Crisp Quinoa Cakes With Almonds, Rosemary and Dijon

From the New York Times

By MARK BITTMAN

TOTAL TIME

45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges for serving

PREPARATION

1.

Put the quinoa, a large pinch of salt and 2 1/4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently. Cover, and cook, stirring once, until the grains are very tender and begin to burst, 25 to 30 minutes. When they are starchy and thick, transfer them to a large bowl to cool for a few minutes.

2.

Heat the oven to 200. Fold the almonds, shallots, rosemary and mustard into the quinoa, and add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. With your hands, form the mixture into 8 patties.

3.

Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, cook 4 cakes at a time until the bottoms are nicely browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Flip, and brown on the other side, another 4 minutes. Transfer the cakes to the oven to keep warm while you cook the second batch with another tablespoon of oil. Serve with lemon wedges.

 

Yet we still don’t explore quinoa’s full potential, probably because when it’s simmered until fluffy and just tender, quinoa is an admirable base for a salad or a pilaf. But real rewards await those who push it a bit. For example, quinoa makes a delicious risotto. Cook it long enough, and its starches begin to release; cook it even further, and you can form the quinoa into cakes for pan-frying, without adding bread crumbs or eggs (though you should still handle them gently).

My favorite new quinoa obsession is transforming it into crunchy crumbs. You boil it, spread the tender grains on a rimmed baking sheet, toss them with seasonings and roast until crackling and crisp. Sprinkle them on salads, stir-fry dishes, pastas or anything else you might be inclined to finish with toasted bread crumbs or chopped nuts. Little about quinoa may surprise us these days, but to me this is nearly revolutionary.

 

 

 

• Originally published with Just When You Thought Quinoa Couldn’t Be Crunchier

• Copyright 2014
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Savory Muffins with Prosciutto & Chives

From Kitchn.

Makes 12 muffins. Adapted from Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks.

1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces prosciutto, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chives, finely chopped (from about 1/2 a 2/3 ounce package)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a muffin pan with paper baking cups and spray them lightly with baking spray.

Whisk the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and water together in a large bowl. Add the flour, almond meal, baking powder, smoked paprika, and salt, and whisk until no lumps remain. Fold in the prosciutto and chives, whisking one more time if necessary to break up clumps of prosciutto.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Store leftovers in the fridge; they're best warmed slightly before serving.

Sugo alla Norma (Sicilian Eggplant Sauce)

From Sauces and Shapes

1 lb (450 grams) long dark-purple eggplants, sliced about 1/4-inch thick, but not peeled
Salt
2 medium white onions
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs (900 grams) ripe sauce tomatoes, seeded and diced (not peeled) or canned peeled tomatoes
Black pepper

1 lb (450 grams) spaghetti
7 oz grated ricotta salata cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves for garnish

Chop together coarsely (in the food processor if desired) the onion, the garlic, and the basil. Put the mixture in the saucepan, preferably terracotta, with 3 tablespoons of the oil and saute over medium heat for about 4 minutes, or until the onion is becoming translucent.

Add the tomatoes, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and cook, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes or until the sauce is visibly thickened and shiny.

Put tomatoes through a food mill and stir 4 generous tablespoons of the oil into the resulting puree.

Heat the remaining oil in a 16-inch skillet and fry the eggplant slices until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in a an 8-quart pot over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.

Warm a serving bowl or platter in a low oven. If the oven is not practical, warm the bowl just before use with hot water, even a ladleful of pasta cooking water.

Drain and transfer the pasta to the heated serving bowl. Toss the pasta first with half of the cheese, then with the tomato sauce. Grind on plenty of pepper and mix well.

Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and a few slices of fried eggplant. Serve immediately, and pass the remaining eggplant slices and cheese for each diner to take according to taste.

Sugo con Melanzane (Eggplant Sauce for Pasta)

Recipe from Sauces and Shapes

The thing that annoys about eggplant is the quantity of oil it absorbs. Although this recipe is scarcely oil-free, it does keep consumption under control thanks to a neat trick Oretta learned from the great Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi. You precook the eggplants dry before adding any oil. (This works with mushrooms too.) The will absorb much less oil than otherwise.

The eggplants on the market today do not need to be salted and drained. They have been bred to resist harsh temperatures, and they are also sweeter, seedless, and unfortunately, less flavorful.

1-1/2 lbs (700 grams) eggplants, diced small but not peeled
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, preferably intensely fruity
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small piece dried chile
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 lb (45o grams) pasta, any short pasta
about 7 rounded tablespoons (70 grams) grated pecorino romano

Put the eggplant pieces in a 16-inch nonstick skillet with nothing else. Cook them over low heat, stirring every so often to keep them from sticking, 5 or 6 minutes, until they sort of wilt. Remove them from the pan. Add the oil, garlic, and chile to the pan and cook on medium for a minute or two. Return the eggplant to the pan, sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often, for 8 or 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Remove and discard the chile. In a food processor, puree a large spoonful of the eggplant and return it to the skillet. It will help make the sauce creamy.

Make-ahead note: the process can be interrupted at this point and the sauce kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Reheat gently while pasta is cooking.

Stir in the parsley. Keep warm until the pasta is done, or reheat gently.

Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in a an 8-quart pot over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. When the pasta is nearly done, scoop out about a cup of the water and reserve.

Warm a serving bowl or platter in a low oven. If the oven is not practical, warm the bowl just before use with hot water, even a ladleful of pasta cooking water.

Drain and transfer the pasta to the heated serving bowl. Toss the pasta first with the cheese, then add the eggplant sauce and mix well. If the sauce seems dry, add a little of the reserved water, not more than a couple of tablespoons. Serve immediately.

Sauteed Mushrooms (Champignons Sautés au Beurre)

Recipe from Julia Child.

Use these mushrooms either as a vegetable alone or in a combination with other vegetables, or as an integral part of such dishes as coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, poulet en cocotte. Successfully sautéed mushrooms are lightly browned and exude none of their juice while they are being cooked; to achieve this the mushrooms must be dry, the butter very hot, and the mushrooms must not be crowded in the pan. If you sauté too many at once they steam rather than fry; their juices escape and they do not brown. So if you are preparing a large amount, or if your heat source is feeble, sauté the mushrooms in several batches.

• 2 Tb butter
• 1 Tb oil
• ½ lb fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
• Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced shallots or green onions
• Salt and pepper

Equipment:

• A 10-inch enameled skillet

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes.
Sautéed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.