Lunch with Oh Joy! and a Pip Studio Giveaway

One of my favorite columns on Oh Joy! is Lunch Lady where different artists share their lunch fares. So fun. So when Joy asked me if I would be interested in sharing one of my typical lunch meals, I jumped on the idea.

And here it is, one of my usual suspects. Mushroom and walnut quinoa with eggs and watercress. Creamy, crunchy and peppery.

One of the questions she posed was “dessert with lunch?” and my answer, “always a little something”. In this case a quick pear, cranberry and hazelnut crumble. Why not.

When I make crumble topping, I always make a large batch so I can freeze some and that way I can have crumble whenever I want to. just toss some fruit together with a bit of sugar, spices, cornstarch and topped with the frozen crumble. Super easy. You can read the post here.

On another note, I wanted to tell you a little bit about Pip Studio. First I have to disclose that I have not been paid to write about them or have this giveaway.

Pip Studio is the work of Dutch artist Anke van der Endt, who happens to be one of my best friends’ sister in law. I was introduced to the line a couple of years ago and I loved the feminine and flirty touch. Her line is now sold in major shops like Liberty and many high end boutiques and specialty shops.

They were kind enough to send me an enormous package of tableware a couple of months ago and because it is the holiday season and because I love it, I thought I’d share some pieces with you dear readers. So what do you say? All you have to do is leave a comment between now and Monday December 13 at 5pm EST to enter this giveaway.

Thank you Joy and thank you Anke!

Mushroom, Walnut Quinoa with Fried Egg and Watercress Salad

2 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms (shiitake, oyster and baby bella)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs mascarpone
1 Tbs walnuts, chopped
1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbs chives, chopped
Eggs, to fry
Watercress to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic and mushrooms on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add the quinoa and stir for about a minute. Add the chicken stock and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the mascarpone, walnuts, parsley and chives. Adjust seasoning.

Gently cook the eggs in a little bit of olive oil and serve on top of the quinoa. Dress the watercress with olive oil and place on top of the egg.