Showing posts with label olive oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label olive oil. Show all posts

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Eggplant and Chickpeas

A hearty and wholesome savory salad to enjoy for lunch or dinner. This is a meal in itself, or it pairs really well with grilled meats, sausages, and other barbecue foods.



For 4 servings, you will need:
  • 150 grams of quinoa
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 can (400 grams) of chickpeas, drained
  • 1 medium-size red onion or 2 small-size red onions
  • A handful of fresh cilantro
  • Some olive oil to roast the eggplant and chickpeas


For the dressing, refer to our sweet and spicy dressing recipe.


Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Resting Time: At least 1 hour if you'd like your salad cold


Start by pre-heating your oven at 220 C ( 430 F).

Drain the liquid out of the can of chickpeas, then rinse and drain them.

Rinse the eggplant, then shop it into small cubes.


Place the chickpeas and eggplant pieces in a large bowl. Add some olive oil and toss the chickpeas and eggplant pieces to have the olive oil coat your veggies.


Cover an oven rack with foil or parchment paper, and drizzle a little bit of olive oil.


Spread the chickpeas and the eggplant pieces on the foil, and place the oven rack in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, keep your eyes on it.


While the chickpeas and eggplant are roasting, prepare the quinoa per the packet's instructions - mine says one part quinoa for two parts water, and heat it up for about 15 minutes.

While everything is roasting and boiling, finely chop the red onion and roughly chop the coriander.


Once the chickpeas and eggplant are roasted and the quinoa is cooked, let them cool down for about 20 minutes.


Combine all the ingredients together.


Prepare the dressing by referring to our sweet and spicy dressing recipe.

Now, you have another decision to make!
If you would like to eat the salad warm, serve it right away after adding the dressing.
If you would like to eat the salad cold, which is my preference, cover the salad and place it in the fridge for at least one hour. Before serving, add the dressing, or simply let everyone help themselves to however much dressing they want to add.

Enjoy!





As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Sweet and Spicy Dressing

The combination of the sweet honey mustard, paprika, and cumin make this dressing sweet with a nice spicy kick.


It is super easy to make and will be wrapped up in five minutes.

This dressing will be perfect to flavor the roasted eggplant and chickpeas quinoa salad, and will  also be an ideal addition to empanadas (recipe to come very soon), or as a sauce in a vegetarian wrap.


For 100 milliliters of dressing:
  • 2 tablespoons of honey mustard
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cumin


Preparation Time: 5 minutes


Start by grinding the cumin seeds in a mortar. If you don't have a mortar, you can smash them with a rolling pin, or use pre-ground cumin.


Once the cumin is ground, all the ingredients are ready to be combined.

Add all the ingredients in a salad shaker, and shake them well together.


That's it, the dressing is ready! Reserve in the fridge until serving.

Enjoy on your salad, as a condiment with empanadas, as a sauce in a grilled eggplant-avocado-red onion-feta panini, or inside a chicken-grilled-cheese sandwich, or anything else you might think of.





Feel free to add any suggestions, which could beautifully accommodate with this dressing.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Pesto Sauce

Pesto sauce is a very easy dressing to make, and will be whipped up in about 5 minutes.


The following ingredients are for 2 to 4 portions, so feel free to adjust your quantities if you are cooking for more or fewer people, or according to your taste.

You will need:
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons of basil (fresh basil is better, but dry basil works too)
  • 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil (If you like your pesto a bit thinner, add another tablespoon of olive oil)

Preparation time: 5 minutes


In a bowl, mix the basil and the parmesan cheese.


Then add the olive oil and give it a good mix.


And voilà, you just made your own pesto sauce! Wasn't that easy!?

You can keep your pesto sauce in the fridge for a few days. But remember to give it a good stir when you take it out of the fridge, before using it.



*Note: You can use your pesto sauce with our Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad recipe.


You can also use it with pasta, chicken, pizzas, or salad dressing.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad


With summer just around the corner, let's make this Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad that will accompany your barbecue quite nicely.


It is a very easy recipe to make, and will be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. Just remember that the penne have to rest in the fridge for 45 minutes.

The following ingredients are for 2 to 4 portions, so feel free to adjust your quantities if you are cooking for more or less people, or according to your taste.
You will need:
  • 125 grams of mini-penne pasta*
  • 210 grams of chicken breast tenders, or chicken breast wholes.
  • 15 to 20 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons of basil (fresh basil is better, but dry basil works too)
  • 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 7 to 8 minutes
Resting time: At least 45 minutes in the fridge


Start by cooking your pasta per the package's instructions (in my case, it was 7 to 8 minutes for al-dente pasta).


In a pan, pour a bit of olive oil, heat up your pan, and place the chicken breast tenders to cook.


Once one side is cooked, turn the breast to cook the other side.


Turn one more time until you get a nice brown coating.


Let the pieces cool down few minutes, and then cut them into pieces.


Cut the cherry tomatoes in half ...


... and if it bothers you like it bothers me, remove the core of the tomatoes.


Prepare your pesto.
In a bowl, mix the basil and the parmesan cheese.


Then add the olive oil and give it a good mix.


By that time, the mini-penne should be cooked.
Strain the pasta into a strainer, and then pour some cold water on it to cool it down.



All your ingredients are now ready to be stored in the fridge, giving at least 45 minutes for your mine-penne to cool down.

It is now time to assemble your salad ...


... which will be only four simple steps.

First, pour your mini-penne in the salad bowl.


Second, add the cherry tomatoes.


Third, add your chicken pieces.


And finally, after giving your pesto a good stir, add it the the salad, and mix. (If you like your pesto a bit thinner, add another tablespoon of olive oil).


And voilà, your Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad is ready.



Now it is time to fire up that barbecue, and enjoy!



*Note: I used mini-penne, because I think it is more pleasant to eat the mini version of the penne with this salad, but feel free to use some other pasta such as elbow macaroni, penne, or bow-tie.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond