The massive egg recall has made many of us stop and think about how many eggs we use and, for some, questioning our use of them at all. According to the New York Times, “A Hen’s Space to Roost” Sunday August 15; 97 per cent of all eggs consumed in the USA are from hens raised in battery cages, six birds to a cage allowing 67 square inches for each hen for her entire life.

This for an animal who enjoys seeking out a nesting place, hunting for food of various sizes, shapes, taste and textures, walking proudly with her chicks and engaging in a social life. Here, she cannot sit on her eggs or even stretch her wings. The Humane Society of the United States has stated, “Confining birds in cages means increased salmonella infection in the birds, their eggs and the consumers of caged eggs,”.

Many people think that if they buy hens from “cage-free hens”, these inhumane and dangerous conditions do not exist. Two per cent of hens live crowded together in large indoor spaces with 120 square inches per bird. The same hideous ammonia smell of a caged facility exists.Only one per cent are free range and they only need to have “access to the outside air”. This may mean a door leading to a cement yard with a large dog chained to the fence. The hens do not care for that. Only a very tiny amount of producers raise hens who truly live out of doors and have anything resembling a natural life. Even if these eggs are used at home, people consume eggs from caged hens in baked goods, processed foods and restaurant dishes. If you eat eggs you are not observing the commandment called “Bal Tashlit” which means we are not to destroy needlessly.

Here is a recipe for a vegan banana cake, it is not only delicious, but you can lick the bowl without fear of salmonella. Puts the fun back into baking with children. I have recipes for scones, cookies, biscuits and other cakes. All egg-free and all delicious.

Banana Cake

I cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon non-aluminum baking powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

I teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoon each nutmeg and cloves

½ cup organic sugar

¼ cup grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 small bananas

¼ cup soy or ricemilk with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar added

½ half cup raisins or walnuts (or both) – optional

First add the vinegar to the soy or rice milk (makes it like buttermilk, for a tender crumb)

Mix the baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt into the flour stir well, add nuts and/or raisins, if using, stir to coat.

Add the oil and sugar to the soymilk mixture, add the sugar and vanilla and stir well

Mash the bananas (overripe bananas can be frozen and used for baking)

Add the wet ingredients and the bananas to the flour mixture, mix well with a fork but do not over mix as this makes cakes dry.

Lightly oil a 9×9 or 9 inch round pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Use convection setting if you have it. This recipe can be easily doubled.

To frost, mix some Earth Balance margarine with powdered sugar and some sherry or lemon juice and a bit of vanilla, should be soft enough to spread but not runny. Spread it on in bits, leaving some of the cake showing.

This entry is also posted on Dr. Sukol’s blog, Your Health is on Your Plate.

About a year ago, a friend of mine got interested in the raw food movement.  Raw foodists prefer their food, as advertised, raw.  Uncooked.  She said it changed her life.  OK, lots of people say stuff like that.  But I have to admit that I see the difference – she is more relaxed, and brimming with beauty and energy.  Four kids?  No problem!

So she had been wanting to introduce me to her new style of cooking, and we decided to get our families together for dinner.  No deal.  We couldn’t make it fit all our crazy schedules.  We resigned ourselves to the fact that we had to put the idea on hold until things settled down a bit.  My daughter was a little disappointed, having been introduced to the raw food movement as a college student in Toronto, but the boys were secretly relieved, skeptical as they were about the idea of eating “raw food.”  I decided to withhold judgment for the meanwhile. 

Then last night I had the good fortune to attend a picnic in the woods complete with tiny electric lights, an enormous bonfire, spectacular grilled salmon, great company, children of all ages, and a talented guitar player.  Something for everyone.  And a raw peach pie, courtesy of my friend, who was also in attendance.  It was fantastic.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterward.

This morning I called her for the recipe.  She measured one cup each of raw almonds and brazil nuts, and placed them in a water-filled jar to soak overnight.  The next day she drained the water, and placed the nuts in a food processor with 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a scant 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.  She processed the contents until the consistency of meal, and then added 6-8 dates (Medjoul variety, the finest and sweetest) to make a dough.  She pressed the dough into a pan to form a crust, and then placed it in the freezer to firm up while she finished the recipe.

Next she cut 6-8 peaches into chunks, and mixed them with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional), and 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg.  I was surprised to learn that the less sweet the peaches, the more important it was to include the lemon juice.  Then she slid the peach mixture into the crust, and refrigerated it until it was time for dessert.

Now, here’s what I want to know, and I’m going to need your help, dear readers.  First, you have to make this recipe, or take it to the family cook in your kitchen, and help them make it.  Then, you’re going to take out your glucometer or borrow one from a friend or relative.  Now you’re going to check and record your sugar, eat a slice of raw peach pie, and recheck your sugar 1 hour later. 

How much did your blood sugar rise?  Send a comment and let me know.  If I’m right, this pie will not spike your blood sugar like a traditional one made with a flour crust.  So, depending on how insulin-resistant you are, you may be able to eat a slice of this pie without hesitation, without worry, and without spiking your blood sugar.  And even if you are diabetic, you may be able to eat a slice, knowing that the blood sugar spike will be modest instead of astronomical.   

And did I mention how good that pie was?  I went back for a second piece before I’d finished the first.  OK, yes, I’m hooked.

I hope that all of you enjoy Fall Vegetables as much as I do. What’s fun about the change of seasons is that we are forced into creative ways to cook with the new bounty of the season. In this way, your food is never boring and you don’t get stuck eating the same foods day in and day out.

Here are 3 recipes and buying tips featuring some fall vegetables:  beets, parsnips and pumpkin.

Roasted Beet salad in Orange Dressing

A zero waste salad where every bit of an ingredient is used. Not only do I love the beets deep red hue, and their sweetness, but I really get a kick out of using the whole vegetable, root and the greens. In this salad the beets along with the greens are used and for the dressing, the orange zest along with the oranges are used as well.

You can forgo boiling beets by roasting them in foil and avoid the mess that comes with the red staining on the pots.

Buy beets that are firm with smooth skins and tops attached. They should have a deep, rich purple-red color. Choose small to medium beets as they are usually sweeter and more tender. Beet tops should be fresh looking and dark green, not wilted or slimy.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2004

Ingredients

6 medium beets with beet greens attached
2 medium oranges
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper

1      Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the greens from beets. Remove and discard stems. Chop the leaves coarsely and set them aside. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast for about 1 hour, until tender when pierced with fork.

2      Let beets cool. Peel beets and then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl.

3      Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool. When greens are at room temperature, squeeze them to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets.

4      Zest the orange, then cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using a paring knife, cut between membranes to release segments (this is called supreming).

5      Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture.

6      Whisk oil, garlic, orange zest in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Serve.

Maple Roasted Parsnips

The parsnip is a root vegetable that is a relative to the carrot, although much paler they do resemble each other. Typically parsnips are part of the main ingredient in a soup base or roasted for a richer flavor. For this dish the parsnips are roasted into a caramelized deliciously sticky texture, which makes them so moreish. You will not be able to resist them.

Choose parsnips that are firm, unblemished and small or medium in size (about 8 inches long). Large parsnips may have woody centers but, unlike carrots, broad tops are not an indication of woody cores. Parsnips range in color from pale yellow to creamy white. Avoid limp, shriveled or blemished parsnips with moist spots or a lot of tiny hairlike roots.

Ingredients

2 pounds parsnips, peeled and sliced

5 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard

Salt to taste

Serves 4

1       Preheat oven to Roast at 375F

2      Parboil parsnips in a stockpot under a medium high flame for 4 minutes.

3      Drain, then put in an ovenproof dish, and toss with olive oil and salt. Roast 45 minutes.

4      In a bowl, mix maple syrup and mustard together, and pour over parsnips when done. Roast for another 5 minutes more to set the taste.

Pumpkin Soup

The original recipe for this soup was made famous by the Jerusalem Ramada Renaissance Hotel, however I added more depth to this by adding some warming ingredients like cinnamon so that it would be more suitable for the Northeast climate.

Choose pumpkins that are heavy for their size and free of blemishes.

Ingredients

2 large yellow onions, diced

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

7 cups water

1 ½ pounds pumpkin, cubed or 1 ½ 15- ounce cans of pumpkins

1 medium white potato, peeled and cubed

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

½ cup apple sauce

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vegetable soup mix (Gluten Free)

1 tablespoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

½ cup half &half creamer

pine nuts for garnish, optional

Serves 10

1. In a stainless steel pot under medium high flame, sauté onions in oil until golden.   Then stir in ginger.

2. Add the water, pumpkin, potato, applesauce and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer for about 35 minutes. Let it cool.

3. With a hand blender, puree vegetables until smooth.

4. Add soup mix, salt, cinnamon, pepper and maple syrup and continue simmering for an additional ten minutes.

5. Stir in creamer and remove from heat. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

“I know it’s your day, but it’s not all about you…Why have a wedding if you’re going to be like that [serve only vegetarian options]?  Just print a bumper sticker.”

Did this article that concluded with this choice comment in today’s NY Times Sunday Styles section annoy others as much as it annoyed me?  Of course weddings should reflect one’s values, so if you’re kosher, or vegan, or vegetarian, why wouldn’t you serve kosher, vegan, or vegetarian food?  As the vegan Kathleen Mink quoted in the article said, it was  a “no brainer” to have a vegan menu at her and her husband’s wedding.  But another vegan pastry chef served meat at her wedding because she was afraid celebrity chefs like Eric Ripert and Daniel Boulud would think she and her husband “were crazy” if they didn’t serve meat.  Yes, it’s important that the couple be good hosts and make their guests feel welcome, and it’s hard for a guest to feel that way if there’s nothing they can eat at the wedding banquet. Vegetarian guests or those with others with dietary restrictions certainly appreciate their hosts’ thoughtfulness in offering them options they can eat. But since when is it a hardship for omnivores not to have everything they can and will eat on the wedding menu!?

There’s an underlying assumption here that somehow vegetarian, vegan, and I would extend this also to kosher food cannot be prepared deliciously for discriminating palates.  If vegan, vegetarian, or kosher food is not appealing to non-vegans, non-vegetarians, or non-kosher folks, it’s the failure of imagination and skill of the chefs, not that these foods can’t be tasty.  These cuisines have come a long way from the bad old days of “rabbit food,”  as the readers and contributors of the Jew and the Carrot know well.  In Jewish tradition, the wedding banquet is a se’udat mitzvah, a meal celebrating the performance of a mitzvah, which has a moral connotation. As does veganism and vegetarianism for many of their practitioners. But there doesn’t need to be a divide between morality and aesthetics.  In Judaism, we have the concept of hiddur mitzvah – the “beautification of a mitzvah”.  Good food at a wedding can, indeed should reflect both our moral and aesthetic values.

But that point is made only to the extent that indeed our guests enjoy themselves. That’s the proof of the pudding (as it were)!  Indeed, I know from my own experience that weddings are a chance to prove to our family and friends that keeping kosher can be no less fulfilling than eating lobster and pork belly, even as vegetarians “see their weddings as a chance to prove that they are eating more than tree bark and lettuce.”

 I spent most of the day yesterday on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  Not literally.  I was reading Jane Ziegelman’s new book, 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement.  I wanted to know what they ate in the days before Crisco, Cool Whip, corn syrup, and Cocoa Puffs. 

Besides the foods we commonly eat today, New Yorkers in the 1800’s ate buffalo, bear, venison, moose, mutton, otter, swan, grouse, and dozens of other species, both domestic and wild.  Organ meats included sweetbreads, hearts, livers, and kidneys.  Fish dealers offered eel, 15 types of bass, 6 types of flounder, and 17 types of perch.  Produce included purslane (I’m sure there is some growing in your backyard), salsify (a root vegetable), borage, burdock, beach plum, black currants, mulberries, nanny berries, black gumberries, and whortleberries.  Note the extraordinary variety in comparison to today’s offerings.

Breakfast often consisted of mutton chops, fish steaks, and porridge.  Oysters, whether raw or cooked, were abundant and extremely popular at all meals.  Herring was prepared in a myriad of ways, such as with sour cream and mayonnaise, pickled, fried in butter, smoked, rolled, stuffed with pickles, or as “chopped herring” salad.  I know this salad well because I used to help my Grandma Rosie make it. 

Grandma Rosie was born July 31, 1910, the fourth child in her family, and the first to be born in America.  Yesterday would have been her 100^th birthday.  Here’s her recipe:  Soak 12 pickled herrings overnight, drain, remove the skin and bones, and chop fine.  Add 2 cups cooked potatoes, 1 cup apples, and 2 hard-boiled eggs, all chopped.  Mince 2 medium onions, and add to salad.  Add 1 tablespoon each of oil and white vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.  The book also called for 1 cup of beets and some capers, but I never saw Grandma Rosie put capers or beets in her “chopped herring.” 

Signature dishes on New York’s Lower East Side included hash, soups, and pies.  Pie was so popular that immigrants called Americans “pie-eaters.”  Mince pie, oyster pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, chicken pie, and “sweetbreads in pastry” were among the choices.  Leftover beef, mutton, pork and fish was frequently made into “hash,” and boardinghouse dwellers were called “hash-eaters.”  Soups were made from bones, root vegetables, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and dried beans.  I learned an old Yiddish proverb:  “Poor people cook with a lot of water.”  In contrast, the American government chose from among pork and beans, beef hash, corned beef with cabbage and potatoes, pot roast, boiled mutton, and mince pie to feed to newly arrived immigrants at Ellis Island. 

Smoked salmon is now considered a delicacy, but a century ago it was a food of necessity.  Without refrigeration, food was kept fresh and edible with four agents: heat, smoke, salt and acid.  Meats, fish and fowl were smoked, salted, or pickled.  Fruits and vegetables were pickled, jarred, or dried.  Corned beef, so named because of the large “corns” of salt used in its preparation, also belongs to the large family of preserved meats and fish. 

Here’s a recipe for turning cucumbers into dill pickles.  It’s very similar to the recipe Grandma Rosie gave me.  Pack 30 kirby cucumbers of approximately the same size into 1 large or 2 small jars, alternating the layers of cucumber with layers of dill (20 sprigs total).  Boil ½ cup kosher salt in 2 quarts water, and turn off the heat.  Add 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 4 cloves garlic, 1 dried red pepper, ¼ teaspoon mustard seed, 2 coin-sized slices of fresh horseradish, and 1 teaspoon of mixed pickling spice to the boiled liquid and pour over the cucumbers.  If necessary, add more salt water to completely immerse them.  Cover and keep in a cool place for a week.  If you like the cucumbers green, try one after 5 days. 

New York was famous for a squishy and gummy white bread called the “New York split loaf.”  In contrast, German immigrants made less expensive whole-grain rye and pumpernickel breads with dense, chewy textures and a sour, mildly nutty flavor.  These latter ones were the breads my family bought to slather with real or vegetarian chopped liver, depending on who was coming to visit.  Here’s Grandma Rosie’s recipe for vegetarian chopped liver:  Saute 3 chopped, medium onions in 3 tablespoons of oil until soft and golden.  Mash the contents of 1 large can of drained sweet peas, and add to the onions.  Add 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts and 2 chopped, hard-boiled eggs.  Chop by hand to desired consistency.  Season with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.

As Grandma Rosie said often, “Hearty appetite!”

This is cross-posted at The Fink Farms Dirt.

A cabbage harvest in July?

In California, it works. (We planted late in a mild winter.)

That means just in time for outdoor Shabbes dinners, we have the basic ingredient for coleslaw.

But with this gem-like vegetable sitting on my kitchen counter, I couldn’t bear the thought of traditional coleslaw: cabbage shreds drowned in mayonnaise and sugar. I decided to celebrate the color.  The following recipe is adapted from several sources.

1 head of red cabbage, thinly shredded

1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped

1/4 large red onion, finely sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced celery (preferably from the leafy tops)

2 large cloves garlic

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (a hot, honey mustard would work as well)

2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons of sugar, honey or agave syrup (optional)

Blend or whisk together the mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, chopped cilantro and chopped garlic in a bowl.

In a large bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage, red pepper, red onion and celery. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss again. This slaw tastes best if it is allowed to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

If served at a dairy dinner, a half cup of crumbled blue cheese can be added. It tastes great as a salad or as a garnish spooned inside a sandwich.

The dressing isn’t heavy, so the vegetables have a starring role.  The cabbage tastes peppery, so I didn’t add ground pepper or salt. It’s an explosion of color on a plate.

This is a wonderful Parve side dish that I’ve been making for the past five years. Ask anyone in my family and they’ll tell you it’s a favorite at home. (My dad especially loves it). This recipe is simple and delicious and can be made up to a day in advance.

When I make this dish I usually use whole wheat spaghetti instead of regular. My little brother will not eat anything made of whole wheat because of the color and my Dad does not like the taste. What’s great about this dish is that the sauce disguises the color and flavor of the pasta!

About ½ of a package of thin spaghetti (Cook a little al dente unless you are using whole wheat pasta)

1.5 tbsp of creamy peanut butter

3-4 tbsp of soy sauce (I usually use low sodium and it still tastes great)

3-4 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp ginger powder

A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional depending how big of a kick you want)

1-2 tbsp sesame seeds to mix into the sauce and it’s nice to have extra on hand for garnish

2 small thinly sliced scallions for garnish

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Meanwhile, in a big bowl whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut butter until it forms a smooth, caramel colored sauce. It may take a minute or two before the peanut butter really mixes with the soy sauce and sesame oil to form the desired texture so don’t be discouraged! Next, mix in the ginger, cayenne, and the 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.

When the spaghetti is ready, drain and let it cool for a minute. Once the pasta is cooled, pour it into your bowl with the sauce. Mix the spaghetti until it is completely covered with the sauce. If you see that the pasta is too dry, go ahead and add a dash more sesame oil or soy sauce or both.

Next, sprinkle your scallions and extra sesame seeds on top. Let the noodles cool in the fridge for around an hour or until you are ready to serve. It can be served at room temperature too, but trust me it tastes great cold.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!

B’tei Avon

I recently headed back to the office after being at home for nearly 18 months. During that year and a half, I renewed my relationships with my children, husband, self, and…my kitchen. I have always been one to cook and entertain, but being at home upped the ante. I turned play dates into dinner dates. Every Friday was a complete Shabbat dinner. There was usually a homemade something or other for dessert. And we had so many leftovers, we had to literally give them away to the neighbors. During this time, I shopped at my leisure, stopping into boutique markets and buying direct from the farms. I founded a CSA. In short, I found a great deal of happiness and comfort in cooking, especially for those I love. It became more than a hobby; it became a passion.

It did not take long after returning to the workplace for things to slip to the wayside. Even with flexible hours, it is impossible to do all that I did before, much less to have the luxury of time to enjoy it. Pizza night is now one a week. Dessert is often fruit and ice cream. And the neighbors have to fend for themselves. But one thing I refuse to give up on is Shabbat, especially homemade challah.

For me, challah making challah represents everything I want to be. I love the feel of the dough in my hands when I braid it, almost as much as the sense of accomplishment I feel when it comes out of the oven. When I make challah, I feel nurturing and generous and full of possibility. And I was not going to give it up. So I pulled out my slow rise method from my bag of tricks, and wanted to share it with anyone interested in homemade challah for the working woman.

Slow rise is a method that allows you to literally let the bread rise for as long as you need. Well, not forever – you can’t leave it in an Egyptian tomb an expect to come back a century later. But, much as the Pillsbury folks do, you can leave yeast to rise in cool spaces for extended periods. This time old method works well with challah.

For years, I have used Claudia Roden’s challah recipe with great success; it is a wonderful, simple, and parve recipe that always delivers great bread for Shabbat. Like all challah recipes, it has four key phases:

1. Combine/knead ingredients: Combine ingredients and knead, preferably on a Kitchen Aid with dough hook (speed 2 or less)
2. 1st rise: Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.
3. Braid and 2nd rise: Braid the challah like you would a pigtail, using three plaits. Let rise again until doubled.
4. Brush and bake: Brush with an egg wash and bake away.

Here’s how it works with a slow rise:

1. Thursday night – Combine/knead ingredients: Combine ingredients and knead, preferably on a Kitchen Aid with dough hook (speed 2 or less) – 15 minutes total (2 -3 minutes for the Kitchen Aid)
2. Thursday night – 1st rise: Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. Let it rise in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
3. Friday morning – Braid and 2nd rise: Braid the challah like you would a pigtail, using three plaits. Let rise in the fridge again until doubled. – 5 minutes to braid, 1 hour plus to rise
4. Friday afternoon – Brush and bake: Take out of fridge and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before baking. Brush with an egg wash and bake away. – 30 minutes

In some ways, the slow rise is the ultimate metaphor for the multi-tasking mom. The work gets done quietly, in the dead of night, while the dish washer is running and the laundry is cycling, and of course the kids are sleeping. I like the idea that while all that is happening things are rising in my fridge, full of the next day’s promise. It’s a hopeful effort. And homemade challah dresses up any meal, from brisket, to roast chicken, to takeout. It is a nice gesture that makes my family happy, and for me, makes working seem feasible. Give it a try, and enjoy every bite.

Note: Claudia Roden’s recipe is for 4 loaves; I find that 1 tbsp of yeast yields 2 loaves of bread. If you are new to using yeast, please take a look at this piece on how to work with it.

For my first recipe post on The Jew and the Carrot, I thought I’d start off with something versatile. I sampled a version of this quinoa recipe while browsing at my local Whole Foods and then came home and made my own version. It’s great served as a cold salad or as a warm side dish and it is ideal for all of those summer picnics and pot lucks you have on your calendar. Quinoa packs up really easily and this one is so full of veggies, colors, and flavors that it’s sure to be a hit!

Summer Quinoa Salad
Adapted from Whole Foods Team member recipe; Serves 4-6

2 cups quinoa
3 ears fresh corn or 2-3 cups frozen corn
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
2/3 cup pine nuts or toasted almonds

Roast corn on a cookie sheet with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the kernels are light brown. Mix around a few times during roasting process.

Roast small cubes of butternut squash in a separate pan (they cook at different speeds so it’s easier to keep them separate) with olive oil and salt. About 30-40 minutes or until the squash is soft and brown on the edges.

Rise quinoa. Add 3 3/4 cups to 4 cups water to the quinoa, bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until water has been completely absorbed.

Chop remaining ingredients and juice limes. Toast nuts or almonds.

Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl and let it cool for five minutes. Then add olive oil, salt, and fresh garlic.

Add corn, jalapeño, squash, scallions, and lime juice. Toss and adjust seasoning as needed.

Garnish with pine nuts or almonds.