I actually got this recipe from the Whole Foods website. We had lunch one day at Whole Foods, and I found so much inspiration in their various "salad" bar offerings. I couldn't find any of the recipes on their website of things I had tried, but I did find this recipe. It is now my favorite way to eat quinoa. I have recently started to look into the actual nutrients behind all of this healthy food I've been preparing. I know it's good for me, but I don't really know why. Apparently, quinoa is a complete protein. For vegetarians, this is like a miracle food. (Also, it doesn't look like it, but it's actually pronounced KEEN-wa. I know, I know. It sounds silly.)
Anyway, if that's off-putting, then just take away from this that these little cakes are super tasty! They're also very easy, and can be easily modified with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Here's the ingredients from the original recipe. Note - I have never followed this recipe exactly.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2/3 cup grated carrot
2/3 cup grated yellow squash, seeds removed
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Zest of 1 large lemon
4 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
First things first, you have to rinse the quinoa well. I actually had to buy a mesh sieve specifically for this purpose, as my colander has holes that are too big. This is a necessary step, and if you skip it, the quinoa is very bitter. It might even be bad for you, I don't know. After the quinoa is rinsed, add it to the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until all of the water is absorbed. So easy! The quinoa will be light and fluffy. You will need to spread it out on a plate or cookie sheet to let it cool a bit. I know you're not supposed to do this, but I usually put it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it off quickly. There will be an egg added to the mixture, and you don't want the quinoa to be so hot that it cooks the egg.
The various vegetables are the part that you can play with. I have always used a full package of frozen spinach (seriously, frozen spinach is the best. It is so easy, very cheap, and there's a lot of spinach packed in those little boxes). I've never tried it with the squash, but I bet that would be really good. And I've tried it both with and without carrot. I like the addition of it, even though I don't like carrot really. It adds a bit of sweetness, and it's a good way to trick myself into eating what I normally find a vile and invasive vegetable. I've also never actually measured the vegetables, and I don't think it's really necessary. You might end up with more or less cakes at the end depending on how many vegetables you use, but the ratios are very forgiving.
I do not think the red onion or the garlic are optional. And you really need the lemon zest.
The next step is to just mix together all of the ingredients. The flour, baking powder and egg help the mixture stay together. The dill is tasty, but other spices could be tried also.
I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to portion out the cakes onto a well-greased baking sheet. This is important so they don't stick to the sheet, and then burn. There's no other oil in the recipe, so they will not come out super greasy. The 1/3 cup measurement is a good size, and it helps to keep all of the cakes a uniform size. They're baked at 400 degrees, so any difference in size really affects how they cook. After the cakes are portioned out, use a glass to squish the cakes down. They should end up being 3-4 inches in diameter, and not too thick. I think the recipe makes about 11 cakes if you use the same measurement that I did.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning them over once half-way through. They should be crispy and cohesive. I like them plain, but serving them with some yogurt mixed with some lemon juice is also very tasty. And a good way to use the lemon that you zested earlier!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Super Tasty Artichoke Heart Sandwich
It's been about 4 years since I've had my favorite sandwich. It was from a cafe in Milwaukee called Comet, where my best friend and I would spend hours and hours doing absolutely nothing. This sandwich, a cranberry-orange juice, and her company were all I needed to make a perfect afternoon.
I've wanted to re-create the sandwich for a long time, but until today I had never tried. It's not that it seemed complicated; I was just worried that it wouldn't be perfect.
But it was! I think the only difference was that I used wheat hoagies instead of white. It was *amazing*.
Please use this as a springboard for other tasty sandwiches. I would have played with the ingredients some, but this was time for replication, not experimentation.
Super Tasty Artichoke Heart Sandwich
hoagie-style bun
1/2 can of artichoke hearts (the cafe served them whole, but I quartered them for easier eating)
mayonnaise
oregano
2 slices provolone cheese
slightly grilled red onion slivers
romaine lettuce (I couldn't remember if the cafe used romaine or spinach - as soon as I tasted it I knew I had chosen correctly)
Toast the bread, add all the ingredients, and toast some more until the cheese is melty. Then stuff it in your face! I didn't remember the cranberry-orange juice accompaniment until just now, and I wish I gotten the stuff to make that also. I felt like I was back in high school in the best way possible.
I've wanted to re-create the sandwich for a long time, but until today I had never tried. It's not that it seemed complicated; I was just worried that it wouldn't be perfect.
But it was! I think the only difference was that I used wheat hoagies instead of white. It was *amazing*.
Please use this as a springboard for other tasty sandwiches. I would have played with the ingredients some, but this was time for replication, not experimentation.
Super Tasty Artichoke Heart Sandwich
hoagie-style bun
1/2 can of artichoke hearts (the cafe served them whole, but I quartered them for easier eating)
mayonnaise
oregano
2 slices provolone cheese
slightly grilled red onion slivers
romaine lettuce (I couldn't remember if the cafe used romaine or spinach - as soon as I tasted it I knew I had chosen correctly)
Toast the bread, add all the ingredients, and toast some more until the cheese is melty. Then stuff it in your face! I didn't remember the cranberry-orange juice accompaniment until just now, and I wish I gotten the stuff to make that also. I felt like I was back in high school in the best way possible.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tastiest Seitan Ever
I've tried a couple of seitan recipes, and was sort of unhappy with the amount of work that was required, and how inconsistent the end products were. I found this recipe here, on the Post Punk Kitchen forums. What first attracted me to this recipe was the fact that it doesn't need to be steamed; simple baking is all that's required. After I made it for the first time, I decided I would never again make seitan any other way. Not only is this recipe very easy, the flavor of the seitan is amazing.
I made a few changes to the recipe; it calls for some sweet spices in additional to the savory ones. I cut out the cinnamon and the all-spice. I've played with the spices a few times, and all attempts have been tasty.
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari or other soy sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
*If you have some liquid smoke, substitute some of that for some of the soy sauce. Yum!
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until well-combined. It's actually easier to use your hands, as it can be hard to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead the resulting dough for a few minutes, to make sure everything is combined.
Roll it into a ~10 inch log and wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends. The original recipe said to bake the log for 90 minutes, but I found that to be way too long. Mine cooked for about an hour, and I turned it over in the oven every 20 minutes. If you pull it out too soon, just wrap it back up and put it back in the oven. The end product should be pretty dense.
After removing from the oven, unwrap and let cool. Then you can cut it up any way you want! Slice thin for a tasty lunch meat substitute or cube it and throw it in a sauce or soup. If you were going to cook it for awhile in a sauce or a soup, I would recommend cooking it a little longer the first time, as it tends to get a bit squishy as it cooks in a sauce.
I made a few changes to the recipe; it calls for some sweet spices in additional to the savory ones. I cut out the cinnamon and the all-spice. I've played with the spices a few times, and all attempts have been tasty.
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari or other soy sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
*If you have some liquid smoke, substitute some of that for some of the soy sauce. Yum!
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until well-combined. It's actually easier to use your hands, as it can be hard to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead the resulting dough for a few minutes, to make sure everything is combined.
Roll it into a ~10 inch log and wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends. The original recipe said to bake the log for 90 minutes, but I found that to be way too long. Mine cooked for about an hour, and I turned it over in the oven every 20 minutes. If you pull it out too soon, just wrap it back up and put it back in the oven. The end product should be pretty dense.
After removing from the oven, unwrap and let cool. Then you can cut it up any way you want! Slice thin for a tasty lunch meat substitute or cube it and throw it in a sauce or soup. If you were going to cook it for awhile in a sauce or a soup, I would recommend cooking it a little longer the first time, as it tends to get a bit squishy as it cooks in a sauce.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Barley Butternut Risotto
I've had a bunch of barley sitting on my shelf for over a month now, and I had no idea what to do with it. I found this recipe online, and bought a huge butternut squash specifically for it. I made a few changes from the recipe, and it turned out really great.
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup barley
a few sprigs of fresh thyme - you could use dried
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley - or 1 tbsp dried
First preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length-wise and deseed. Spray the cut sides with olive oil spray, and place cut-side down on a pan. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven, and peel and cube when cool.
Saute the onions in a soup pot with some salt until they're tender. Add garlic, barley, 2 cups of stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to slow boil and then simmer until most of the stock is absorbed. Add stock a little at a time until the barley is tender. It should not get mushy. The barley is done when it's tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. My partner called it bouncy in his mouth, and I think that's the perfect description.
When the barley is tender, add cubed squash and parsley and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
I think I over-roasted the squash, because it pretty much fell apart in the pot with the barley. The picture with the original recipe showed more distinct chunks. I liked the texture of mine; it seemed more like a stew.
Original recipe on Cupcake Punk: Barley Butternut Risotto
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup barley
a few sprigs of fresh thyme - you could use dried
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley - or 1 tbsp dried
First preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length-wise and deseed. Spray the cut sides with olive oil spray, and place cut-side down on a pan. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven, and peel and cube when cool.
Saute the onions in a soup pot with some salt until they're tender. Add garlic, barley, 2 cups of stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to slow boil and then simmer until most of the stock is absorbed. Add stock a little at a time until the barley is tender. It should not get mushy. The barley is done when it's tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. My partner called it bouncy in his mouth, and I think that's the perfect description.
When the barley is tender, add cubed squash and parsley and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
I think I over-roasted the squash, because it pretty much fell apart in the pot with the barley. The picture with the original recipe showed more distinct chunks. I liked the texture of mine; it seemed more like a stew.
Original recipe on Cupcake Punk: Barley Butternut Risotto
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it was pretty simple. I've always been nervous about messing with baking recipes, but I changed this recipe a little bit, and the muffins came out great! It's a good recipe to play around with, and add whatever extras you may want, like fruit or nuts.
I had never used wheat germ before, and the original recipe didn't call for it. But the bag said that you could substitute up to half of the flour in a recipe for wheat germ, and I really like the results. The muffins have a great texture, and wheat germ is far more healthful than all-purpose flour.
1 c oatmeal
1 c yogurt
1 egg
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 banana
1 small container of blueberries
1 t vanilla
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 to 1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
Add egg, sugar, butter, banana, and vanilla to oatmeal mixture and mix well.
Stir in remaining ingredients until just combined.
Stir in fruit or other mix-ins.
Divide batter into muffin cups. I didn't see the need to grease the cups because there was so much butter, and the banana that I added made the muffins more moist.
Bake until golden and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. The muffins will seem undercooked, but they firm up a little once they've cooled. I substituted a half a banana for one of the eggs in the recipe, and that does make for a more moist texture.
I had never used wheat germ before, and the original recipe didn't call for it. But the bag said that you could substitute up to half of the flour in a recipe for wheat germ, and I really like the results. The muffins have a great texture, and wheat germ is far more healthful than all-purpose flour.
1 c oatmeal
1 c yogurt
1 egg
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 banana
1 small container of blueberries
1 t vanilla
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 to 1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
Mix oatmeal with yogurt and let sit for one hour.
Add egg, sugar, butter, banana, and vanilla to oatmeal mixture and mix well.
Stir in remaining ingredients until just combined.
Stir in fruit or other mix-ins.
Divide batter into muffin cups. I didn't see the need to grease the cups because there was so much butter, and the banana that I added made the muffins more moist.
Bake until golden and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. The muffins will seem undercooked, but they firm up a little once they've cooled. I substituted a half a banana for one of the eggs in the recipe, and that does make for a more moist texture.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich
I found this recipe at Smitten Kitchen. I've been loving chickpeas lately, and in addition to those it also has some of my very favorite things. It's super easy to make, fairly filling, and pretty cheap too!
The original recipe had actual measurements, but I think this is something that is better when you make with the ratios that you like best!
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
several black olives, roughly chopped
chopped red onion
chopped parsley - I used Italian flat-leaf
zest and juice of half a lemon
crushed red pepper (the original recipe didn't have this, but I put it in almost everything)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Mix everything together, smash the chickpea mixture until it's the consistency you want. Smitten Kitchen described it as a "deconstructed hummus."
Spread on toasted bread.
Makes 3-4 sandwiches.
The original recipe had actual measurements, but I think this is something that is better when you make with the ratios that you like best!
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
several black olives, roughly chopped
chopped red onion
chopped parsley - I used Italian flat-leaf
zest and juice of half a lemon
crushed red pepper (the original recipe didn't have this, but I put it in almost everything)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Mix everything together, smash the chickpea mixture until it's the consistency you want. Smitten Kitchen described it as a "deconstructed hummus."
Spread on toasted bread.
Makes 3-4 sandwiches.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Eggplant Butternut Squash Yellow Curry
This is the first actual recipe that I've come up with entirely on my own. I've found recipes I liked and made small changes, and I've looked at what I have in the fridge and thrown ingredients together, but I've never sat down and written out a game plan before I started cooking. I read a bunch of Indian recipes for inspiration, then figured out exactly what I wanted to do. It turned out even better than I expected!
2 medium or 1 large eggplant, cubed
2 small or 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
4 cloves garlic, whole
2 red chilies, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 can (more or less) coconut milk
cilantro for garnish
olive oil
salt
fenugreek seeds
coriander
cumin
turmeric
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash eggplant and cut slit in sides. Put 2 whole garlic cloves in each. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes or longer until eggplant is very soft to the touch. Let it cool and then peel and cube it.
Peel and cube the squash. Put the cubes in a baking pan, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 10-15 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mince the chilies, removing the seeds if desired to control spiciness. Sauté with a couple of pinches of fenugreek seeds to release their flavor, about 3-4 minutes. Add chopped onion and sauté about 5 minutes. Add pinches of coriander, cumin, and turmeric and stir for a few seconds.
Add chopped eggplant and squash. Stirring constantly, cook for about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, stir and cover. Cook for about 10 more minutes
Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.
2 medium or 1 large eggplant, cubed
2 small or 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
4 cloves garlic, whole
2 red chilies, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 can (more or less) coconut milk
cilantro for garnish
olive oil
salt
fenugreek seeds
coriander
cumin
turmeric
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash eggplant and cut slit in sides. Put 2 whole garlic cloves in each. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes or longer until eggplant is very soft to the touch. Let it cool and then peel and cube it.
Peel and cube the squash. Put the cubes in a baking pan, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 10-15 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mince the chilies, removing the seeds if desired to control spiciness. Sauté with a couple of pinches of fenugreek seeds to release their flavor, about 3-4 minutes. Add chopped onion and sauté about 5 minutes. Add pinches of coriander, cumin, and turmeric and stir for a few seconds.
Add chopped eggplant and squash. Stirring constantly, cook for about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, stir and cover. Cook for about 10 more minutes
Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.
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