Finally got to try some Food52 Recipes!

Have you heard of Food52?  I'm not sure how I found it. Pinterest maybe?  In any event, they post some recipes that look simply amazing.  I've pinned dozens of them but tonight was the first time I had time to make one, well actually two of them!

These recipes were paired in a posting, they are both from Lucy Mercer.  Here is a link to the posting, Dinner Tonight:  Lemon Herb Quinoa & Roasted Spring Root Vegetables.  Both dishes sounded like something Dave and I would really like.  We roast vegetables all the time and love new sauces or seasonings to try.  We also really like quinoa and I love peas!

We were at the St. Paul Farmer's Market this morning and we picked up some farm raised trout from Brook Park Fish Farm so that was going to be our main course.  There was a new vendor there this morning, Joe's Garlic Sauce.  We tried it and really liked it so we bought some thinking it would go really well on the fish.

Dinner was set.  The trout was easy, I just pan seared it with a little lemon infused EVOO, from where else but The Olive Grove Olive Oil Company.  I put just a little lemon pepper seasoning on it too.

On to the sides!  Both are super simple.  I started with the veggies.  I cut them up and tossed them with olive oil (this time I used the Picual variety), salt and pepper and put them in a 425 degree oven, on a preheated pan.

Then I started the quinoa.  Cooking quinoa is a little like cooking couscous.  If you can boil water, you can make it.  It's a bit more forgiving than rice I think.  While the couscous was cooking I cooked the peas, chopped up the basil and measured out the hemp hearts.  Yes, hemp hearts!  

 

I'd never had these before and wasn't quite sure what to expect.  To me they just tasted a bit nutty.  They were nice and crunchy too.

I also made the dressing for the quinoa which consisted of whisking together a little olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, maple syrup, sea salt and pepper.

Then I started the sauce for the veggies.  Again, super simple.  Saute up a little butter, horseradish, thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper and that's it.

When the veggies were done, roasted through and just starting to caramelize (YUM!) I tossed them with the sauce.  I could tell by smell I was going to like it!

I tossed the quinoa, basil and peas with the dressing.

I drizzled a little of the garlic sauce on the fish and viola, dinner was served.

How was it?  Um, awesome!  The garlic sauce was a perfect complement to the lemon pepper on the fish.  The vegetables were so good my husband went back for seconds!  The heat from the horseradish with the tang of the vinegar then thyme on top of that, yes, we'll be having these again!  The quinoa was equally delicious.  I was amazed at how such a small amount of mustard could come through.

Now I can't wait to try some of the other recipes I've pinned from Food52.  They don't just look pretty they taste good too!  And on top of that they, at least these two, were easy to prepare so on a busy work night we can still enjoy them.  I encourage you to check out Food52 on Facebook, Twitter or at www.food52.com.  I think you'll get hooked like I did!