Inspired Cooking

Inspiration strikes often, and it's been a bit since I've been able to capture it for the blog. The long version of what has been happening in my life will follow the recipe. For now, I want to focus on the food.

I like to do things my way. As many of my friends and loved ones tell me: I'm bossy and tend to follow the beat of my own drummer, at times throwing caution to the wind. This is especially true in my home kitchen. 

This is Grapefruit and Roasted Beet Quinoa Salad:

I like to mess with recipes and put my stamp on them. I've had this recipe lying around my house for months, knowing I would make it, but waiting to get it to where I wanted it to be. Notice the quote on the photo as well. 

Chicken scratch on the recipe should indicate the various directions my brain was going. The original recipe is for a blood orange quinoa salad from this year's January/February Cooking Light. 

I didn't have all the ingredients they listed at my fingertips, and I wanted to make it my own. So I started with these:

I peeled them and chopped them roughly into 1/2" wedges. 

Then I lined a pan with recycled foil, placed the beet wedges inside. Drizzled them with olive oil and a healthy amount of salt. I placed them into a 400°F oven. 

I let them do their thing for 40 minutes. Until their aroma filled my house and they were soft and succulent. 

Then, I started on the dressing.

I chopped 1/4 c. chives and placed them into a container that is shake safe. I covered them with 3 Tbs. Olive Oil.

Next I added my spices: 1/4 tsp Paprika, 1/4 tsp cumin, and a pinch (less than 1/8 tsp) cardamom. And salt. 

Then I zested the citrus. Lemon, lime, and grapefruit. 

I added the zest to the dressing. I juiced the lemon and lime. Poured their juice into the dressing. Closed the lid and shook. Then, I realized I forgot the 2 Tbs. minced thyme. I also forgot to snap that photo. I re-shook the dressing. 

The grapefruit got special treatment.

I cut off its top, bottom, then sides trying to take very little flesh while removing the bitter pith. The excess flesh left on the pith got squeezed into the dressing as well.  

From there, I sectioned the grapefruit by cutting on either side of the membrane to remove the juicy flesh and none of the connective membrane. I cut those sections into bite-sized pieces. I discarded the membrane.

After that, I started to cook 1 c. quinoa according to package directions.  About 20 minutes later, it was done.

Then, the beets were ready. I blotted the excess Olive Oil off with a paper towel.

I placed the beets, quinoa, grapefruit and some of the dressing in a large bowl. Tossed them together. Salted as necessary. Added more dressing until it tasted just right. I wound up with this delicious quinoa salad.

I highly recommend doubling the recipe. It's addictive.

For the salad:

1 Cup Quinoa - cooked according to package directions

4 small to medium beets - roasted in wedges

1 Large Grapefruit - sectioned and cut into bite size pieces

For the dressing:

1/4 Cup chopped chives

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Paprika

1/4 tsp Cumin

Pinch (less than 1/8 tsp) Cardamom

1 small lemon - zested and juiced

1 small lime - zested and juiced

2 tsp grapefruit zest

2 tsp minced thyme

Excess juice from grapefruit rind

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. To roast your own beets, peel the beets and cut off long stringy end piece. Cut each into quarters. From there, cut into wedges about 1/2" in size. It's ok if it's a rough chop - you just want them to be even in thickness so they cook evenly.

2. Place beets in an oven save vessel. For easy clean up, cover with recycled foil. Roast for 40 minutes. 

3. Prepare the dressing. Put the olive oil and chopped chives into a container you can shake.

4. Add the spices and minced thyme. Zest the grapefruit, lemon and lime. Juice only the lemon and lime. Add to dressing.

5.  Take the grapefruit and cut off its top, bottom, then sides trying to take very little flesh while removing the bitter pith (white part). Squeeze the excess flesh left on the pith into the dressing. 

6. Section the grapefruit by cutting on either side of the membrane to remove the juicy flesh and leave the connective membrane behind. Cut the grapefruit sections into bite-sized pieces. Discard the membrane.

7. Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Generally 2 cups water to 1-cup quinoa. Remove cooked beets from oven. Blot dry with a paper towel.

8. In a large bowl, toss grapefruit sections, cooked quinoa, and roasted beets with dressing and salt to taste. 

9. Enjoy!

My Grapefruit and Roasted Beet Quinoa Salad is lecker. I hope yours is lecker too.

Now, the more personal back-story to this recipe:

I entered culinary school in January. It has been awe inspiring and so fun. I still can't believe that out of heart wrenching self doubt fueled by unemployment a far away dream of mine came to fruition. I'm pursuing my passion - food. 

Isn't it funny how we have the best-laid plans, and it just doesn't matter sometimes?

There was a lot of apprehension involved with jumping head first into culinary school. I know that I can cook up a storm at home, but wasn't sure how I would fare in a professional kitchen. Not to mention the financial burden. I'd been unemployed for 7 months by the first day of school. Was it a good idea to go into debt for something that may turn out to be best enjoyed as a hobby? 

Turns out it was. I do have the ability to do this. Oh, and did I mention I love it?

This past week, I have been thinking about inspiration. This whole culinary school idea started with a conversation I had with my Dad. He asked me, point blank, "Why don't you just open a restaurant?" 

Well, a thousand things ran through my mind. I don't have any professional cooking experience, I'm supposed to be an event planner, that is what I went to school for. I don't have the kind of money to open a restaurant willy nilly. No one is hiring me in the field I'm trained in, why would they hire a career changer? That's not what I planned. I don't know what lies ahead for that future, etc. 

Then something clicked on, and before I responded to him with all the reasons listed above, and more, I stopped myself. I started thinking, why not? 

For the last two months I decided to let go. To stop pressuring myself into having all the answers. To just be in this moment, to trust myself, to cook and, more importantly, to live with a sense of freedom and possibility. I am inspired.