Tasty tasty treats

I am fully willing to admit that I haven't been cooking as well as I'd like lately.  (And by lately I mean probably since when I moved downtown.)  Now, that's not to say that I don't make almost all of my own food, because I pretty much have to thanks to my somewhat restricted diet.  But there is a wide spectrum of the quality of food one can whip up, even if it's all technically "home cooking".  Some of it verges on crap, and on the other end is pure deliciousness.

After a weekend packed full of friend time and food, and a busy couple days coming up, I decided to take tonight for myself to make a bunch of good food to get me through the next few days.  Tonight's dinner was one of the best I've made in ages.  I haven't posted recipes in a long time, but thought these were worth sharing.  The measurements are rough, since they weren't real recipes, so use your best judgment if you make em.

Quinoa pilaf

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 red onion sliced
1/4 cup dried currants
olive oil
Braggs soy sauce
Herbomare seasoning

Rinse the quinoa - yes rinse it, there is a white powder on it that is bitter if you don't rinse it off, picking out any stems or rocks - always a good eye to check cause they are not fun to bite on!  Then cook with the water (just like white rice, 13-15 mins on low after bringing to a boil).  In a frying pan, cook red onion in olive oil until translucent, then add currents and cook a few more minutes until softened.  Add the quinoa back in, and mix it all together, remove from heat.  Add about a tablespoon of olive oil, and a few dashes of Braggs to season.  Finish with a bit of salt or Herbomare (or other seasoning) sprinkled on top if you like.

Baked lime chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pref organic)
juice of half a lime
olive oil
salt and pepper
dried dill

Preheat oven to about 350F (I had it at 300F on my oven, but it runs very hot). Place chicken in a baking dish.  Squeeze half a lime over them, then drizzle liberally with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and dried dill.  Bake for 25 mins (uncovered for the first 10 mins, then covered for the remainder).  This would probably do well marinated if you have time, but it turns out fine cooked right away.

Freya fruit salad

I've started referring to various salads by the name of whoever introduced me to it - there's a Roberta salad, a Katherine salad, and here's the Freya salad - a very summery salad, perfect after a trip to the farmer's market.  This is a modified version because the original also had apple and mint in it - the mint is a really nice addition, but I didn't have any on hand (and I can't eat the apple, so I left that out too).

2 peaches
blueberries
blackberries
raspberries
juice of half a lime
honey

Dice the 2 peaches, and mix with the berries.  Squeeze half a lime, and drizzle some honey over, then mix.  If you have the mint, chop it up and toss it in.

Hope you've all been eating well this summer, enjoy the fresh fruit while you can!  And if you have any great recipes you feel like sharing, feel free to post em in the comments.