In the Midst of Unspeakable Fruit Carnage, Dinner is Born

When the lights went out on our clean kitchen last night, we had oranges, apples, bananas and a lemon all sharing counter space. Each in their own decorative bowls, they sent out their fruity vibes through the whole house. We had a window cracked and with the curtain pushed aside it was a lovely summer tableau: the sky turning purple, crickets singing as fireflies danced above our pond, and our fruit on the counter, barely lit by the moonlight.

This morning, after an apparent suicide pact, all the fruit was over-ripe and squishy. I can't bring myself to describe what happened to the apples, but suffice it to say they were well on their way to becoming gelatinous goo. The lone lemon was left, inexplicably unfazed by the carnage around it. That lemon had to go.

Note: I don't really think of this as a recipe since I just threw it together. I literally stood in the middle of the kitchen, lemon in hand, thinking, "what am I going to do with this thing?" It was so good, though, and looked so pretty on the plate that I felt it was worth sharing. I absolutely love lemon in anything, and when I made this tonight I used a pretty heavy hand with the zest and juice. Adjust it to your taste. Amounts are approximate but, as written, should serve four people. Get the quinoa started before you prep and cook everything else, since that will take the longest.

Gardein Scallopine with "Butter" on Seared Spinach, Lemony Asparagus with Shallots, and Red Quinoa with Garlic

1 cup red quinoa
2 cups Imagine Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 small shallots, peeled and sliced
1 lemon
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 tablespoons Earth's Balance No-Soy spread, divided
4 generous handfuls of fresh spinach
1 package Gardein Chick'n Scallopine (4 cutlets), thawed
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste



1. Put quinoa, 1 tablespoon of garlic and broth in a pot and bring to boil. When boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cook until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is al dente (about 15 minutes).

2. While quinoa is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When oil is ready, add remaining garlic and the shallots and toss to coat. Sauté until they begin to soften up, about 3 minutes. Zest the lemon over the shallots, then cut lemon open and squeeze in some fresh juice (use your judgement- a little goes a long way).

3. Add in the asparagus, tossing to coat, and heat until asparagus is tender (about 5 minutes for thin spears). Add salt and pepper to taste, then put in a covered bowl to keep warm while you finish the spinach and "chicken."

4. Using the same skillet, melt one tablespoon of the Earth's Balance over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook down, tossing often. Add salt and pepper to taste. You want it to start to dry out a bit and get a few crispy edges. Put cooked spinach in another covered dish to keep warm and prepare the cutlets.

5. Use the same skillet. (I know- it's a hassle. But it's worth it because it develops the flavors in my opinion AND there are fewer dishes in the end!) Heat up the remaining oil over medium heat. Sprinkle the cutlets with the lemon pepper seasoning and cook about 3 minutes per side.

6. By now the quinoa should be done. Plate all your ingredients then quickly melt the remaing Earth's Balance in (surprise!) the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Drizzle the melted spread over the cutlets.