Last night was rather Glee-ful...Instead of the usual NCIS, and Law and Order reruns, the mister actually let me watch Dancing With the Stars...which should have set off some alarms. But I was so thrilled to be able to see a TV show without weapons, unless you count Pamela Anderson, that I didn't think about WHY I was watching it...and when it was over, the mister changed the channel and asked if I wanted to watch Glee. Now, you must understand, him asking me if I wanted to watch Glee is synonymous with Hell freezing over. The red lights in my mind started flashing, the bells started ringing, the hairs on the back of my neck started to tingle and I was able to smell...wait for it... a rat.
Quinoa. That's what brought about my evening of TV viewing and it just about sent the mister over the edge. He was SO hoping his punishment of healthy eating was over ...but alas, it was only day three and so while eating his whole grains, he formulated a plan. At first though, he grumbled loudly, expressing his displeasure in a way that only he can..."What is this #!&# ?! In a voice much like a Kindergarten teacher would use on a tantrum-throwing child, I very sweetly told him that Quinoa, (pronounced keen-wah) is a high-protein whole grain that's mild and tender...and to sit down, shut-up and eat! And so he did. And it's not like the Heavens opened and angels sang but he liked it, he really liked it! Of course, I LOVED it...and what's not to love? It's refreshing, a bit chewy, and with the addition of toasted pine nuts, garlic, fresh parsley, Kalamata olives, onions, currants and feta cheese crumbles, it practically screams Zorba The Greek and who doesn't love that?!
With the addition of grilled steak, this salad goes from a side dish to a meal. Even with a full stomach of healthy high-protein-low-carb food, the mister was STILL craving dessert...so he put his plan into action...sinking so low as to bribe me with TV...he wrongly thought letting me watch MY shows instead of the usual shoot-em-ups, he would be let him out of the healthy food dog-house, at least long enough for dessert. Stupid man. TV is not the key to the dog-house door!! JEWELRY is the key!! Duh! JEWELRY!!! JEWELRY!!! JEWELRY!! (Unfortunately for me AND him, that word is not in his vocabulary.)
Grilled Steak With Quinoa Salad - Pots and Pins
1 1/2 lbs. steak, (skirt, flank, sirloin or London broil work great - whatever suits your fancy!)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup currants
1/4 cup sweet white onion, chopped
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
6 oz. feta cheese crumbles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Place the quinoa in a saucepan and cook over medium-heat until toasted, about 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn. Add chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, about 2 minutes. Pour into a serving dish and allow to cool.
Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate to cool. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet, add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove to plate to cool.
Grill steak until it's done to your liking. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing into strips. When quinoa has cooled, add the cooled pine nuts, onion/garlic, parsley, currants, olives and feta cheese to the dish and toss gently. In a small bowl, combine the oregano, sugar, red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and mix well. Pour the dressing over the quinoa, and toss gently. Add the steak slices on top of the quinoa and serve. Serves 4. (This salad, if there's any left, is great the next day - try it, you'll see!)
"I find television very educating. Every time someone turns on the set I go into the other room and read a book." ~ Groucho Marx