for me, but to my dough as well.