Nori Quinoa Salad

We are avid sushi fans and love to eat nori when it’s wrapped around seasoned rice and fish or veggies. But lately, toasted seaweed has emerged as a go-to snack on its own, which got me thinking beyond the sushi bar. Nori is a wonderful sea vegetable. It contains protein, fiber and vitamins, plus it tastes good! So working more seaweed into our meals is an easy decision.


With fall’s arrival, a hearty grain salad is ideal for supper. I’ve made a warm rice salad with spinach several times, the hot grains wilting the fresh spinach just enough. This last time, though, I tossed in some toasted nori along with the spinach. I quickly discovered that nori sticks together in a mass when it hits the heat! So I made a pot of quinoa and tried again, this time adding small squares of nori and stirring to blend it in without clumping. Success!

Carrot ribbons, sliced green onions, sesame seeds and cooked salmon went into the bowl next. This salad is one of those “bits and bobs” recipes, where you can toss in any leftover veggies like broccoli or peppers, or another protein such as tofu or chicken. A lively dressing of lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce and ginger finishes the salad.

The salad components can be prepared ahead of time, allowing you to toss and serve it quickly for a weeknight supper. Full of texture and flavor, you get a little taste of the sea in every bite.

Nori Quinoa Salad
Serves 4

1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked quinoa (I used a mix of red and white), kept warm or reheated
5 sheets of nori, toasted and torn into strips or squares
6 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped
4 ounces carrots, grated or peeled into ribbons
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (I used a mix of white and black)
1 cup cooked or smoked salmon, flaked (optional)

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and black pepper. Place the warm quinoa in a large serving bowl. Add the squares of nori a few at a time, gently stirring to wilt them and being careful that they don’t clump up. Add all the spinach and stir to wilt, too. Mix in the carrots, green onions, sesame seeds and salmon and then drizzle the dressing over and toss gently. Serve warm.

A Spring Salad

Spring is tip-toeing in and I’m delighted. Despite some snowflakes last week, a family of chickadees moved into our birdhouse and the air is now warm and filled with the scent of freshly cut grass. Long-simmering stews are fading from memory and being replaced by spring’s bounty.

With all the matzah and chocolate macaroons we are eating for Passover this week, a spring salad is really quite welcome. When I spotted this pretty head of lettuce at the market, it reminded me of a blooming flower and I couldn’t resist picking it up. What better way to highlight the crisp radishes and tender peas that were already in my basket than with a salad?

Once home, I soft-boiled a few eggs to include. Another happy sign of spring has been our chickens actively laying again. Their clucks announcing a new egg each day can be heard around the neighborhood!

The kitchen filled with marvelous scents as I chopped dill, mint and parsley. I tossed the fragrant herbs with sliced radishes, young peas and the gently torn up head of gorgeous lettuce. A zippy dressing of lemon, honey, Dijon and olive oil completed the salad nicely.

In each bite, there was a bit of soft and a bit of crunchy. The eggs lay nestled in the baby lettuce leaves, their luscious egg yolks mixing beautifully with the bright dressing.  This salad just bursts with fresh flavor, much like the buds bursting into color on our plum tree. And I think it’s best enjoyed while gazing out at the hummingbird feeder hanging from said tree.

Spring Salad
Serves 4

1 large head of butter, Boston or red leaf lettuce
1/2 cup dill, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 bunch (8-9) radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh peas
4 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 cup olive oil
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper and a couple pinches of flaky sea salt

In a large salad bowl, tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Add the fresh herbs, radishes and peas.

Cook’s Illustrated recently shared the best method for soft-boiling eggs. Bring 1/2 inch of water to a simmer in a pan. Gently place your eggs in it and cover. Set a timer for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and run them under cold water. Peel and then slice open when ready to eat.

While your eggs are cooking, whisk the lemon juice, Dijon, honey and olive oil together. Add the pepper and salt and taste for seasoning. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Place an egg on each plate and slice it open just before serving. Drizzle some dressing on each salad and enjoy.

Lemon Crumble Bars and a Sweet Visit

While on our road trip last week, I didn’t have a chance to cook very much other than preparing a few simple meals in the little RV kitchen like scrambled eggs, burritos and spaghetti. I felt like I was playing house!

After four days of eating on the road, though, we were delighted to roar into Boulder, CO (remember the broken muffler pipe?) and be welcomed by our dear friends, Elaine and Greg, their two beautiful daughters ... and an amazing meal. Greg started us off with lemon drop martinis on their deck, where the scent of blooming lilacs filled the air.

We then sat down to grilled salmon and veggies, roasted potatoes, and salad with Parmesan and toasted pine nuts – all heavenly, I must say. For dessert, Elaine baked some luscious lemon bars with a creamy filling, shortbread crust and crumble topping. A perfect treat to end the meal!

It warmed my heart to see our two families gathered around the table together. Elaine and I met when we were in 9th grade. I had just transferred into our local junior high school and Elaine was a welcoming friend, brimming with kindness and confidence. We began passing volumes of notes to each other in the hallway, and since then ours is a friendship I cherish. Standing in Elaine’s kitchen last week, picking bits of crumble out of the pan together and chatting ... sigh, just like old times.

I’m excited to be home again in my kitchen, which to be honest, is not much larger than the RV’s and I love every inch of it. Elaine graciously gave me the lemon bar recipe and I couldn’t wait to bake a pan to share with you. I tweaked the recipe just a bit to include some rye flour, my current favorite I turn to when baking these days.

Lemon Crumble Bars
Makes 12
Adapted slightly from Creme de Colorado Cookbook, The Junior League of Denver, Inc.

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons lemon zest
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup rye flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8x12 baking dish.

Stir the condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add the flours, baking powder and salt. Sprinkle in the oats and, using your fingers, mix until crumbly.

Press half of the crumbs onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the milk mixture over it and spread evenly. Scatter the remaining crumbs over the top and gently press to create a topping.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until it is set and begins to brown. Let cool and chill for a couple of hours before cutting. You can prepare the bars a day ahead.