Green Quinoa Pie

I almost forgot about my Meatless Monday recipe pledge.  But I remembered just in the nick of time.  And simultaneously remembered this recipe, which I will be making in the very near future.


This recipe satisfies crunchy and creamy cravings while still filling you up with plenty of fiber (from the flax) and protein (from the quinoa).  I'm actually attempting to make stuffed peppers using quinoa in a few minutes and may use that as next week's post if all goes according to hare brained plan of the day.



Green Quinoa Pie


Ingredients
3/4     cup quinoa
2       oz goat cheese
1/4     cup shredded swiss cheese
1       lb frozen spinach
4       tablespoons diced shallots
5       oz arugula
2       tbls extra virgin olive oil
4       tablespoons flax meal
2       tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
3/4     cup egg beaters


Directions


  1. Rinse and drain quinoa. Heat small saucepan and add quinoa,
turning frequently to toast 2- 3 minutes.
  2. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, lower heat to medium and cover. Stir
frequently, adding more water for ~ 15 minutes or until quinoa is
tender. When quinoa is cooked, preheat oven to 350.
  3. While quinoa cooks, add frozen spinach to a hot pan with 2 tbls
water. Add shallots and cover, stirring frequently until shallots are
translucent and soft and spinach is thawed/cooked. Add spinach/quinoa
mixture to a strainer and squeeze remaining liquid out.
 4. Heat pan and add arugula, stirring frequently to wilt evenly.
Remove after 3 - 5 minutes.
  5. Add wilted arugula, spinach, cooked shallots and cheeses to
quinoa mixture, stirring to integrate.
  6. Lightly whisk egg beaters until slightly fluffy. Add to
quinoa/veggie mixture.
  7. Put 1 tbls EVOO to 9 inch pie pan and put it in the oven to heat
for 5 minutes. Remove and add mixture, patting down.
  8. Mix flax meal and parmesan in a bowl and sprinkle liberally over
the top of the pie, covering well. Press down.
  9. Bake for 20 minutes. Drizzle last tbls of EVOO over top and bake
for another 20 minutes.
 10. Chow down.

HUMMUS!

Anyone catch the subtle Pearl Jam reference in the title?

In the process of sorting all my recipes on the handy dandy recipe page, I realized that I have quite a few vegetarian recipes up here. I was thinking back to how it all started.

At first it was a few Meatless Mondays here and there.  Who am I to defy Yoko and Paul's twitter directives? Then I was eating Meatless Monday leftovers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Plus, my default lunch of choice when I didn't bring food - the giant bodega sandwich - was no longer an option after going gluten free.  So pretty soon, I wasn't eating meat during the week and saving it up for the weekends.  This is largely what I shoot for now, though I am far from perfect.  There are times I seriously consider going full vegetarian, but I am really held up by not being able to eat many veggie/vegan meat substitutes like tempeh, seitan and many tofu products. I have yet to find any commercially available veggie chicken (though my favorite vegan lunch spot which also has gluten free bread and AMAZING gluten free wraps has some!), soy crumbles etc.  I used to swap meat out of many Mexican dishes in particular (two veggie taco recipes coming up for next week!) for those awesome proteins and haven't quite overcome not being able to use them.  I also still have the occasional bad day where I feel totally limited with food choices because of my allergies, and adopting a stricter vegetarian outlook would probably bring those about more often.

I have had great success utilizing mushrooms run through the food processor in place of ground meats, though.  And found a fail proof grilling formula that will make you crave 'bellas like they are a truly fantastic burger.  AND realized that I could top it with daiya cheese (IT MELTS!) and not miss a beat.  Woo-hoo.

So whether you are doing so for your health, the health of our planet or intially just because Paul and Yoko said so, I'm going to try and offer my support by posting recipes on Sundays/early Mondays for MEATLESS MONDAY at least for the rest of October.  Let's see if I can keep up...

Hummus is a perfect Meatless Monday pick that can stretch out way beyond .  You can use it in wraps during the week (I like mine with arugula, cheese and tomato/cucumber) for lunch, as a topper for chicken and salads.  Chickpeas are naturally high in protein and fiber.  They also provide a healthy carbohydrate profile for people with Diabetes or blood sugar issues.  I scarfed mine up in a wrap, simply with some Mary's Gone Crackers Curry Twigs, with Trader Joe's sweet potato chips and baby carrots.  And I'm sure there a million other applications I haven't been creative enough to consider.  Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Hummus

2 cups of canned chickpeas
3 roasted red peppers (totally optional but awesome for taste and texture)
3 cloves of garlic (you can roast garlic in the oven for 20 minutes before mixing in if you dislike raw garlic)
1/3 cup tahini
juice of 2 lemons (at least 6 tablespoons or to taste)
1/4 tsp of salt
1 tsp of black pepper
reserved liquid from can of chickpeas or warm water (at least 2 tablespoons)

Mince or press garlic. Add tahini, chickpeas, 6 tablespoons of lemon juice, roasted red peppers, salt and pepper to a food processor and combine well.  Add reserved liquid from can of chickpeas and additional lemon juice until it reaches your desired consistency. De - freaking - licious.



Enjoy!

Garlicky Green Gratin / the case for kale

Cooking Light featured this recipe in their cheap eats section in October's magazine.  Here is how to make it gluten free and ramp up the flavor with bitter greens and prevent the watery results many testers got from making this recipe per their original directions. 


I like Kale any ol' time, but it is harvested in the fall (through LATE fall) since it is super hearty and can survive frost, making it cost effective since it can be locally grown and is perfectly in season right now, when many veggies go up in price. It doesn't cook down as much as spinach and has a bitter, peppery taste that is a real stand out among typical savory.


This right here is a great QUICK cook ahead meal.  Perfect for making after dinner on Sunday and enjoying during the week as a lunch on its own or for dinner with a side of brown basmati rice, oven roasted potatoes or blanched lemony asparagus. Serves 4.  


I actually made this last Sunday and we didn't touch it until Wednesday.  I think refrigerating this after baking sets the mixture a bit more, making for a firmer casserole. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces pork or turkey sausage, removed from casing
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (or less per your taste - I LOVE nutmeg! allspice or even cinnamon can be substituted)
• 2 tablespoons gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill white rice flour)
• 2 cups skim or 1% milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces fresh kale
• 4 ounces fresh arugula
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs (I am still using toasted and processed gluten free waffles)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

• 2. Heat a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sausage, salt, and pepper; sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. 
• 3.  Stir in flour; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine milk and eggs, stirring well. Reduce heat to medium. Stir milk mixture into sausage mixture; bring to a boil, stir in kale and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; fold in arugula. Spoon mixture into a glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. The greater the surface area, the firmer the mixture will set while baking.
• 4. Add 1/2 cup of gluten free bread crumbs to the top of mixture.  Top with parmesan cheese.  Bake for 12 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Everyday Taco Salad

I got an email from South Beach diet the other day with a recipe for taco salad that sounded amazing. Except it was full of expensive shit I didnt have on hand or intend to drop money on. So this recipe was born from that idea. Taco salad with ingredients on hand. Deeelicious. Especially the beans, which I will make again as a side for sure.

3/4 lb lean ground beef or 2 1/2 cups soy crumbles
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika is even better)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
10 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
3/4 large red onion, roughly chopped
1 large tomato
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (fat free is fine, i used daiya - which is gluten free, vegan and delicious)

spicy sweet black beans
29 oz canned black beans, rinsed, drained and pat dry
1 tablespoon EVOO
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

dressing
2 tablespoons fage 0% greek yogurt
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon lowfat sour cream
1 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

rinse and drain beans.  pat dry with papertowels.  add EVOO to a large skillet and wait 30 seconds.  add beans, cilantro, honey and apple cider vinegar.  when liquid begins to reduce and become stickier and beans are soft, add red pepper flakes.  set aside in a large bowl to cool slightly.

mix oregano, paprika, chili powder and cumin in a small bowl with a whisk while a large skillet heats up with EVOO.  add beef to EVOO and stir in seasonings, breaking up beef. sautee for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. roughly chop 1 large tomato, squeezing out juice/seeds with your hands and add to beef mixture, sauteeing for 5 minutes or until cooked through and tomato skin begins to blister slightly.  

meanwhile, roughly chop spinach and red onion, tossing with cheddar. add to bowl with beans. top with meat mixture and toss. 

whisk together everything but goat cheese.  gently stir/fold in goat cheese crumbles and top individual servings of salad. yum.

... Crab Cakes ...

It is very hard for me to use the word or ingredient CRAB seriously.  Mostly because my darling Andrea and I have been calling eachother crab for the last few years after a brief obsession with hermit crabs.  This recipe and post is for her, obvs.

I needed a quick meal tonight and remembered I had a few cans of crab meat in my massive suburban pantry.  (Don't tell Ina Garten that I used canned crab meat.  She'll never forgive me.  We're best friends in my head, laughing as we pick fresh herbs from her Hamptons garden. Shut up. )

After a bit of internetting, I found the following recipe.  The original is a bit high on cholesterol and sodium.  You can omit the worcestshire if sodium is a concern and perhaps use egg alternative or two egg whites or vegan mayo in place of the regular to drop the cholesterol down.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Nutritional information on the bottom is for original recipe with all the high fat fixins. Substitute away, friends.  And do yourselves a favor, sautee these in coconut oil for a touch of added sweetness.  Thank you to Laura and Tim for turning me on to that wonderful stuff!

Maryland Style Crab Cakes!

18oz crab meat, picked through for shells and drained if in liquid
4 tsp mayonnaise
1 egg1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
1 tbsp onion, grated
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh parsley
6 tbsp crushed gluten free crackers or bread crumbs (aka 1 frozen waffle, toasted and processed)

Add egg to a large bowl.  Whisk until slightly frothy.

Whisk in mayo, worcestershire, old bay, onion, dijon and parsley until well combined.  Stir in crab meat.  Gently fold in bread crumbs/crackers.

Form crab mixture into 8 evenly sized, flat patties.  Think hockey puck sized.

Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to skillet.  Add crab cakes, cooking for 3 - 4 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown.  Try to only turn them once to lower the risk of cracking.

These were fantastic with a side of pasta (in lemon zest/juice, creme fraiche, veggie broth and green onions) and sauteed red and yellow peppers, also in coconut oil. Mmmmmm mmm.

Nutrition info (in 2 crab cakes) : 224 calories; 10g off at (5 saturated); 127mg cholesterol; 1131mg sodium; 13g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 1g sugar; 18g protein

FRITTATA FRENZY

I have seriously been neglecting the original content portions of this blog. To make up for it, I bestow upon you all a frenzy of frittata recipes. Frittatas are easy midweek meals to throw together and serve with potatoes or a great salad. I also love them for lazy weekends since one will get two people through breakfasts with a little to spare.

The first version I made below was created based on what veggies I had around thanks to my parents picking everything from their garden to avoid it all being trashed by the hurricane. I'll give you three different versions to choose from, but you can really swap any vegetables or cheeses that you like. I've even made it with light sour cream instead of ricotta in a pinch. Frittatas are great because you can pretty much throw in whatever you have in the fridge. You can also knock out some more of the calories by using egg beaters or egg whites, without compromising the overall texture of the dish.

For an added fiber boost and crunch factor, add ground flax meal to the top before baking. Today, I processed a gluten free frozen waffle in my food processor and topped the first frittata with that.

Frittata a la Irene

5 eggs (or 1 + 1/4 cup egg beaters/egg whites)
1 cup of part skim ricotta cheese
3 oz goat cheese
3 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 large zucchini, sliced into long matchsticks and cut into quarters
2 roasted red peppers
1/2 large spanish onion, thinly sliced and diced
Moroccan seasoning blend (Fresh Direct's is fantastic)

In a large frying pan, add cooking spray and onions. While onions cook, dice zucchini. I like to cut it into thin match sticks and then into quarters. Once onions are translucent, add zucchini and at least one tablespoon desired dried seasoning. With this vegetable combination, I used a Moroccan seasoning mix which was delicious.

Preheat oven to 375.

While zucchini cooks until tender and lightly browned (you should be able to easily slice with your cooking spoon), add 5 eggs (or substitute 1 1/4 cups egg beaters or egg whites) and beat until slightly frothy. Add ricotta and stir until well integrated. Crumble goat cheese and stir, leaving crumbles intact for pockets of cheese.

Take vegetables off the heat and add to a bowl to cool slightly. Meanwhile, thinly slice and dice roasted red peppers (2 should be fine) and stir into egg mixture. Once onion/zucchini mixture is partially cooled, stir this into egg mixture as well.

Pour combined egg, vegetable and cheese mixture into baking dish. I like a pyrex pie dish for this. Bake at 375 for at least 25 minutes or until frittata is browned all around and firmly set in the center.


Greek Frittata

5 eggs
3/4 cup feta cheese
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
3 or 4 roasted red peppers, cleaned of seeds and finely diced
10 oz spinach, finely chopped, frozen or fresh
1/2 small package of fresh mushrooms, washed and finely diced
red/black pepper
dried oregano
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp all spice

Same as the above. Cook the vegetables, allow them to cool a bit and add to egg and cheese mixtures.

Mexican Frittata

5 eggs
3/4 cup queso fresco, monterey jack or pepper jack
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
1 cup of diced green chiles (any heat level)
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 can of black or pinto beans, rinsed
red/black pepper
cilantro
1/2 red onion or 2 green onions, diced

Same as the above. Cook the vegetables, allow them to cool a bit and add to egg and cheese mixtures.

Cooking Light goes Gluten Free!

On August 2nd, Cooking Light magazine is releasing a Gluten Free cookbook!

I am a huge fan of Cooking Light.  I like their recipes and their focus on health and balance versus dieting, so I am psyched.  You can read more about the release here.

There are a few reviews up on Amazon already which are not good. One star was given in each, in fact.  And the complaints are typical.  Between seeing comments on recipes around the web and scanning through my email comments, the following two criticisms are eeeeeverywhere.

Here are the big two.
1. The recipes rely on store bought mixes like Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill, Bisquick gluten free etc.
2. The recipes are "naturally" gluten free and focus around meat and vegetables etc.

Now, I love carbs as much as the next person.  But just because you are eating gluten free does NOT mean that every meal needs to have a gluten substitute in it.  I actually assume this is why many people unintentionally gain weight on a gluten free diet (not including those who were malnourished due to celiac and NEED to gain weight).  I fell victim to the same thinking when I first went gluten free, eating anything and everything that was labeled gluten free, saying - HEY! I CAN EAT THIS! - to myself. Can does not mean should or need to. Shouldn't we be enjoying "naturally" gluten free foods too? Like proteins, vegetables and fruits - some of the most wholesome food choices out there? What is wrong with someone putting out a collection that includes many of those recipes? I do limit my carbohydrate intake and really appreciate gluten free recipes that aren't all about swapping one flour or starch for another.

My issue with the complaints for this particular book is related to who is publishing it.  If you read Cooking Light or use their recipes, you'll find that many of their recipes are protein and vegetable centric, gluten free or not. I probably use 2 to 3 recipes from each magazine and rarely if ever have to make gluten free exchanges.

I'm excited for the idea of having the gluten free recipes together in one collection.  Not having to scour recipes and new ingredient labels does save time when shopping and cooking during the week.  I am also in favor of getting gluten free marketing away from packaged goods.  But I also know that when I do bake or cook with gluten substitutes, time is of the essence, and I often do buy pre-blended flour mixes. I don't have the kitchen space to store 10 different types of flours and often get annoyed when "fast recipes" involve measuring five different types of flour. Part laziness, part realism. Just because I have a food allergy doesn't mean I have hours to devote to cooking each day. 

So my take on this new collection? Thank you Cooking Light for helping the gluten free community focus on wholesome foods (that aren't always about the carbs) with convenience in mind.