Friday, October 22, 2010

Food Snob


Do you have any Grey Poupon?

Today it's about what kind of snob you think you are when it comes to food.  Do you tell your friends you eat whole wheat gultien free everything?  Do you talk like your a Whole Foods know it all?  And at the same time find yourself in the drive-thru at Taco Bell?  I have been called a food snob because i won't eat Arby's or Taco Bell that is a scarlet letter I am willing to live with without any guilt.  I guess in this world of "I am better than you because i know what Quinoa is" it can be just another thing we want a trophy for because we get it and you don't.  Well I call myself a foodie and I am not intrested in the foodie snob secret handshake.

I live by one rule, if I like it then I like it.  No matter if it is organic, free ranged, or if came from Whole Foods.  No knock on Whole Foods but if you do all your shopping there then you must just like to waste your money on labels that make you feel like you are saving the world.  Just go buy your Prius and make sure everything you eat and drink has the world "Smart" in it.  Then you will at least think your smart when in reality your just another fool being fooled by clever labels and names.

Its ok, there is a way to break free from this problem.

Solution, think for yourself for a minute, and be your own person. Don't just buy something from Ikea just so you can tell everybody you know that you bought it at Ikea.  Same thing with food, don't pretend your a food snob and then still slum at the Taco Bell.   Just be true to the food and yourself, let the food discover you and don't let it turn you into a snob.  Just because you eat fancy doesn't mean you have to act like you are any better than me.  Also don't think just because you wear designer shades makes you better than me either.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Quinoa with Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms

 

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small pear, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, halved
1 cup red or white quinoa
2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed and gills scraped out
3 cups tightly packed spinach, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Method

Preheat oven to 475°F.

Put vinegar, mustard, pear and garlic in a blender with 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Cut mushrooms into chunks and combine in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup of the pear balsamic dressing. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast mushrooms until tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

While mushrooms roast, prepare quinoa. In a medium saucepot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes more. Uncover and fluff quinoa with a fork.

Combine mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup more pear balsamic dressing in a large, wide serving bowl. Stir to mix well. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.