What's For Dinner? How About Southwest Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad!

I made this southwest sweet potato quinoa salad last week and it was so good I had to share! I’ve been trying to eat mostly vegan since January and have been experimenting with different recipes and flavors & this has been one of my favorites so far. It’s perfect for these gorgeous summer evenings and dining al fresco in the back yard. See below for the recipe, and also for the bonus recipe of the watermelon-mint cooler.

Enjoy, friends! Hope you’re staying safe. xoxo

INGREDIENTS

• 2-1/2 cups cooked quinoa

• 1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled & diced into small cubes

• Salt

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot

• Salt & Black Pepper

• 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

• Avocado

• 1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

• Spinach (optional)

  Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well. Toss the sweet potato, cooked quinoa, bell pepper and onion together in a bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add avocado, beans and cayenne pepper.

  Whisk the oil and lime juice together in a separate small bowl. If you’re like me and have only you in your household and split this into many meals, don’t toss the dressing with the rest of the salad. Keep the dressing separate and add only to what you’re eating, otherwise it’ll get soggy. No one likes soggy salad! If you’re a family, or hosting a party where it will all be eaten right away, toss the dressing in and mix it up to blend the flavors.

  Place your sweet potato/quinoa mixture atop a generous bed of spinach and top with toasted pumpkin seeds. You can also skip the spinach and enjoy as a potato salad; it’s just an added bonus!

  Devour.

Watermelon Mint Cooler

• Fresh Watermelon

• Fresh Mint

• 1/2 Lime Juice

• Ice

  Place your fresh watermelon, mint, lime juice & ice in a blender and juice for about 30-45 seconds until well-blended. You don’t need a lot of ice - it’s just to chill in case your watermelon hasn’t been refrigerated. I don’t know about you, but I like my drinks to be chilly in the summer! You could also add sugar or some type of sweetener to this if you like your drinks on the sweeter side. I think the watermelon is sweet enough, though, and I’m trying to kick all sugar from my life so I didn’t add any. You can also add a shot of tequila if you’ve had a day. No judgement here. 2020’s been rough!

The recipe was adapted from Epicurious but I made it my own.

Strawberry Peach Rhubarb Tartlets - Chicago Food Photographer

So many people asked for the recipe for these sweet little tartlets so I figured I’d just do a blog post on them! I kind of made up my own thing, as I’m not one to really follow recipes strictly, and I am definitely not known to use exact measurements. I wing things when I cook and bake - life’s just easier that way for me!

I’m also thee messiest person in the kitchen and I am horrible at remembering to take photos of all of the steps, so this isn’t your traditional food blog post but that’s ok because I’m not a food blogger, right?! I just document it - my recipes are a hot mess and follow no protocol. Ever! It’s kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure deal whenever I’m in the kitchen and that’s where I thrive. You’ve been warned.

The Key is to Use Fresh Fruit!

The fresher the better and it’s currently strawberry AND peach season. Even found some fresh rhubarb at the grocery, and although I’d never used rhubarb with peaches before, I was amazed at how lovely this tasted. The bitterness of the rhubarb blends so well with the sweetness of the peaches & strawberries.

Jazz it up with Your Spices

I used nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger, agave and salt. Also used lemon zest, coconut sugar and a bit of orange extract (my favorite secret weapon in the kitchen!)

Cheat - Use Pre-Made Dough

I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells and it made life simple. I baked them like the package said, and then scooped out the top so I could add the fruit filling. I then put the “top” back on over the fruit filling and baked a few minutes longer to seal the deal. Like a little fruit sandwich snack. Let cool for a while and then top with greek yogurt, whipped topping or ice cream. I garnished with mint & thin slices of peaches & strawberries. Finally, devour. The best cheat you can make, though, is to find someone to make it FOR you while you just get to sit back and take in all of that summery flavor. At least that’s what I would love for someone to do for me…

Recipe

Ingredients - This only makes 6 pastry cups so if you want more, double or triple the recipe!

1 package Pepperidge Farm Pastry Shells

1 longer stalk of rhubarb - sliced

1 cup strawberries - sliced

1 peach - sliced

Sugar - I used coconut, just a bit (maybe a quarter cup) because I also used some agave nectar for sweetness.

Agave nectar - Maybe 2 Tablespoons. I don’t measure & there’s already so much sweetness in the fruit- don’t judge!

A couple dashes each of cinnamon, nutmeg & ground ginger.

Half of a lemon - zested

A couple squirts of orange extract

Yogurt, Whipped Cream or Ice Cream for topping. (I used Lemon Noosa yogurt - so tangy!)

Strawberries or peaches - sliced for garnish

Steps to mouth-watering goodness

1. Bake the pastry cups according to package. Like the package states, once done baking, scoop off the top and inside part. But don’t toss those beauties & keep your oven on after these are done baking!!! I used mine at the end for a little extra sweet crunch on top.

2. In a large saucepan, combine all of your sliced fruit with all other ingredients except the toppings (ie yogurt/whipped cream). (You could put it all in a bowl and stir just to transfer it to the saucepan but I am an energy efficient baker and this saves a step and a dirty dish!) Stir really well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium-low heat and cook the fruit down til it’s “saucy” but not too runny. I think it was about 10 minutes.

3. Once all good and saucy, spoon the filling into your hole-y pastry cups. I added mine to the top but not overflowing. Replace the tops of the cup that I told you not to discard, and bake another 5 or so minutes to seal the deal.

4. Remove from oven and let cool. If you can’t wait to devour, add your topping of choice and eat shortly after out of the oven when it’s not so-hot-it-will-burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth hot.

Enjoy. If you liked this, and make it, tag @courtneylaperphoto on IG and show me your creations.

Homemade Granola - Recipe from Courtney's Kitchen - Chicago Food Photographer - Chicago, IL

It’s no secret that I love pretty photos, especially of food. My dream is to photograph a cookbook in the future. Or to work as a freelancer for a travel magazine. *Anyone want to hook a girl up with her dream job?* When I’m cooking or baking, though, it’s usually so I can photograph it! I’ll obviously eat it too, because I can’t turn down a delicious snack, drink or meal! But the end goal of my kitchen artistry is to document it. And now to share with you!

Full disclosure: I don’t always measure things when I’m creating something and I will often wing it!

Homemade Granola from Courtney’s Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups old-fashioned oats

½ cup nuts, chopped (pecans, almonds, cashews, etc)

¼ cup raw seeds (pumpkin, flax or sunflower are my favorites)

2 tablespoons maple syrup or raw honey (or a combo of both)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large pinch fine sea salt

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1/2 cup coconut chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 300º F.

Combine all ingredients except coconut chips in a mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix well and toss to coat. If your coconut oil is solid, melt it in the microwave a few seconds or your hands will warm it up and melt it into the mixture.

Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, until very lightly toasted.

Stir the mixture while baking, and add the coconut chips. Continue to bake an extra 10-ish min.

Cool before serving or storing.

This granola can be kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks. I keep mine in a mason jar in the refrigerator. Get Creative! My granola is never the same and depends on what I’m in the mood for. I might add dried fruit, many types of nuts and different seeds. Experiment with different flavors and combinations!

This granola is awesome on its own, with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit. Enjoy and be sure to comment below with your favorite renditions of this treat!

Much love!