Roasted veggie quinoa salad, with bacon wrapped fillet mignon and green beans.

We were going to bbq some bacon wrapped, pre marinated in peppercorn marinade, fillet mignons bought from the market last weekend. The only thing to think about was what to go with it. We were cooking quinoa to make that chocolate quinoa cake so decided on a quinoa salad with the left over quinoa, perfect! And some local green beans bought at the market too. 

I like colourful. I halved some beautiful cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped/halved/quartered some shallots and cut a yellow and green zucchini into 4 strips then into chunks. See colourful! I tossed them in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and spread them out on a baking tray so that they would cook fast. Into a hot oven they go. On the tray I also had a head of garlic with the top chopped off and some olive oil drizzled over it, I wanted some roasted garlic for the dressing. You want to roast the veggies till the onions and zucchini are soft, tossing them several times so that they caramelise on all sides and cook evenly.

Into the salad bowl goes the left over quinoa, cold, though you could use hot just as easily. I would say there was about 1 1/2 - 2 cups. Top this with the roasted veggies (pint of cherry tomatoes, 2 zucchini, 5 or 6 shallots). Make a dressing out of a couple scoops of mayo, or yoghurt, or whatever alternative you want to use, juice of half a lime, salt and pepper and the roasted garlic which you need to mash into it nicely. I used the whole small head of garlic, use however much you like to your taste. Mix. You don't need a huge amount of dressing because the veggies have balsamic and olive oil on them and the tomatoes will ooze some of their juices into the salad so you will be getting lots of moisture from them already and tonnes of flavour. 

We ate it with a medium rare steak and fresh Ontario green beans, you can't go wrong with that! The salad will keep in the fridge and is a great snack or lunch or side to other meals. I would always make more than you will need so you have some left over to keep in the fridge! Extend the joy!

Megan's Easy and Delicious Rhubarb Pie.

We were at the Farmer's Market again on Saturday and Megan had decided that she was going to make us her rhubarb pie, it is so easy to make and so good she said. And she was right! She bought 2 bunches of the strawberry rhubarb, some farm fresh free range eggs and some frozen pie shells. 

She cut up the rhubarb, which she says is literally the hardest part! What you don't use you put in bags in the freezer so it is ready to use another time.

You put the rhubarb in a pie shell and cover it in a sugar, butter and egg mixture which will cook around it in a deliciously warm, soft, creamy blanket! And because you don't put a cover on the pie you get to see how beautiful it looks with all the pretty pink and green bits of rhubarb poking out from the golden mixture. As they were cooking the whole apartment filled with a divine smell and we could not wait to try them! We were a little disappointed when she told us that we had to wait for it to cool and set before we cold eat, though it was definitely worth the wait.

The pie comes out while it is still 'wobbly' in the middle, so if you take the dish and shake it, it will still be jelly like in the middle. This means that when it cools it will set perfectly rather than be overcooked and dry.

Once it has cooled and set it is ready to eat. Just look at this thing of beauty! And imagine that it tastes as good as it looks! Because it does!

It is almost like eating lemon curd, the tartness from the rhubarb has permeated the creamy filling giving it that freshness! The pie shell is beautifully crisp, the rhubarb is still holding it's shape in the little pieces, I cannot begin to tell you how good this pie is. It also has magical properties and disappears when no one is looking! Thank goodness she made 2 and there is a back up one for when the craving sets in!

You will be pleased to know she promised to share this oh so easy recipe so that everyone can enjoy the goodness of fresh in season rhubarb! Recipe to follow when she gets home from work and I have had a chance to harass her for it!

Berry/Limoncello Cocktail.

What to do on a really hot evening in the city? Make nice cocktails and drink them on the balcony while the sun goes down and the city lights come out! I'm not normally an alcohol drinker but decided that I wanted a drink and this was what we created. 

There were some frozen strawberries in the freezer and some Limoncello. Good place to start, very nice contrasting flavours! Into the blender went 6 small ice cubes, 6 or 7 strawberries, 1/4 cup fresh raspberries, a shot of Limoncello, 1/2 a shot of vodka and the juice of 1/2 a lime. Blend, lots of noise! You now have a beautifully bright and fresh mix which needs diluting somehow. In the fridge I found some lemon Perrier, perfect, though regular soda would work just as well. 

In a glass put a few ice cubes, some Perrier and then the berry/booze mix. I think if there had been some mint around I would have used some to decorate or muddle but it was very good as it was! There was a perfect combination of sweet and sour making it very refreshing! Word of warning, this is very easy to drink, and watch the seeds at the bottom!