Quinoa Turkey Meatballs, Market Salad - Arugula, Peas, Radish

FOOD:

Quinoa Turkey Meatballs, Market Salad - Arugula Peas Radish, Whole Wheat Pita

Quinoa Turkey Meatballs are a high protein, light and healthy recipe. Quinoa Turkey Meatballs store well and are perfect for quick, satisfying meals. Ground turkey, turkey sausage and turkey breast are go-to items for making batch dishes. For a family, couples or singles, batch cooking is so practical; because, you can freeze portions (homemade frozen food) and refrigerate some for tasty, low cost meals during the week. 

Quinoa Turkey Meatballs

Radish Union Square NYC

1lb Ground Turkey

1 cup cooked Quinoa

1 cup sauteed Onions

2-3 cloves minced Garlic

2 large Eggs

1/3 cup chopped Fresh Parsley

Herbs and Spices to taste (get creative with choices)

1/3 cup cooking oil (prefer Olive Oil)

Saute onions in oil till golden; mix in garlic; cook for 2-5 more minutes.

In a mixing bowl, add ground turkey, quinoa, 2 eggs beaten, parsley, herbs and spices, sauteed onion and garlic. With forks or fingers, thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Form meatballs and cook in oiled skillet until lightly browned. Make sure the meatballs are completely cooked. For large batches, increase ingredients in proportion.

Market Salad - Arugula, Fresh Peas, Radish

Arugula Union Square NYC

While walking through Union Square Farmers' Market, in downtown NYC, picked up inexpensive seasonal produce straight from local farms - Arugula, Radish, and English (shell) Peas.

Toss together well washed arugula, shelled peas and thinly sliced radish with a few wedges of stem tomatoes. Quick and easy.
This is a nice summer salad with a peppery bite from the arugula and radish. Good with Oil and Vinegar to keep things simple.
A Lemon Vinaigrette (fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper) on this salad pairs perfectly with the Quinoa Turkey Meatballs, giving the light meal a nod to Mediterranean cuisine.

English Peas Union Square NYC

Enjoy,

Cooking Lounge

photos: wbj

Fennel, Orange, Olive and Mint Salad

It's been a while since I posted.  I made this dish for a friend's brick oven pizza party in late spring.  Give this a try for a cook-out, potluck or an easy meal for you.
FOOD:
Fennel, oranges and olives tossed in sherry vinaigrette with mint is a refreshing summer salad popping with bright flavors.  I think this salad works with seafood to grilled meats to artisanal pizza; and, with some finessing (toss with_______) can be a really nice, mediterranean inspired entree.  
Adjust the main ingredients to fit your taste and add your favorite oil based dressing.

photos:wbj

Here's what I did. 
Trimmed 2 bulbs of fennel.  Sliced fennel lengthwise.  Cut off the bottom so the bulb easily separates. Pick your favorite seedless orange (approx 6).  Slice off the top and bottom so ends are flat. This makes it easier to separate into segments.  Peel removing as much of the pith as possible.  Divide into segments.  Toss in pitted olives ( I used katamala, approx 8 oz) and chopped fresh mint. The host of the party had a crazy selection of oil and vinegars.  I went with a combo of vintage sherry vinegar (Gran Capirete 50 year old) and with a newer, more acidic sherry vinegar from the same maker and virgin olive oil with a little salt and pepper.  Done!  Served the Fennel, Orange, Olive and Mint Salad on a bed of baby arugula for color, extra bite and as a filler to stretch the salad.
LIFESTYLE:
Periodically, Cooking Lounge will have Lifestyle posts, advice or links from Larry Betz on health and fitness.  Yeah, you know so you can eat more and eat better.
Larry Betz, CSCS, has over 30 years of training experience, from gymnastics to a variety of martial arts and weight training. Larry is a certified expert on overall health, strength and conditioning after study with some of the top coaches in the world. 
Some of his certifications include: CSCS (Certified Strength Conditioning Specialist), Exercise Science from The Swedish Institute of Health Science, Holistic Health Counselor from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, NSCA-CPT, Titlist Performance Institute (golf fitness instructor).  Check back soon for links and more.
MUSIC:
Step-up your game; keep your music FRESH.  
Here are some links.  Find your summer jams.

http://www.discobelle.net/
http://pitchfork.com/
http://prettymuchamazing.com/
Enjoy!
Cooking Lounge