Bruschetta Salad

To all of you Italian language and food experts out there: please have a little grace while reading this post.

You see, we Americans have taken a popular Italian dish, "bruschetta," and not only changed the pronunciation, but we've also changed the meaning of the whole thing. Very American of us, no? First, "bruschetta" is pronounced "broo-skay-tah" instead of "bruh-sheh-tuh." Second, the word comes from the verb, "bruscare," which means "to roast over coals." In Italy the bread used in bruschetta is grilled or roasted (and according to Wikipedia--my authority on just about everything--bruschetta was originally a way to use up stale bread). In the US, however, bruschetta is a topping made from tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and other stuff that you pour over bread or toast and serve to guests at wedding showers and New Year's parties.

Well folks, I'm taking it one step further. Call it disrespectful, call it creative, call it untamed, but I've managed to turn bruschetta into a salad. Without bread. Without roasting anything. I'm a regular Chef Boyardee. Che sarà sarà...

With the help of my fave grocer, Trader Giotto's, I took a jar of their bruschetta and added it to quinoa and raw kale.

Make the quinoa according to the package directions (remember to rinse it first) or do what I do and throw it in your rice cooker and walk away. Then, wash your kale (I used the curly leafed Russian Kale), but as you rinse it, massage the leaves until they become soft. Raw kale is super tough to chew as is, but if you use your hands to break it down a little, the texture softens. Next, put the quinoa in a bowl and drizzle olive oil and sea salt over it, then top it with kale leaves and finally pour the bruschetta on top of that. Mix it all together and serve.

I've really had Italy on the brain lately. It might be because some friends of mine just got back from an Italian vacation and two other friends have been talking about their plans to go next year. I'm fortunate enough to have visited Italy once, 10 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long...). I loved the red roofs of Florence, the fan-shaped central piazza in Siena and the solitude of Assisi. Ahh, that was the life. Talk about good food. Someday, if you want, I'll tell you about that bubbling lasagna I had at this little trattoria in Florence. I could also tell you about the hamburger I had at the McDonald's in Siena. Yep, I was that person. These days, though, I'll just stick to my bruschetta.

Potluck #1: Fresh Tomato and Quinoa Salad

Does anyone else feel like they are constantly going to potlucks, or is it just me? Now, don't get me wrong, I am not complaining at all. I love sharing food. In fact, if you ever want to make my day, the next time that we're at a restaurant together, just tell me that you'd like us to order two meals and split them. I will probably flip out, give you a huge hug and not let go, and continue to overreact out of sheer joy for the remainder of our meal. Don't ask me to explain, it's just the way I am. Tapas, finger foods, hord dourves (I never remember how to spell it...) hors d'oeuvres (copied and pasted from Google), potlucks...they are all my favorite kinds of meals. Maybe it's because I don't have to make a decision about what one thing to eat...

Shoot. Yep, that's it. Indecisiveness. The truth comes out. Let's not focus on my flaw, though, let's move on to the good stuff. Like, what I'm bringing to the next potluck. 

Quinoa. Someone told me the other day that they get nervous pronouncing this word when they're around me. I'm not really sure why that person is talking about quinoa so much around me, but gosh, I hope I'm not that scary. While we're on the subject, though, it's "keen-wah". It's from South America, it's high in protein and it's so hott right now. Quinoa is the new rice. I love mixing it with all kinds of veggies and beans to make delicious salads and sides. The colorful one above is super easy to make. Here's how: 

First, before you cook quinoa, make sure that you soak or rinse it thoroughly. There's a natural coating on it called saponin that can give some people a stomachache. Most packaged quinoa sold in the States has already been soaked to remove the saponin, but rinsing it off again before cooking is still helpful. Then, cook quinoa according to package directions, but substitute vegetable or chicken broth for half of the water. Add a bit of olive oil and salt, too. Quinoa, like most grains, is a little bland on its own, but prepared with broth, oil and salt it turns out moist and flavorful. Next, add tomatoes, bell peppers, fresh cilantro, sauteed onions, lemon or lime juice, olive oil and sea salt. Toss it together. So fresh and pretty looking!

For the next few posts, I'll share some other easy sides and salads that I like to bring to potlucks. Now, for your reading enjoyment, here's a list of synonyms for the word "potluck" (none of which I suggest using in place of the word "potluck"): spread, Jacob's join, Jacob's supper, faith supper, covered dish supper, bring and share, pitch-in, carry-in, bring-a-plate, smorgasbord, dish-to-pass...

Coconut Quinoa Rolls with Avocado and Cilantro

This was one of the most satisfying meals I've ever had. Not only was the taste amazing, but just look at it. Isn't it pretty?


I posted this picture on Facebook a few weeks ago and got a lot more feedback than I expected. People even wanted the recipe! The only problem was...I hadn't used a recipe. I rarely do, but I managed to come up with a satisfactory explanation. Here's what to do, it's anything but precise. Have fun with it!

1. Make the quinoa in a rice cooker (or according to package directions)
2. Mix in coconut oil (about 1 Tbsp per 2 c quinoa--to make it like "sticky" rice).
3. After the quinoa cools a little, put some on a nori wrap, on the end closest to you.
4. Add sliced avocado, cilantro and sesame seeds (and whatever else you want in your roll...cucumber would be good--I tried baby carrots, but the texture was wrong, they were too crunchy).
5. Then, roll tightly (I don't have a bamboo mat, but if you do it might be easier) and "seal" the roll by putting a little water on the end of the wrap.
6. Slice with a serrated knife...it was a bit tricky to not smash them, so slice gently.

I forgot to put the sesame seeds inside the first time, so I put some water on the outside of the roll and sprinkled seeds on top. I dipped them in Bragg's liquid aminos, but you can use soy sauce or whatever you like with your sushi. Seriously, it was so easy and this is the first time I've ever made "sushi".

After this meal, I started thinking it might be fun and smart for me to keep track of the food I make, so I can remember to remake the good ones. And with that, plus encouragement from friends, family and other bloggers, this website was born. I anticipate that my posts will have plenty of pictures of my food and a few words (ingredients, stories and recipes when I can figure them out).

Thanks for stopping by, friends. Keep coming back if you like good food!