Guest Blogger: Joanne with Quinoa with Chickpeas, Garden Vegetables and Lime

I'd like to welcome my dear friend Joanne, author of Three Languages: What Happens When You Combine English, Spanish and Portuguese, who provided this delicious recipe.  Joanne makes a great meal with items she already had at her house, showing that you don't need to shop for hours for a healthy, flavorful dish.  Take it away, Joanne!

"First off, I am thrilled to be guest posting on Peace Out, Mac and Cheese. I’ve been an avid reader of the blog since last fall, and have been inspired by Lauren’s new twists and creations of recipes. Not only are they tasty, they are easy to make, which is something necessary for me, ashamedly a current mac and cheese eater.  

With some spare time this summer I have made it my goal to eat different, healthier foods. I am guilty of eating pasta with marina sauce almost daily, and have realized that it is crucial to expand my gastronomical repertoire. In anticipation of this healthy lifestyle I bought some quinoa and chickpeas last week, and today, after a rigorous strength training session at the gym, decided I should make myself a protein packed lunch. I knew I had the chickpeas and quinoa, but didn’t have a specific meal in mind. After scouring Peace Out, Mac and Cheese’s chickpea recipes, I realized that unfortunately I did not have all of the essential ingredients, so, I turned to Google for some research.  

After a few minutes I stumbled upon the perfect summer chickpea and quinoa recipe on allrecipes.com. With a few adjustments, I made it my own and it turned out splendidly! The recipe only calls for tomatoes and chickpeas, but I added some yellow squash, and you could probably add any vegetable that you have in the fridge—red bell pepper, asparagus, spinach, etc. I also used Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend of couscous, orzo pasta, and red quinoa instead of just plain quinoa. No matter the alteration, this summer chickpea and quinoa dish is sure to please.  Enjoy, and don’t forget to check out my blog about life in Spain, Brazil, and the USA, threelanguages.wordpress.com. Happy eating! J"

Crostini with Seared Strawberries, Fennel and Pistachios

All I have to say is:  make. this. recipe. NOW.  It's fantastically delicious and provides a bite-size burst of flavor.  And, more importantly, I made this for my dear friend Liz's bridal shower, making this the second post of the food served at the party.  It had rave reviews and I'm just waiting for an opportunity to make it again.

I found the original recipe on DCist but made a few alterations along the way.  First of all, the recipe calls for toasted french bread, but I found that it's much easier to eat on untoasted bread.  Besides, once the goat cheese and strawberry topping soaks through the bread, it becomes soft anyway.  Might as well skip a step, right?  Secondly, I'm allergic to cherries so I substituted with strawberries.  I'm sure this dish is great with either fruit but, naturally, I'm partial to strawberries.  Other than that - smooth sailing!

Crescent Rolls with Asparagus, Prosciutto and Cream Cheese

These crescent rolls with asparagus, prosciutto and cream cheese are the first of several posts of special dishes served at my friend Liz's bridal shower.  I'm the Maid of Honor for her wedding - she is marrying a fantastic guy named Sal - and planning her shower was a ton of fun and gave me an opportunity to experiment with new dishes and cook for almost 20 people.

The crescent rolls are surprisingly easy to make.  They're simply made of the Pillsbury-brand Crescent Rolls from the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  However, keep in mind that because they're filled with cream cheese, prosciutto and asparagus, they'll take about 15 minutes longer to cook than the rolls alone.  I recommend keeping an eye on them after about 20 minutes of cooking to ensure they're becoming golden brown but not burning.

Fish Out of Water, Into the Melon

A special post from my dear friend Peter Cilento, presented without comment: Watermelon Slice, Cheddar Goldfish Topping, Generic Wax Paper Plate, 1st July 2011.

Roasted Beet Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette

Beets are among my favorite foods but they're an item I rarely cook.  First of all, they're messy (see photo example after the jump) and they take quite a bit of time to prepare.  As such, I typically leave my beet consumption to the pros; but every so often I willingly risk stained hands and countertops for earthy goodness.

The salad I prepared earlier this week is fairly traditional - roasted beets, thinly sliced red onion and creamy goat cheese served over fresh spinach - but spiced up a bit with a tangy pineapple vinaigrette.  It's fresh, perfect for summer and worth the prep time - just be sure to invest in a pair of rubber gloves.  

Barbecue Galore!

Well, after a three month hiatus from the food blogosphere I'm back with several fantastic barbecue recipes just in time for summer.  I'll be honest - I haven't been cooking very much over the past few months.  There's been a bunch of travel and lots of nights out to eat that I just haven't had the time or motivation to cook anything of note.  And, yes, I may or may not have had macaroni and cheese a time or two.  Life gets busy!

Anyway, I have three sure-to-please recipes that will certainly make you look forward to weekend bbq's (as if you needed a reason, anyway).  Here we go:

• Pull Pork with Rhubarb Red Wine BBQ Sauce
• Beef Brisket with Rhubarb Red Wine BBQ Sauce
• Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

And, for kicks, here's a link the Rhubarb Red Wine BBQ Sauce.  I just can't get enough of this stuff!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Looking for a quick, easy, and flavorful side dish now that you have recipes for both pulled pork and beef brisket?  Try out these spicy sweet potato fries - they're the perfect compliment for any southern meal.