Time Travel to Summer

Citrus flavors remind me of summer: picnics, sunshine, and eating on the porch. Pass me some lemonade and sunscreen, and rev up the lawn mower. The sweet senses of summer are just around the corner.

What, you may ask, brings summer (and citrus) to mind in the dead of winter? Why would I write about a summer-time dish...while I'm buried under a blanket on the couch, wearing my snowflake pajama pants?

Try Citrus Quinoa Salad. This big salad rocked my summer-loving world--I found myself mentally time-traveling to July with every bite.

This summer-in-the-winter dinner dish pairs sweet clementines with savory seasonings like cumin, coriander and cilantro. And don't forget the avocado. Oh, the creamy, buttery avocado (did you ever taste a more buttery vegetable?).

With this salad, enjoy the taste of summer in the dead of winter. Time-traveling to July is just what we need when snow covers the ground.

Citrus Quinoa Salad

(recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

The dressing for this salad is truly a show-stopper--it makes the dish, so don't even think about substituting with a store-bought variation. Try adding toasted nuts for an additional punch of protein.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. grated orange rind
• Grated lemon rind from one lemon
• 3 TBSP fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 TBSP fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• sprinkling of paprika
• A drizzle of olive oil (about 1 TBSP)

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 - 3/4 cup water
• 3 - 4 clementines, coursely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 firm avocado, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

Directions:

1) Whisk together dressing ingredients until well-combined; set aside.

2) Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is fully cooked (about 10 - 15 minutes).

3) Combine quinoa with vegetables. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture and stir to coat. Close your eyes and imagine it's July...and you're sipping a margarita with your bowl of Citrus Quinoa Salad...on the beach.

Citrus Sunshine

With Adam in class tonight, I'm on my own for the evening.

Friends, you know what that means: Sweatpants. Grey's Anatomy re-runs. And lots of singing in the kitchen.

Did I forget to mention baking? We'd better add "Citrus Glitter Cookies" to the list.

Given the gloomy skies, endless rain, and my husband's intense love for lemon-heavy desserts, it seems only natural that I would pick this recipe for tonight. And let's be honest: I do feel a pang of guilt for feeling so enthusiastic about my sweatpants-clad, Derek Shepherd-obsessed self having a night alone to indulge in all things girlie. Baking the man cookies will make up for it, right?

Plus, I figured we could all use a break from my endless and intensely Fall-themed recipes. We need a little citrus sunshine in our lives tonight.

Citrus Glitters remind me of a to-die-for sugar cookie infused with lemon. While the recipe is designed to be vegan, I was out of our vegan shortening tonight, leaving me to use real butter instead (only use vegan substitutes or the real thing--no hydrogenated margarines, friends!).

These dense little cookies are the perfect reminder that, despite our frantic obsession with pumpkin right now, sometimes a pinch of summery citrus is the only solution for a rainy day.

And the whole sweatpants and Grey's Anatomy piece don't hurt either :)

What's your favorite way to spend a night on your own?

Lemon "Citrus" Glitters

(recipe courtesy of my current cookie bible: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero)

Wow. Butter cookie meets a little bit of lemon heaven. Super tasty. Super Simple. Super Citrus Sunshine :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 TBSP finely grated lemon zest (or more if you're craving it!)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 2 TBSP cornmeal
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Yellow or golden decorator's sugar (or sprinkles)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about a minute and a half. Beat in the milk, lemon zest, and vanilla.

3) Add all remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed until well-combined.

4) Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls. Flatten and shape into circles, place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with decorator sugar. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges (mine took 10 minutes exactly). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.