Quinoa Burgers

If you're on Pinterest, you may have seen these quinoa burgers. I have had two friends make and love these burgers. They really are delicious! How in the world have I never thought to try something like this, even after making the black bean-millet burgers? I didn't use a lot of oil to fry them, but hope to figure out how to bake them next time.

If you're new to using quinoa, don't be scared--it's a really, healthy and delicious new food to add to your diet. Here is a great little article on the awesome benefits of quinoa. Did you know that quinoa is super high in protein? You can use quinoa in exchange for rice in many recipes (though it is more expensive). I'm still looking for ways to incorporate it--a few months ago, I made stuffed bell peppers with quinoa and black beans and corn. They were so delicious and I'm kicking myself for not writing down how I made them. I'll have to try them again to blog about because I was convinced that in some recipes, quinoa is even better than rice!

I've made these burgers (or patties, if you wish) twice now and both times, the first few burgers I put in the frying pan, fell apart. So, after the first time this happened, I added an extra egg to the rest of the composition and they held up fine. The second time, I added two egg whites (actually eggbeaters) to the composition and they stayed firm again. I don't know why they didn't hold up for me as they did for the creator of the recipe (Linda). Maybe it will work for you to leave the recipe as is--but if it doesn't, you'll be able to tell after the first few burgers go in the pan--well, when you flip them. I, however, am always going to be adding another egg or 2 egg whites when making these again. I love them too much to waste 3-4 burgers. Also, you can also add one handful of chopped fresh parsley to the composition if you like. I did it the first time, but didn't add the parsley the second time and they were still very good!

Another curious thing about the recipe--the creator (Linda) calls for sweetener. I found it sort of strange, but added it anyway (agave nectar instead of splenda). But, sometimes quinoa can have a slightly bitter aftertaste and this sweetness balances the flavor out. It's a well-rounded tasting burger. Yum, yum, yum! You can even serve them as patties with a salad or with some sauteed veggies.

We put them on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, gouda cheese, and mustard/mayo. Really love these burgers and they will be put into our regular dinner repertoire. 

QUINOA BURGERS

Adapted from www.eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com

• 2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see cooking instructions below)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated (OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed-though I haven't tried it yet)
• 3 eggs + 2 egg whites (the egg whites were my addition)
• 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour 
• 2 green onions, including white parts
• 1 /2 tsp. Splenda or sugar (I used agave nectar)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8  tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. 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.

To Make Burgers:

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs (and egg whites if using), flour, green onions, Splenda (or sugar), pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

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 approximately 10 burgers.

When Healthy Tastes Good: Brown Rice & Kale "Lasagna"

This recipe is simply marvelous! Earthy from the kale (which is INCREDIBLY good for us), chewy from the brown rice, tangy from the tomato sauce, and then there's the cheese...need I say more? It's a great way to sneak more vegetables into our meals without the groaning. This dish has the taste of lasagna, but it's less greasy and much healthier.

I was VERY skeptical of this recipe when I first saw it on http://www.thebudgetdietician.com/, but, I'm clicking my heels for joy now that I've tried it. This 'lasagna' is getting put into my permanent rotation of meals. Here is the original post--it would be good to read it for more ideas. I have modified how the recipe is written (to make it easier to follow, in my opinion), and slightly adapted it based on my preferences (like the need for a bit more protein) and ingredient availability (didn't want to waste extra rice).

I really hope you all will try this for your families--it tastes absolutely delicious and would make a wonderful Sabbath meal (or Sunday dinner). Also, I do think that this dish could be made ahead and frozen. That is my plan for the next time it will be made at our house.

KALE & BROWN RICE LASAGNA

Serves ~8

For the rice layers:
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 1/4 cup tomato/pasta sauce (of your choice--I used a Target brand)
2 eggs
1 egg white
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper, to taste

For the vegetable layer:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 large carrot, shredded or diced (I rather preferred it shredded)
1 bunch kale, stemmed and ripped into smaller pieces
1 cup of jarred tomato/pasta sauce
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 egg
1 egg white

4-6 ounces, cheese--I used a mixture of Parmesan, Asiago, and Mozzarella
Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together 1 1/4 cup of tomato sauce, all the brown rice, 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, the minced garlic clove, 2 of the eggs, and 1 egg white. Season with salt and pepper.

Spray a baking dish (somewhat smaller than a 9X13, but larger than an 8X8) with cooking spray (olive oil preferred). Spread HALF of the rice mixture in this dish (set aside the rest) and bake for 10 minutes to dry it out (somewhat). Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Then, add the onion, celery, and carrot. Saute until tender (about 5 minutes). Add the kale and continue to saute for another minute or two. Add the rest of the tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and the other 1/2 tsp. of the Italian seasoning. Let mixture cool (Confession: I did not & it did not seem to matter--just went ahead with the egg mixing). Mix in the other egg and egg white.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle about 1/3 of your cheese mixture over the rice. Spread all of your vegetable mixture over the cooked rice. Then, add the rest of your rice over the vegetables and smooth it out so that it covers the vegetables evenly. Sprinkle the rest of your cheese on top of this last rice layer.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the lasagna has started to brown.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serve warm--preferably with a salad and garlic bread.

An Excellent Side: Baby Carrots with Dill Butter

I'm always looking for new ways with vegetables and it's probably safe to assume that we're all needing to eat more of them.... This has been a recent favorite that we've been having alongside rice, some protein, and another green vegetable. It's super easy and very delicious! And a change from brown sugar carrots that most people serve. My daughter (who is not a big carrot fan for the last year) really loves them too. The original recipe calls for bagged baby carrots, but I love to use regular carrots in bias cut. Give these carrots a try--you'll wonder why you hadn't thought of eating them like this before.

BABY CARROTS WITH DILL BUTTER
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

1 (16 ounce) package baby carrots (or about 6-8 medium carrots, sliced)
2 Tbsp. butter or a butter-flavored spread (light is fine)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill (dried dill works great too!--just use slightly less)
1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
~1/4 tsp. salt
~1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Place carrots in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook about 9-10 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and drain.

Gently toss with margarine, dill, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 4-6 side servings.

Morning Glory Muffins

It's been a while since I've posted a muffin recipe...I'm sure you all are wondering where my restraint has been. But, I broke down yesterday--my love of the morning glory muffins sold at Whole Foods won me over. Fortunately, they have been kind enough to share that recipe with the public on their website. The great thing about this muffin is that you don't feel guilty eating it--it's choc full of good-for-you ingredients: carrots, apples, walnuts, whole grains....and then there's the wonderful addition of raisins and coconut. It's like a healthier carrot cake recipe. My 2 year old and I are in love with this recipe. It was wonderful and I highly recommend it.

What did I do different? Well, instead of 2/3 cup oil, I used 1/3 cup canola oil and 1/3 cup applesauce. Worth the change. Also, I added all the coconut in the batter and not on top. I used less sugar than called for, but then sprinkled the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar because I like the crunch and the sparkle. Also, instead of a whole apple, I used 1/2 an apple and 1/2 a pear. But you don't have to do any of these things--I was impressed that it held up to my changes. It's a sign of a really good recipe.

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS
Adapted from Whole Foods

Yield: 16 according to Whole Foods, 12 according to me


1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed natural brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Fuji apple, cored, peeled and diced
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dried flaked unsweetened coconut, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; break up any brown sugar lumps with your fingers or a wooden spoon.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla, then add to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add apples, raisins, carrots, walnuts and 1/4 cup of the coconut and stir gently until well combined. Look at how pretty healthy can be:

Spoon batter into 16 paper-lined muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full. Top evenly with remaining 4 teaspoons coconut and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

YUM!!!!!

By the way, these muffins make wonderful afternoon snacks with tea.

BEST, BEST Tomato Basil Soup--from Nordstrom Bistro Cafe



I've been making this soup since our first year of marriage. We absolutely love it-no really, it's the best. and easiest tomato basil soup I have ever eaten. No peeling of fresh tomatoes either. If you have an immersion blender, this soup is a total breeze and requires minimal clean-up.

If you've ever eaten at Nordstrom Cafe and had this soup, you'll know why it's the best. Then again, their recipe (as seen below) calls for 2 cups of heavy cream--no wonder it's amazing. I just can't do that--so I lightened it up and it's still wonderfully delicious. Usually, I only use 1 cup of fat-free half & half. My changes are in italics below. This soup is particularly delicious with a grilled (fresh) mozzarella sandwich. ENJOY!!!!

Adapted from Nordstrom Cafe Entertaining at Home Cookbook: Delicious Recipes for Memorable Gatherings.

NORDSTROM TOMATO BASIL SOUP

1/3 cup olive oil (I used a little less)
5 carrots, peeled and chopped (I used 4 the last time and the soup was still terrific)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. dried basil
3 cans (28 oz) whole Italian-style tomatoes in puree (really, that is too specific-any canned tomatoes will do)
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth (I usually seem to need a bit more)
Salt & pepper, to taste
A dash of garlic powder (not in original recipe)
2 cups heavy cream (to lighten, use half & half or as I use, fat free half &half)

Saute carrots and onions in olive oil until tender. Add basil. Stir occasionally and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and season with salt and pepper (to your liking). Bring the soup to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. (I cover mine to prevent splattering and it turns out just fine)

Puree soup in a food processor or blender (and if you're lucky enough to have a stick blender, just puree the soup in the pot). Then, add the heavy cream or half & half.

Garnish soup with slivered basil leaves.

Serves 10-12.

P.S. This soup freezes great!