Recipes I

Browsing blogs for new recipes is one of my favorite things to do. I have a folder of recipes to try, and four have made it to the top of the list. Not only are the photos pretty, but they all sound delicious.
Here's the first one:

Red Quinoa & Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

• 11 ripe vine grown organic tomatoes (or 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes)
• 2 tablespoons of basil, finely chopped
• 2 cups of cooked red quinoa, chilled
• 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoon walnut oil
• 1 tablespoon mirin (rice vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• sea salt
• olive oil

How:

-Slice vine ripened tomatoes in half, scoop out all seeds and slice into 3/4 inch pieces

-Place on pan for baking with skin side down and sprinkle liberally with sea salt

-Let the slices sit with the salt for 10 minutes, it will help to dry out the pieces and shorten your baking time

-Preheat oven to 150 degrees (i used a toaster oven since our conventional oven didn't go that low)

-Drizzle olive oil over slices and bake for 6-8 hours, or until they have dried out!  * these can be stored in a jar with olive oil and used on sandwiches, in pasta dishes, on salads, with  couscous... they're perfect with pretty much anything!

-Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the fridge to chill.

For the Dressing: 

-In a small mixing bowl combine walnut oil, mirin, agave syrup, apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp of sea salt

-In a medium serving bowl combine quinoa, cherry tomatoes, basil, 3/4 cup of chilled sun-dried tomatoes, and dressing.  

-Mix well.  Serve immediately, preferably at your own backyard picnic. enjoy!   

Recipe from Sarah at A House in the Hills.