Beet and Goat Cheese Quinoa Patties

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons Oil

1 cup Quinoa- cooked 

1 Potato peeled and boiled ( I used a Korean sweet potato)

1 Beetroot large, peeled and grated

¾ cup Spinach chopped ( used fresh spinach)

½ cup Oats powdered ( pulse oatmeal in food processor a few minutes)

1 teaspoon Ginger Paste

½ teaspoon Garlic Paste

¼ cup Goat's Cheese 

Salt to taste

Directions:

Smash the potatoes in a bowl and add all the ingredients except Oil. Mix well till combined.

Take ¼ cup of the mixture and form into a round ball. Lightly flatten it to make a patty. Do the same with the rest of the mixture, and line them on a baking sheet or plate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a frying pan, and slide in the patties one by one, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes, and then flip to cook the other side for the same amount of time. Towards the end, increase the flame and crisp them up on both sides.

Serve warm

Buffalo Chickpea Quinoa Burgers

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 (15.5 ounces) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup minced shallot

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup buffalo sauce (your favorite brand)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:

Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil.  Add quinoa, cover, reduce heat and let simmer 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, add chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor or mini chopper and pulse until they are broken down into crumb-sized pieces.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add oats to same food processor and pulse a few times to break them down into fine crumbs (but not a powder).  Add to chickpeas in large bowl.  Add to the bowl the shallots, garlic, buffalo sauce, egg, salt, and pepper.  Add the cooked quinoa.  Mix everything together with a large fork until well combined.  If mixture is still too wet to form patties, add the 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs (or enough to hold the mixture together).  Divide and shape into 5 patties.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook patties for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Assemble burgers by placing patty on bun, topping with additional buffalo sauce, lettuce, and avocado or tomato if desired.

This is a very good healthy inexpensive meal.

A Hermit's Soup

 

Ingredients:

1 small sweet potato

1 medium size turnip

1/2 of a small cabbage

2 carrots

1 onion

3 tablespoons of oil of choice

1/3 cup rice- ( I used quinoa)

2 quarts water

salt and pinch of thyme to taste

Directions: 

Wash and trim the vegetables. Cut and slice them into tiny pieces.

Pour oil into a soup pot, add the vegetables - saute veggies for a few minutes. Add quinoa ( or rice) and water. Stir well. Keep the pot covered , cook over low heat for an hour. Add salt and thyme just before serving. 

Serve hot.

Another recipe from Twelve months of Monastery Soups. This  one is in the December section.

On the bottom of the recipe -The very nature of this soup is one of great simplicity and frugality, expressing the life of a hermit. This life is one that, in word of Saint Paul is " hidden with Christ in God."The hermit monk makes use of basic root vegetables for this soup, such as turnip, carrots and onions. Added to these are the inexpensive ingredients of cabbage and rice. This soup can be made in sufficient quantities to last a few days.

Mango & Overnight Quinoa Flakes Parfait ( Plus Bonus Recipes)

 I will miss the extra storage space in our NY home. My pantry is huge. I would find something on sale and stock up.The pantry also stored all types of baking pans and anything I thought I needed to cook and bake. 

Time has come to clean it out and I found a box of quinoa flakes. Needed to look into my saved recipes for something to make.

Didn't take me long to find this one on Simply Quinoa . 


This has become my easy favorite breakfast ( when Gabe doesn't bring home a bagel). It's simple to make and you can add so many wonderful things!

I mentioned the pantry because I also had jams and jelly to use. Loved the mango and used my last one so decided to experiment layering different jams and apple butter between the quinoa flake mixture. 

Blueberry jam was the first to go in the parfait- I didn't add much so it wasn't overly sweet. The next flavor waiting to jump into the parfait was apple pie butter. What a delicious way to start the day. 

I loved my ANTI-INFLAMMATORY TROPICAL TURMERIC SMOOTHIE. Turmeric is so healthy I'm trying to add more to my diet.  I didn't add the aloe vera juice when I made this to add to the parfait. Added the pineapple, banana, about a tablespoon of lime juice and turmeric which I added to a food processor.

Puree until smooth and then layered it into the mason jar with the Quinoa Flake mixture.

Healthy and delicious.

Mango & Overnight Quinoa Flakes


Ingredients:

1/4 cup quinoa flakes

1/4  instant oatmeal 

2- 3 tablespoons chia seeds

1 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoon honey

3/4 cup almond mild

1 ripe mango- peeled and cut into small chunks

Directions:

Set aside a  16 ounce mason jar . You could use any type of glass or plastic container  but I would cover  with plastic wrap when it sits overnight. 

Combine the quinoa flakes, oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, honey and milk in a small bowl. Stir until everything is combined. Let  sit while you prepare the mango.

Add the mango to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If you want added sweetness you can add extra honey to the mango mixture.

Next come the layering which as you can see it's a work in progress.

Add the quinoa flake mixture to the mason jar. Place the 

mango puree next, quinoa flake mixture, mango puree to top it off.

Cover the jar and place in fridge overnight.

A delicious breakfast awaits for you behind that closed door!

Note: I have another yummy addition which I will add to the blog tomorrow.

Featured 7/29/2016 on The Pinterest Game 54A- Musings by Candace




















                                               

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Live Oak ,Florida started a recipe exchange last month. Crockpot recipes were featured in February, this month was casseroles.

I wanted to make something different plus quinoa is a favorite of mine.

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole was a very popular post recently and I thought I would try QUINOA ENCHILADA CASSEROLE.


Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth or water
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (4.5-ounce) can green chiles, drained
1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned - drained
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese- divided


Directions:
  In large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa according to 
package instructions; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8x8 or 2 quart baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin and chili powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

Spread quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and cheeses have melted, about 15 minutes.

Serve immediately

I wasn't sure how others felt about spicy food so I cut the heat way down. I eliminated the cumin and chili

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

I made this when we were in NY. Gabe was going out with his friend Andy for dinner and I knew this would be the perfect meal for me. Max didn't care for the tiny bit I gave him but he did love the cheese!

Love the red quinoa so I used that and in place of the shape cheddar I used a Mexican blend.

Recipe adapted from The Novice Chef

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on your heat tolerance)
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup fat free half & half
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
2 heaping cups steamed broccoli (can also boil & drain broccoli)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. I heated my oven to 375 degrees

 Grease a 9x9 baking dish and set aside or as you can see I used my oval dish.

Bring water or broth to a boil in a small saucepan and add the  quinoa and salt if using the salt. Lower the  heat to medium-low and continue to cook with the  cover on the saucepan. Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Fluff it up with  a fork and it set aside.


When the  quinoa is cooking, melt the butter. Whisk in cornstarch, cook for 30 seconds. Add the onion and garlic and  sauté for 5 minutes . Stir in the mustard and cayenne pepper and cook for 30 seconds more.

Slowly whisk in the  cold milk and half & half. Simmer for 7-9 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese, stirring until completely melted. Toss the cooked quinoa/broccoli and make sure the combination is covered with the sauce. Add to the prepared baking dish and top with parmesan cheese.



Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

The orginal recipe from Imperial Sugar used strawberries. I bought a few pints of blueberries and I subbed them for the strawberries. Boston Lettuce was subbed for the spinach. I didn't add the avocado or the pecans but added some grape tomatoes and jalapeno goat cheese.



I always buy red quinoa. Trader Joe carries it and I bring a few bags back to NY since we don't have a local Trader Joe's. 

Ingredients:

6 cups baby spinach ( used Boston Lettuce)
2 cup strawberries, halved ( used Blueberries)
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced ( didn't have)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa ( cooked in chicken broth)
1/4 cup pecan halves ( used almonds)
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese ( used Jalapeno Goat cheese)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons or more, to taste Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar

Directions:

Assemble salad

Place washed lettuce or spinach in a large bowl and  top with the berry of your choice, avocado, quinoa, pecans and goat cheese.

Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and sugar in a small bowl.

Pour dressing on top of salad and gently toss to combine.

Southwest Quinoa

Gabe was on the boat and I wasn't sure what time he would be home. I planned to give him whatever was left in the fridge which wasn't enough for both of us.

Wanted to make something different and a texture that was soft since I'm having dental work done.

No source for this recipe since I just put it together.

ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can Rotel, do not drain
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup carrots-chopped and semi-cooked
2 cups chicken broth 
1 cup quinoa
1/4 teaspoon salt


directions:

Sauté  onions and garlic in olive oil in a sauté pan until the onions are translucent. When done set aside.

Rinse quinoa, if you are unsure on how to cook quinoa please check out this Link.

Cook 1 cup rinsed quinoa, 1/4 teaspoon salt in 2 cups chicken broth in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil. Lower heat and cook covered for 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered.

 Add the fluffed quinoa, Rotel, red kidney beans, carrots and the onion and garlic to a large saucepan and simmer until most of the liquid from the Rotel is absorbed.

Carrots should be soft but not falling apart.

I served it warm but you can cool it and serve as a salad

Next time I'll add some Slap Ya Mama for additional spice.

Broccoli Plus Patties

One stalk of broccoli left in the fridge.What could I make with it? I wasn't in the mood for just broccoli, I wanted something filling that I could have for lunch or dinner.

To those wonderful people who visit my blog, you know how much I love "little cakes". They are so easy to make and they fry up in minutes.

Checked the cabinet and refrigerator and came up with a few things I knew would work to make my broccoli plus fritter. 

No link for this one. I used what I had available.

1 broccoli stalk- used head (chopped into florets and also parts of the stem)
1 can chickpeas ( drained)
1/2 cup panko (4 Seasons Spicy Hot Chipotle)
1 small onion-chopped
3 tbl. olive oil
1/3 cup quinoa
1-2 Tablespoons Newman's Own Con Queso Salsa

 Steam broccoli  to the desired tenderness ( depend on how much "crunch" you like)

Add broccoli to food processor  and pulse a few times. Remove from food processor and place the broccoli into a large bowl.

Drain the chickpeas and rinse. Dry chickpeas with a paper towel and add to food processor and pulse. DO NOT OVER PULSE, otherwise you will have mush. I pulsed until the peas looked chunky.

 Place chickpeas into the  bowl with the broccoli.

In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and add onion. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the onion is soft.

Rinse ( use a fine mesh strainer) the quinoa and cook in 1 cup water. (I usually cook quinoa in chicken broth but didn't have any in the house). Boil the water then add the quinoa and reduced the heat to med-low. The quinoa was done in about 15-20 minutes. Once cooked let it rest for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes fluff the quinoa.

Add the onion, quinoa, panko,Newman's Queso Salsa to the bowl containing the broccoli and chickpeas. Mix well.

Form into patties.

Place in a skillet which has 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat the oil and then place the broccoli patties and fry each side until they are golden brown.


This turned out to be a really good recipe. The quinoa was the perfect addition and a bonus protein along with the chickpeas. The Newman's Queso was the extra touch of "heat" that I love.

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

A visit to Best Yet in Riverhead is always productive. Not only do they have the best selection of produce the prices are affordable. 

The spaghetti squash was fairly large. I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds. Places the squash in the microwave and  cooked until done. Time to cook depends on the size of your squash.

Adapted the Recipe . I didn't have chicken but I have a few bags of quinoa that I picked up at Traders Joe's in Gainesville. 

1 large spaghetti squash
1/4 C butter ( didn't use)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno, minced ( used 1 1/2 habanero  minced)
1 red pepper, chopped ( didn't use)
1 teaspoon. cumin
1 teaspoon oregano ( didn't use)
1 teaspoon chili powder ( used Slap Ya Mama to taste)
1-2 cups shredded chicken ( used 1 cup quinoa)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn ( didn't use)
1 small can mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste ( Slap Ya Mama has plenty of sodium and no need to add more, my preference)
1/2 cup Cilantro ( growing nicely in a pot on my deck)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese ( used Mexican blend)

As stated above I cooked the squash in the microwave.  It was pretty big so it took about 20 mins for each half.

While the squash was in the microwave I cooked the quinoa in 2 cups of chicken broth. I boiled the chicken broth in a small pot and added quinoa and turned down the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes and can tell when it's done when it pops. Fluffed it up and was ready to use.

Added the chopped onion, habanero, garlic to a pan and saute in olive oil.

 I scooped out the cooked squash, left a tiny bit in the shell. 

Added the squash to a large bowl and added the cooked onion,habanero and garlic. Fluffed the quinoa and added to the mixture.

Rinsed and drained the black beans and mushroom. Add to the bowl with the squash mixture.

Seasoned mixture with the cumin and Slap Ya Mama to taste.
Added the cilantro and the Mexican Cheese.

Once combined added to the squash shell and bake for 20-30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Extremely filling! I was the only one eating this. Gabe would never touch quinoa.  

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Quinoa Cakes

I made a huge pot of red beans and rice for Gabe and had a bowl the first night but then Gabe had his red beans to himself.

While he was on the boat I made THESE. Adapted the recipe and loved them! Didn't need a topping, they were so good on their own.

2 large sweet potatoes

6 oz. canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup rinsed quinoa- I used red quinoa from Traders Joe's

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs - used 4C spicy hot chipotle panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese - used Kraft parmesan

2 cloves diced garlic

1/4 cup diced walnuts- didn't add

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary-didn't add

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt- didn't add

2 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup milk

Topping-

1/3 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes. Dry and prick the skin with a fork or knife to make little holes to help release pressure so when you cook them in the microwave they don't explode and you have a huge mess to clean up. You could cook the sweet potatoes in the oven but the microwave was 5 mins for each one.

When both potatoes are cooked, scoop out and add to a deep bowl.

Add the butter and milk, cumin, pepper to the hot sweet potatoes that are in the bowl. I used an old fashion potato masher to mix it up.

I added the quinoa which was cooked in 1 cup of water. I boiled the water added the quinoa cooked it on a low simmer for about 15-20 minutes and stir. You know it is done when it  has "popped". I fluffed it and let it cool before I added to the sweet potato mixture.

Added the drained black beans to the sweet potato mixture and the cooled quinoa. Then added the parm, garlic and breadcrumbs. You might want to add more breadcrumbs to thicken it.

Make your little cakes and place them on the cookie sheet lined with parchment. I sprayed the parchment with pam. Used about a tablespoon of the sweet potato mixture to make a cake.

Cook 15 minutes on one side them flip and another 15 for the other side for an even tan.

I didn't make the topping. Didn't have sour cream and knew I could use my Greek yogurt but want it for breakfast the next day. No topping but these are so good they didn't need it.

Gluten-Free Quinoa Pizza Bites

I worked in a library for a few years and food programs were always on the schedule. A co-worker did a quinoa program and made a huge pot. When we cooked for a program we had to make enough to serve about 70 people. Not many people heard of quinoa at the time and only 15 people showed up. We got to take what was left over home and mine was gone before I got there!

Quinoa is a ancient grain. It's a cousin of Amaranth. It was one of the staple foods of the Incas. Has the highest % of protein of all the grains. Has more calcium than milk and it's a great source of iron,vitamin A and E.

 You want to rinse the quinoa in a strainer to get rid of the bitter saponins,then cook 1 cup in about 2 cups water for about 15-20 mins.I like to cook mine in chicken broth.


The recipe is adapted from Jenny Sugar

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped or 2 tablespoons dried
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, diced(didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon salt(didn't use)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano(subbed Italian seasoning)
Pizza sauce for dipping

1. Place the quinoa and two cups of water(I cooked mine in chicken broth) in a covered pot. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.
4. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (one heaping tablespoon each), and press down gently to compact.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.