Quinoa Patties

It is Passover.  And while I am not the most kosher keeping person (just how many shrimp recipes do I have on this blog?) I always feel a little bit better when I can stray from my usual glutenous palate and stay wheat free for at least one of these eight days.  I have been meaning to make this particular recipe for a few weeks and when husband left town for a few days, I took advantage of the situation by concentrating on recipes he might be reluctant to try.

I pulled this recipe from a blog called eatingwelllivingthin, which focuses on recipes limiting carbs, calories and fun in general.  While I am never a fan of substituting nonfat anything or fake sugar where the real ingredient will do, this recipe stays true to real food.  I jacked up the spices a bit in the version below, and the salt a lot...but I do love my salt!  So play with it.  I also didn't bother to measure out the two rounded cups..I just mixed everything into however much quinoa comes from one cup uncooked.

The true test was the friend who came by to drop off her daughter so the girls could go to a UCLA softball game.  First she commented on the yummy smell when she walked in, then she split a patty with her daughter and then she gladly took some home for dinner.

Ingredients:



2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)


3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 medium carrot, finely grated 

3 eggs

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 green onions, including white parts

1 /2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Olive oil for frying

To cook quinoa:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

• In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.  Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.

• In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, sugar, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

• (To help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, I cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning.  Makes them easier to flip, too.)  Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.   Makes approx. 10 burgers.

Shrimp with Kale and Shitakes

This wonderful recipe came from Carolyn Cope, author of the Umami Girl blog.  It is very umami, indeed, with the shitakes, soy and shrimp doing their umami-ish thing and the kale going along for a little trendy veggie cred.  And it is so good that husband, when told of this dinner, started squawking (righteous indignation against kale) but promptly quieted down and finished his dinner happily.  

Please splurge on the shitakes and don't settle for criminis or other button mushrooms unless you have no choice...the shitakes really add the meaty quality that makes this dish sing.  If you can't find the lacinato kale, you could try another kind, but it will be more bitter.  And don't use bagged kale...you have to get those stems off. 

Ingredients:

• 
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced 
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bunches Lacinato (black) kale, stemmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and cleaned
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional and I used about 2 Tbsp instead of the full amount)

Directions:

1.  Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a wide frying pan. Add the onion and shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute.

2.  Add the kale by the handful and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and almost tender, about 3 minutes. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan to make room for the shrimp. Then add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally , until not quite opaque, about 3 minutes.

3.  Add the soy sauce, wine, and cream if using, and cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.  

Sweet Breakfast Quinoa

For years and years and years it was cereal as breakfast for me.  When I started hitting the gym in the morning, I finally realized why people drink their breakfast instead of eat it.  So a blueberry banana protein shake became the new morning routine.  But on the weekends, with no gym plan in the works, I wanted something a little different.  Tired of the cereal, loving the eggs (but who can eat them every single weekend,) I saw this recipe, scrounged the cupboard for the ingredients, got busy and fell in love....with my breakfast.

The most important part of this meal is the ricotta...without it, it is just sweet mushpaste.  But the ricotta elevates it to a super happy, this is not your mother's oatmeal kind of place.  And, no, my kids wouldn't touch it.  But now I have an inkling as to why.

Not super low fat (especially if you put in twice as much ricotta...yum,) but high in protein and iron and unlike cereal or even oatmeal for that matter, I stay full until lunchtime (a miracle!)  This recipe is adapted from Jill Donenfeld of Food & Wine.

You can make half a recipe, or you can make it all and store the leftovers to be heated up the next morning (well, don't reheat the ricotta, please.  That would be disgusting.)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
2. 2 cups water
3. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4. 1/4 cup slivered almonds
5. 1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6. 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
7. 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
8. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
9. 1/4 cup fresh ricotta

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan, cover the quinoa with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly fluff the quinoa with a fork and cover it again.
2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the apricots, maple syrup, orange zest and cinnamon and stir well until heated through.
3. Add the quinoa to the skillet and stir gently to incorporate the almonds and apricots. Top each portion of quinoa with a tablespoon of ricotta and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be made through Step 1 and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat as needed or serve cold.

NOTES One Serving 311 cal, 44 gm carb, 11 gm fat, 2 gm sat fat, 10 gm protein, 4 gm fiber.

Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad

This amazing carrot salad is adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's gorgeous cookbook, Plenty, not to be confused with Diana Henry's same titled and equally awesome tome.  No, it isn't particularly kid friendly, but I promise that if you bring it out when friends are over, maybe with a simple lemon roast chicken (or, hell, for that matter, a chicken from Costco), you will receive rave reviews and a couple of requests for the recipe....(yup, happened to me the other night!)

The hard part is the preserved lemons.  You can't just buy them at the market, not even at Whole Foods.  (UPDATE:  I was just at WF:  you CAN buy them....Meyer lemon variety..but I would still make them...it will be cheaper for sure.)  You have to make them (click on the link below in the ingredients section.)  But it really isn't difficult.  And you will have loads of leftovers sitting in your fridge forever.  And you can spend your days trolling the internet for other recipes to use them up. All you need is a glass jar (mason jar works fine), organic lemons (available at Ralphs), kosher salt and olive oil.  And 5 full days in advance to wait for them to do their magic once you have assembled them. 

Spicy Moroccan carrot salad

Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time

Servings: 4

2 pounds carrots

1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra to finish (I used less than a quarter of cup, myself)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 serrano chile, finely chopped (and seeded, if you want less heat, but I went whole hog)

1 green onion, finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon

Salt

2 1/2 cups cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, plus extra to garnish (about 2 bunches)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, chilled (honestly, totally forgot this step...still amazing.)

1. Peel the carrots and cut them, depending on their size, into cylinders or semicircles one-half-inch thick; all the pieces should end up roughly the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until tender but still crunchy, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to dry out.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion over medium heat until soft and slightly brown, about 12 minutes. Add the cooked carrots to the onion, followed by the sugar, garlic, chile, onion, cloves, ground ginger, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, vinegar and preserved lemon.

3. Remove from the heat. Season liberally with salt, stir well and leave to cool.

4. Before serving, stir in the cilantro, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve

in individual bowls with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of oil and a garnish of the extra cilantro.

Each serving: 317 calories; 5 grams protein; 29 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 5 mg cholesterol; 14 grams sugar; 193 mg sodium.

Salmon, Mango and Wild Rice Salad with Ginger and Chile

Are you sick of salmon recipes yet?  I know I go a bit heavy on the salmon stuff but it is just the most ubiquitous fish around and it is so good for you and it sears up so nicely that it is my go to fish these days.  So for those of you tired of the salmon dishes, don't fret, because this salad works nicely with any cooked protein: tofu, chicken, steak...whatever you feel like.  But it is especially good with a seared on the pan salmon filet.

This recipe is adapted from Diana Henry's book, Plenty.  It is a favorite book for sure...with lots of different regional influences and gorgeous pictures to look at and drool on.

Ingredients:

Salad

1/3 c wild rice
1 c brown rice (yes, you can get both the wild and brown rice on your next Trader Joes run.)
3 c chicken stock, veg stock or water
8 oz green beans (I used haricot verts), cut in half
2 small mangoes, peeled and cut up (yes, this is the WORST part of the recipe.)
14 oz cooked salmon, broken into chunks (heat up canola or peanut oil in a pan, salt and pepper your salmon, throw it in and cook until it gets a nice crust on the bottom, flip it to get another nice crust and you are done!)
1/2 c pistachios, shelled
cilantro leaves (I left these out because they weren't at TJs on the day I got all the ingredients)
squeeze of lemon juice (critical...brings it all together...don't skip this step.)

Dressing

1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 fresh red chiles, seeded and chopped
3 tsp peanut oil
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Put the rices into a saucepan with the stock or water and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to low, cooking for 30 minutes.

2.  Cook the beans in boiling salted water for a couple of minutes, then drain and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and keep the pretty green color.

3.  Put all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk OR in a small tupperware/jar and shake (my preferred method.)  Stir into bowl with rice and green beans.  Be judicious...you probably won't need all that dressing.  Add the rest of the ingredients, squeeze lemon juice on top and add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Revel in your delicious, healthy and beautiful meal.  Brag about your meal sanctimoniously with all who will listen.  And then eat lots and lots of cookies for dessert.

Farro with Broccoli and Shitakes

Easy, delicious and adapted from a very aptly named blog:Umami Girl.  Husband Jeff (he of the chicken parmesan and all things red checker table clothey persuasion) was not at all enthused when told that this was going to be dinner the other night.  So he only took a small amount and was ready to ditch it for the leftover thai noodles in the fridge.  But lo and behold.  He took seconds.  And THAT is how a dish makes it to this blog.  Please make it and if you feel the need to protien-ify it up with seared tofu or leftover animal parts, go for it! 

Farro with Broccoli and Shiitakes

-serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side dish-

Ingredients

1 cup whole farro
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
15 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets (reserve the stems for another use)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place the farro in a medium pot with cold water to cover by an inch. Soak for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drain the soaking water and add fresh water to cover the farro by two inches. Add the salt. Bring the farro to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook for about 25 minutes, until the farro is tender but still chewy. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and the mushrooms have reduced substantially in volume, about 7 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to prevent the onion and garlic from browning. Add the broccoli florets, soy sauce and water to the pan. Cover and simmer until the broccoli is quite tender, 3-5 minutes more. (Cook the broccoli only as much as you like it cooked. I prefer this dish with a bit of crunch.) Remove the lid and cook one minute more to reduce any remaining liquid to just a few tablespoons.

3. Off the heat, add the drained farro and the parmesan cheese to the pan. Stir well and season to taste with pepper. Serve warm.

Leek Soup with Dill Oil

This recipe comes from a wonderful blog called 101cookbooks.com which is written by Heidi Swanson, author of one of my fave cookbooks called SuperNatural Everyday...pretty healthy food with a gourmet sensibility.  This soup is fast, easy, delicious and at least one of my kids professed that it was good.  And those of you who know my kids know that they are of the "Kraft Mac n' Cheese" school, not of the "I will taste the beautiful vegetables on my plate and expand my universe" school.  So that is high praise, indeed.

Looking at this recipe, I thought the hardest part would be cleaning and slicing the leeks.  That is, until I just happened to find frozen cut up leeks at Trader Joes...Hallelujah!  That chore gone, the rest is simple.  I used two russet potatoes and peeled them, but feel free to use other potatoes and don't bother to peel them.  I also left off the cheese, just because I didn't have it and it still tasted great.  I am sure that if you add the cheese, you will swoon just that much more.  

1 small bunch of fresh dill ~ .5 oz 

9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3.5 pounds leeks

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

fine grain sea salt

2 large, thin-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced

3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

6.5+ cups good-tasting vegetable broth, preferably hot

toasted almond slices, for topping

grated gruyere cheese, for topping

Use a hand blender or food processor to puree the dill and olive oil into a creamy green emulsion. Set aside.

Cut the dark, tough green leaves from the leeks, trim off the roots, and wash/rinse well. You can slice the leeks lengthwise to get in between the layers, or make a few rough chops and give them a quick soak, or whatever method you prefer. Use a food processor to chop the leeks in two batches. You can also chop them by hand, but I was in a pinch for time here, and the processor made quick work of this step.

In a large soup pot, heat the butter and 5 tablespoons of the dill oil over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and is bubbling, stir in the leeks and a couple big pinches of salt. Stir well, then cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks soften up and collapse, 6 - 8 minutes. Now, stir in the potatoes and garlic and cook, uncovered, stirring regularly, for another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are very, very soft. If the leeks at the bottom of the pot are getting too much color, dial back the heat a bit more and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan when you're stirring. At this point you can mash everything with a potato masher or large fork. If you prefer a smoother soup, use a hand blender, but this soup is great a little on the chunky side. Stir in the hot broth, adjusting the amount based on whether you like a thick or thin soup. Bring back to a simmer, serve topped with almonds, grated cheese, and a generous drizzle of the remaining dill oil.

Makes a big pot - enough for 8 -10 servings.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 25 min