Convinced

So I’ve been on this quinoa kick.

(For those of you who are looking at that word with a quizzical look, it’s pronounced /keen-wah/. Want to learn about it? Check out this link: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/whatisquinoa.htm.)

I really want to find (healthy) alternatives to the usual rice or the forbidden couscous… and quinoa was something that I had heard a lot about, but never really tried. I was in my beloved Wegman’s a while ago, saw the package in the gluten free section and entered into the realm of the impulse purchase. (I do that. A lot.)

The big question mark on this journey into all things quinoa was my sweet husband. Tim loves - as I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts - meat and potatoes, broccoli and rice, pasta, seafood and all the other basics of cooking. He can be… wary… of the introduction of substitutions for the “real” stuff. Quinoa would fit into that definition. Considering the fact that my husband NEVER complains about what I make for dinner (including the occasional bowl of cereal), I try to be mindful and experiment more with my mom… who, culinarily speaking, is up for basically anything.

My first experiment with quinoa was the vegetable quinoa soup, also found on this blog. It is amazing. The problem, though, was that the flavor of the quinoa was masked by all the other strong flavors going on in the soup. The quinoa really served as a texture in the soup… to give it more body. It didn’t get to shine.

So, round two. Quinoa Patties, again found on this blog. YUM. These were sampled only by my mom and me and we both agreed they were creamy, comforting… and the garlic mayo set it over the top. When Tim called from work to check in on everyone, I mentioned the quinoa experiment in progress. He was obviously relieved, though he didn’t actually say the words. His voice, however, reeked of relief.

On to round three. This time, he wasn’t getting out of the experiment. I found a recipe on www.soveryblessed.com for Quinoa Pizza Bites and slightly altered it… really just to make it even easier for me to throw together. I made these for dinner last night. My 7-year-old ate it and liked it. My 3-year-old tried it and announced he liked it, but wanted yogurt. (Ah, to be three.) Both my mom and I thought they were delicious and worthy to be put into my recipe arsenal. And my husband… well, he skeptically dove in and found that he really liked it! Said it was "quite good".

I’m so proud of him.

All you need is a little marinara sauce on the side and you’ll be amazed how much these little guys taste like pizza. Oh, and if you want to keep this completely vegetarian, just substitute some diced cherry tomatoes for the pepperoni and it will be equally delicious.

Now – on to round four? I wonder what else I can do with my new friend, Quinoa……

Gluten Free Quinoa Pizza Bites

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

2 large eggs

½ to 1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ cup chopped pepperoni (or diced cherry tomatoes)

Place the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan fitted with a lid. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a non-stick muffin tin with non-stick spray.

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl and distribute mixture into the muffin tin, making 12 muffins.  Press down on each one gently with wet hands to compact.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden on the edges. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

Mistaken Identity

I don’t know what’s going on with me. I used to be a meat and potatoes girl. Now I find myself experimenting with things like hummus…. and today’s ingredient, quinoa.

What is happening to me?

I’m not interested in hamburgers as much anymore. Sure, I’ll enjoy a good burger at Cheeseburger in Paradise (who, by the way, has a rockin’ gluten free menu!)… but when I set out to cook, burgers aren’t anywhere near the top of my list. Ground beef, for that matter, isn’t up there.

I’m married to a meat and potatoes guy. He comes from a meat and potatoes father. My dad was a meat and potatoes man. My brother? Meat and potatoes.

Maybe I’m just stretching my culinary wings. Yes, that’s it.

What scares me is that my mom has one foot firmly planted in the vegetarian world. (The other foot, incidentally, is firmly planted in the bacon world.) For the record, I’m not scared of vegetables. I like them, for the most part. And I’m very interested in experimenting with them, within reason. I just don’t want to make the full leap into vegetarianism.

For some reason, in my little brain, I think I’m on that road. Now, I have plenty of friends who happily live a vegetarian life. They are creative and healthy and make delicious food. I know I’d be happy with the meals.

I think the part that scares me is IF (and I mean IF) I am heading down that road… that means I would be attempting to cook gluten free, peanut free, potato free AND vegetarian food. And that exhausts me just thinking about it.

I think I need a slice of bacon.

Gluten Free Quinoa Patties

1 ¼ cups cooked quinoa, room temperature

2 eggs, slightly beaten

¼ tsp salt

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp butter

½ sweet onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (better to grate your own rather than use the canned)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs (I pulsed 3 pieces of gf bread in the food processor until crumbs)

1 Tbsp oil

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Remove from heat and immediately add the minced garlic. Stir to incorporate and warm garlic through. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the quinoa, eggs, salt, parsley, onion-garlic mixture and parmesan cheese. Add ½ cup of bread crumbs. Mix together and let sit for a minute. Test the consistency of the mixture to see if it able to be formed into a small patty. If needed, add more bread crumbs until desired consistency is achieved.

Shape mixture into 6 small patties.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the 6 patties and cook until deeply browned. Flip and repeat. Remove from pan.

Serve with a garlic mayonnaise. (1/4 cup of mayo with 3 cloves of chopped roasted garlic.)

Happiness in a Bowl

I have yet to find a recipe that is “too rich”. You know what I mean, right? When someone takes a bite of some deeply chocolate dessert or multi-layered pasta dish and says, “Goodness! I can’t eat this, it’s muhh-ch too rich!” Usually, you’ll find me staring at them with a completely blank countenance. I cannot fathom that idea.

But – we need to live a balanced life. Or so I’m told.

I do enjoy “lighter” fare. Perhaps a better description would be “guilt free”. It’s nice to sit down to a meal and know that it’s fair game… no gluten, low fat and full of flavor. I often try to “lighten” heavy dishes… not because they are “muhh-ch too rich”… but because they are WAY too fattening.

Today’s recipe is the cream of the crop. It is warm, it is comfort, it is low fat, it is gluten free and it is guilt free. You read that right.

I know. If you could reach through the screen and hug me, you would. I accept the gesture.

Whip up a big ol’ batch of this and freeze some. When you need a hearty meal that is free of all guilt, grab this little guy out of your freezer and enjoy.
It really is happiness in a bowl.

Gluten Free Quinoa Vegetable Soup

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

2 cups water

15 oz tomato sauce (be daring and use your favorite marinara sauce… amazing!)

1 ½ cups red skin potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes with skin still on

2 garlic cloves, minced


In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and quinoa. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes until onions start to become translucent. Add stock, water and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and garlic, stir to combine. Bring to a light boil. Cover and let cook until potatoes are soft. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.