Quinoa Cakes

This recipe is from Becky Selengut’s latest cookbook “Good Fish: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the Pacific Coast”. She makes them the size of a silver dollar, and pairs it with smoked trout and a chive sour cream (how delicious), but you can top it with anything that strikes your fancy. Pickled herring or smoked salmon can be an excellent substitute for the smoked trout, as can a poached egg, per Becky’s suggestions.

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4-8 people (yields 16- 2” cakes)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 cup water

Salt

¼ cup miced shallots

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour mix

¼ cup feta cheese

1 egg

1 egg yolk

Fresh ground pepper

Coconut oil, or other high heat vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

-          In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa, salt, and water. Bring to a boil, place the lid on, and then reduce the heat to low-simmer, and allow the quinoa to absorb the water for 12-15 minutes.

-          When the quinoa is done, spread it in a sheet pan to cool.

-          While the quinoa is cooking, saute the shallots with the olive oil and a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Place it in a medium to large mixing bowl.

-          To the mixing bowl, add the egg + yolk, and beat until well blended with the shallots until homogenous. Then add the cooked quinoa, the flour, the feta, a pinch of salt, pepper to taste, and fold together gently.

-          Lightly wet your hands, and scoop small balls of the mixture, pressing them to make about ½ inch thick and 2” wide. Set on the baking pan from the cooling quinoa, and continue until all the quinoa cakes have been formed.

-          Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbslp of the frying oil.  Place roughly 3-4 cakes in the pan, and fry 2 minutes/side (or less), until the bottom is brown and crunchy. Drain on paper towels, and serve with toppings.

-          Use up the cakes within 4 days, kept refrigerated.

Spicy Tomato Soup with Orzo and Kale

This excellent soup is adapted from the talented Olaiya Land, a PCC COOKS instructor. This is warming and hearty for any time of year- it makes an excellent first course for a pasta dish. Try making a pot over the weekend, this goes great for lunch taken to work during the week. Once the soup is cooled, portion it into reused to go tubs to be heated in a bowl at work, or purchase some glass bowls with lids from any home/kitchen store so you can microwave it in the bowl sans lid. The orzo can be replace with any whole grain you have on hand!

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes (incld 10 min resting)

Ingredients:

2 Tblsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

15-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

6 cups stock or broth, chicken or veggie

1 bunch kale, stems removed, and torn into bite size pieces

½ bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 cup uncooked orzo (or quinoa or barley)

¼ cup minced cilantro, or toasted pine nuts, for garnish

Instructions:

-In a heavy stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers (but not smokes). Add the onion, carrot, cumin, red pepper, and oregano, and saute for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

-Add tomatoes + their juice, and the stock. Stir, and simmer for 15 minutes.

-Meanwhile, bring a sauce pot filled with water to boil. Add the orzo, and boil until cooked al dente, about 15 minutes (barley will take much longer, start ahead of everything else). Drain, and set aside.

-Add the torn kale and the cilantro, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the kale is cooked and tender but is still green. Let sit for 10 minutes off the heat. Taste for salt and pepper; add as needed.

-If using pine nuts as a garnish, saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon constantly to prevent burning. You want them a toasty brown and quite fragrant.

-To serve, divide the orzo into the bowls (about a 1/3 cup of cooked orzo each), and ladle the soup over the top. Garnish with minced cilantro or toasted pine nuts.

DIY Fritatta

You can mix and match any delicious foods for this master recipe; favorites included sauteed mushrooms, flaked smoked salmon, minced turkey lunch meat, sauteed zucchini and onions, grilled asparagus, cubed and cooked red potato, fresh dill, sauteed shallots, havarti cheese, feta,  minced and cooked chard, and more! It is important to not add raw vegetables, as they will release their water while the fritatta cooks, making the final product soggy. The more additional ingredients added will displace the egg mixture; if it looks like its going to spill over its baking pan, use a cookie sheet underneath to catch drippings. Left over fritatta slices make for a great quick breakfast!

Prep time: 10-20 min.

Cook time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

6 eggs

2 Tblsp water

½ tsp salt (more if not using a salty meat like the smoked salmon)

Black pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp of dried herb (try thyme, dill, rosemary, or oregano)

1 Tblsp olive oil

½ cup sauteed veggies (such as mushroom and onion)

1/3 cup loosely packed crumbled or shredded cheese (optional)

½ cup flaked smoked salmon, or minced lunch meat (optional)

Equipment: 7-8” cast iron skillet or equivalent fry pan

Instructions:

-          Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

-          Break the eggs in a medium mixing bowl, and beat with the water, salt, pepper, herbs, and garlic powder. Gently fold in the meat, veggies, and cheese.

-          Heat the cast iron skillet over medium high heat, and add 1 Tblsp olive oil to the skillet, swirling to coat the bottoms and sides of the hot pan.

-          Pour the fritatta mixture into the hot pan, and let cook without stirring for 2 minutes.

-          Place the pan in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Check to see if it is done by shaking the pan: the center should not be pouffed up, but shouldn’t shimmer like jello either. If it is firm, it is done- remove immediately!

-          Let cool ten minutes, and slice up and serve with a fresh salad or a corn tortilla with avocado. Keeps in the refrigerator for 3 -4 days- keep protected from air.

Recipe by Heather Graham, BSN DPD student at Bastyr University, March 2012 for Mary Purdy, MS RD of Nourishing Balance, LLC.

Herbal Cold Infusions: Nettle, Oatstraw, Red Clover, Peppermint, and more!

This is one of the easiest ways to get a rich, nourishing herbal brew, whether in the hot summer or as a refreshing tonic in the winter or spring. All it takes is some fresh clean water, dried herbs of your choice, and the ability to plan ahead! These herbs can be read about more on Susun Weed’s awesome herbal blog Weed Wanderings, found at http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/march04/anti-cancer.htm . Bulk dried herbs can be found at your favorite food co-op bulk section, herbal medicine shop, or online at www.mountainroseherbs.com. Consulting with a certified herbalist can be a great way to get more information!

Prep time: 1 minute + 12 hours

Yields: 1 quart sized jar of tea

Ingredients:

6 Tblsp of your favorite dried medicinal herbs (dried nettle and peppermint are a great combo)

4 cups of fresh, filtered or spring water

1 clean, quart sized glass mason jar with lid

Instructions:

-          Place the herbs in the mason jar. Fill the jar with water, and stir to immerse all the herbs.

-          Screw the lid on, and let sit overnight, or for 12 hours. Strain out the herbs  to serve.  Store the remaining tea in the refrigerator up to 2 days.  Leftover nettle tea can be used as a hair rinse!

-          Goes great with a couple drops of liquid stevia. Very nourishing and full of minerals. Can dilute the final tea if too strong.

-           

Strawberry Pina Colada

This tasty whole foods blend is an energy boosting alternative to a typical store-bought smoothie. It can be fortified with spinach (it imparts no taste- only nutrients!), and a scoop of your favorite protein powder for extra protein and energy. The frozen strawberrys are essential for the cool refreshing mouthfeel (can substitute frozen coconut milk if the strawberries are in season). Kids love the clean flavors of this smoothie!

Prep time:  7 minutes

Serves: 4-8 oz portions

Ingredients:

1 whole pineapple, rinsed

1-10 oz bag frozen strawberries

3/4 can coconut milk (or more to taste) (shake it before opening)

Handful of washed spinach leaves (optional)

1 scoop of protein powder (optional)

Equipment needed: Blender

Instructions:

To prepare the pineapple, slice off the leaves and root of the fruit, and with it standing flat on the cutting board, slice about 1” wide sections of peel off, from top to bottom, moving around the pinapple. When the peel has been sliced completely off, slice the fruit in half lengthwise, and then in half again to make long quarters. Take on of the quarters, lay it on its side, and slice off the woody core  with the knife at a slight angle; you should now how a long strip of pineapple ready to be cubed or chunked for your smoothie (or fruit salad, or barbeque skewers, etc).

Place all your ingredients in the blender, and blend for 1 -2 minutes. Scrape down the sides with the blender turned off if it isn’t as smooth as you’d like. 

Pour into tall glasses, and serve it up! If you are preparing it for later in the day, try pouring it into a glass mason jar with a screw on lid, and keep refrigerated.  Consume within one day for best flavor.

Date Pecan Energy Balls

This recipe is adapted from Cynthia Lair’s book Feeding the Young Athlete. It makes a delicious whole food treat or granola bar substitute, and can be a great snack during the day. The miso adds salt and probiotic bacteria, along with protein, making it a more balanced food.

Prep time: 20 mintues
Serves: 10- 1” balls

Ingredients:
¾ cup pecans
½ cup pitted dates, chopped
½ tsp orange zest (optional)
Pinch of sea salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp miso (optional)
¼ cup shredded coconut
2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Equipment: food processor

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet, and toast for 10-20 minutes until toasty, stirring half way through.
2. Place the toasted pecans and all the other ingredients (except coconut) in a food processor, and blend until evenly minced and blended.
3. Mix the coconut and sesame seeds on a medium plate- set aside.
4. Using moist hands, roll the mixtures into 1 inch balls, and then roll in the coconut/sesame seed mixture. Can stay at room temperature (covered) for up to two days; refrigerate for up to 1 week.