Light recipes from Red Mountain Spa

Ooooh don't these feel yummy?

GRILLED VEGETABLES AND QUINOA SALAD

1 cup quinoa, uncooked (use a mix of red, yellow, and black for color)
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup grilled vegetables (see recipe)
1 tbsp grated cotija or Parmesan cheese
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Grilled Vegetables:
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise
1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise
3 roma tomatoes, cut lenghtwise
1/4 cup marinade for grilled vegetables
1 tbsp garlic cloves, roasted
1 tbsp. shallots, roasted

Marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp fresh thyme
1/8 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic

Vegetables: Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the zucchini squash and tomatoes and add to the marinade, mixing to coat thoroughly. Roast the garlic and shallots 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees, let cool, then chop coarsely. Grill the squash and tomatoes on the grill or in the broiler, let cool, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Quinoa: Rinse grain in cold water to remove resin, strain.Combine with stock or water in pot. Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and the grains begin to split. Remove from pot and let cool. To serve: Combine quinoa, vegetables and cheese in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.


FIRE GRILLED CHICKEN WITH PEACH RELISH

4 4-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (free range)
1 cup achiote orange marinade (see recipe)
4 tbsp diced fresh peach
4 tsp red pepper, diced
4 tsp red onion, minced
1 tsp fresh cilantro or basil, rinsed and chopped
1/2 tsp raspberry vinegar

Achiote Orange Marinade
1 tbsp achiote (annatto) paste
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp orange juice
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. In a small bowl, combine peaches, red peppers, cilantro, red onions and rspberry vinegar: refrigerate until needed. Pre-heat grill, drain excess marinade from chicken and grill until done. Set aside to rest. Pre-heat saute pan, spray lightly with cooking spray or olive oil and when the pan justs begins to smoke, saute the peach relish for approximately 1 minute. Serve chicken with relish spooned on top.


GUAYMAS ROCK SHRIMP SCAMPI WITH SOBA NOODLES

8 oz. soba noodles, cooked
12 oz. rock shrimp (70/90 count per pound)
1/4 cup poblano chile, roasted, peeled and diced (also available in jars)
1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
1 tbsp cilantro, rinsed and chopped
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes, julienned
juice from 2 fresh limes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup tequila

Cook noodles according the package directions. Drain, toss with a few drops of oil and a pinch of the chopped cilantro and set aside. Pre-heat saute pan and add olive oil to coat bottom. When oil just begins to smoke, add rock shrimp, and saute until they begin to brown, add sundried toamtoes, cilantro, and poblanos. Saute another minute. Add lime juice to saute pan and allow to reduce for 30 seconds. Add tequila and reduce for another 30-45 seconds. Serve with the noodles.

For you daters

Was taken to Campanile on Third and Fairfax. Thoroughly enjoyed the company, marathon of wit, delectable European-style dining (slow and teasing), and sitting two feet from the director of "LA Confidential" as I discussed pre-production on my directorial debut.

Reminded me of the great winery eats from my hometown, minus the genius auteur clientelle. Well, that's not true. NoCal has a few roaming genius auteurs, but they shuffle around in Birkenstocks and don't have the rest of the patronage stopping by their table to brown-nose for three hours. It must be a chore to be beloved.

Brie & onion tart, Bean & onion saute

Bean & Onion Saute
from Family Circle magazine

Cook 2 pounds mixed green, yellow and purple beans, trimmed, in boilling water 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat; add 1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped; saute 3 minutes. Remove, set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low; heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 2 medium-size onions, halved and thinly sliced. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden. Add beans, prosciutto and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to pan. Heat through. Makes 8 servings.

Brie & Onion Tart
from About.com

five medium onions, sliced in wedges
A puff pastry (buy them pre-rolled.)
Butter
a few slices of bacon cut in thin strips
Fresh thyme or rosemary
brie - a triangle 3-4 inches wide at the base with the rind still on.

Sauté onions in butter until they start to go soft. Add the bacon. Add a handful of fresh thyme or rosemary. Grind some pepper into the pan. When it's all soft and buttery, roll out your pastry. Use a blunt knife to trace an crust half an inch from the edge of the pastry. Slice the brie in long thin strips and spread half of them on the pastry in a radiating circle. Tip the onion and bacon mixture onto the pastry (you can drain them first if you like) and spread it over the pastry to the edge you traced. Spread the rest of the cheese on top of the onion mixture. Put in a hot oven (375 fahrenheit) for 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is brown, the onions have just started to brown and the cheese is bubbling. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.