The recipe for tonight’s dinner comes from Kate Lawson who writes a food column for the Detroit News. My wife and I have been following her column for quite some time. Since I really didn’t make any changes to the ingredients for this recipe I asked her permission to post it on my blog. An email was sent to her on a Friday and by Sunday morning I already had a response. This is by far my favorite recipe she has posted for the Detroit News. I believe that it is one of her original recipes as well, as she always gives credit to the original source. The only thing I changed was the execution of the dish. The directions I give you tonight differ a bit but you will get the same results. You can read more about Kate Lawson here. The Harvest Grains pictured are available at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find them locally it is a mix of Israeli Couscous, Tri colored Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans, and Red Quinoa.
Cooks Note: This dish makes a great lunch or a light dinner (this is what I did tonight). If you would like to make it a bit more hearty you can hit it with some Feta cheese and more Balsamic vinegar at the table. If you like, this makes a great side dish to grilled chicken. Pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts thin and marinate with olive oil, lemon juice, a bit of orange juice, paprika, garlic, cumin, and a pinch of cinnamon. Grill and enjoy. This also pairs well with any Mediterranean spiced lamb.
Ingredients
1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper diced
2 small zucchini, yellow squash or a combo of both diced
1/2 large red onion diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of pine nuts or slivered almonds or a combo of both
1 cup Harvest Grains mix, orzo, brown rice or couscous cooked
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
4 cups of baby spinach
1/3 cup of oil packed sun-dried tomatoes chopped
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Directions
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss bell peppers, zucchini, and onion in a large baking dish with the olive oil. Roast in oven for twenty minutes stirring once halfway through. Add the pine nuts and roast for five minutes more.
While the vegetables are roasting prepare the grains per package directions.
In a large bowl place the spinach, basil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and the sun-dried tomatoes and toss well to coat. Place the hot grains (draining if necessary) and veggies on top of the greens and toss well until the spinach is wilted. Serve hot or at room temperature. (This is great for potlucks) Enjoy!
Cooking with Ken 