So, Meatless Monday turned into Sushi Night. Mike and I had an unexpected opportunity to put the kids to bed and then go out for a late Valentine’s Day dinner. I did have fish, but no meat, which thankfully is pretty easy to do at a Japanese restaurant.
Overall, it was a pleasant Valentine’s Day. I bought chocolate covered strawberries for the boys for an after school snack. Neither one of them ate a single bite and Dylan told me the pink sprinkles on his strawberry were “unacceptable,” but I didn’t mind. I appreciated the sophistication of his vocabulary, and the strawberries didn’t go to waste. I ate every delicious bite their dirty, sticky little toddler hands didn’t touch.
This morning, Dylan said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Mommy!” I told him Valentine’s Day was over, that it’s like Christmas and birthdays that come once a year for one day. He said, “No, it is Valentine’s Day.” Who am I to argue with this kid? He might be on to something. I thanked him for wishing me a Happy Valentine’s Day and gave him a kiss.
It’s now Meatless Tuesday and I’m looking forward to eating Quinoa and Fennel salad for lunch. Here’s the recipe:
This recipe began as a “Mediterranean Barley Salad” from Cooking Light magazine. My version is slightly different in that I used quinoa instead of barley (I had quinoa in the pantry) and I added feta cheese (I love feta). I also used a little bit more Dijon mustard in the dressing (one teaspoon instead of a ½) and a few more olives in the salad (I like kalamata olives as much as I like feta), and I didn’t toast the walnuts (I’m lazy). If you want the original recipe, you can do a search at http://www.cookinglight.com. My version is right here:
Dressing:
1-½ teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup uncooked quinoa (cook according to directions on package, should yield about 3 cups of cooked quinoa)
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
10 pitted, chopped kalamata olives
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1. Cook quinoa according to directions on package and let it cool in the refrigerator (unless you prefer a warm salad).
2. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir well with a whisk.
3. Mix all salad ingredients together.
4. Add dressing to salad and toss.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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The Runaway Mama by Jen Gregory 
>Found you thru Lynns' The Actors Diet blog. *I definitely support celebrating Valentine's Day two days in a row!
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