Quinoa Cakes, Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Sprout Salad

Sometimes, a single picture can write a thousand words.

And other times, it's the week before finals and I don't have time to write more than three sentences. Oof. 

That said, enjoy these awesome photos (and the temporary recess from academic responsibility). If you're like me, you have enough reading to do as it is... and wouldn't it be nice if they were picture books. Hey, I can dream.

The recipe for the cakes was inspired by the Carrot-Quinoa cakes found on A Fresh Squeeze. All photography on this post was done by Amanda Johnson. 


Quinoa Cakes, Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Sprout Salad
Serves 4-6

[5] large carrots, peeled and chopped into 3 inch long sticks
[2] tsp salt
[1] cup dry quinoa
[1/3] cup chopped onion
[1] garlic clove
[1] tsp olive oil
[1/4] tsp cayenne pepper
[1/2] tsp cumin
[1/2] tsp smoked paprika (Thanks, Dad!)
[1/4] cup whole wheat Japanese panko
cracked pepper

[2] large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch slices
[2] tsp olive oil
[3] tsp balsamic vinegar
[1/2] tsp dijon
salt
pepper

[1] cup fresh sprouts (I used clover sprouts)
[2] tbsp chopped green onions

For the cakes:
Start by preheating your oven to 375 ° F. 

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop in carrot sticks plus 1 teaspoon of salt, return to a boil, and cook until the carrots are soft, but not mushy. Reserve 2 cups of the hot carrot water, then drain the rest. Add the carrots to a food processor.

Return the reserved water to the pot and add the quinoa. It should take about 10-15 minutes to cook, or until all of the liquid has absorbed.

Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan to medium. Once hot, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, chopped onion and garlic. Sauté for about five minutes, or until both the onions and garlic are translucent and aromatic. Add it to the food processor with the carrots, along with 1 teaspoon of salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, and smoked paprika. Purée until the mixture starts to resemble baby food (an unappetizing way to describe it, but trust me).

Transfer the quinoa and carrot purée to a medium mixing bowl, then add the whole wheat panko and cracked black pepper. Use a metal fork to combine until everything is well incorporated. Spray a large muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and distribute the mixture evenly. Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Because the cakes are delicate, I flipped the muffin tin over onto a sheet pan of equal size (rather than removing them directly from the mold).






For the toppings:
Heat a grill pan to high.

While it's preheating, whisk together the balsamic, olive oil, dijon, salt and pepper. This will be the marinade for the tomatoes as well as the dressing for the sprouts. 

Once the grill is hot, spray with nonstick cooking spray, brush the tomatoes with the dressing, and place on the grill. (It's easiest to brush just one side, putting that side down first, then coat the top side). Cook only for 2 minutes, flip and cook for another couple minutes, then immediately remove from grill.

In a small bowl, dress the sprouts and green onions with the remaining marinade.

Top each quinoa cake with a slice of grilled tomato and a small portion of the sprout salad. Drizzle the top with a healthy tablespoon of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve with your favorite crisp white wine.

Oo la la

A Royal Marriage

I want to be a princess. There, I said it. 

Watching this regal shindig has brought me RIGHT back to being four years old, when Disney princesses pretty much ruled the planet. There wasn't any one or anything that could top them. Aside from maybe the Spice Girls, but that wouldn't happen for at least more five years. 

Today, this bitch Kate the Duchess of Cambridge has literally vitalized the fairy tale that we all (admit it) dreamed of. After tuning in for a mere 10 minutes, I've turned into a total sap. There's no other way to say it-- the wedding was breathtaking. 

Right now, I'm planning to do one of two things:
1) Watch Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White-- back to back... to back-- while playing "Someday My Prince Will Come" on repeat.
2) Switch gears immediately so that I don't wind up in a bar somewhere wearing a crooked tiara. 

For everyone's sake, I'll go with the latter. And perhaps just not tell anyone about the first one. 

So voilà, here's une recette for a charming salad that may (or may not) distract you from the bleak reality of our regrettably unroyal lives. 

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Fennel and grapefruit salads have been done for years. Nice combo, but so vanilla.

Now, I love 'em both-- I do. But they needed some oomph. For this recipe, I started with the classic duo, then brought it back to life with a some fresh ideas. Sometimes, even the most perfect pairings could use a little spice.

In this case, the performance enhancers came in the form of keylime and cumin (with a dash of red pepper flakes). Now, that's what I call caliente. 

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If produce could be cute, a keylime would take the cake for fruity cuteness. Their miniature size, slight sweetness, and tropical reputation make these little guys a treat to cook with. I found a whole bag of them for about $2, which only added to my puppy love. If you can find them, grab a bag. You could use them in any recipe that calls for your average lime, but as I said, it's much more romantic when you switch things up.

Fennel and Grapefruit Salad 
with Keylime Herb Vinaigrette
Serves 2

[1/2] fennel bulb, thinly sliced
[2] grapefruits, sectioned
[1] tbsp chopped basil
[1] tbsp chopped fennel fronds
[2-3] tbsp keylime juice, or about 4 small keylimes
[1] tsp agave nectar
[1] tsp olive oil
salt
cumin
red pepper flakes

Slice the fennel as thin as you can get it, using a sharp, finely serrated knife. To section the grapefruits, cut off the outer peel and pith (white, bitter stuff), and use a small paring knife to wedge out the individual juicy segments. 

Add fennel, grapefruit, chopped basil and fennel fronds to a medium bowl. 

In a small bowl, combine keylime juice, agave, olive oil, salt, cumin, and a dash of red pepper flakes. Pour the dressing over the salad and you'll have an unexpected twist on a classic recipe. 

Grilled Shiitake Mushrooms with Fennel Frond Pesto

Smmmmmm ahhhhh! Smell that?

Love is in the air!

Oops! Did I say love? I meant spring. But that's still a reason to be excited!

With an unremitting forecast of weather hovering around 80 degrees, the only one who's not in good spirits is my new afro. Alas, no amount of product will keep these waves at bay. 

And if you're on campus, you've probably noticed that the fauna has reached neon levels of exceptionality. This school must keep their plant food recipe under lock and key, because grass this green has only previously been seen in dream sequences. You know the saying, "The grass is always greener"? Yeah, they were talking about Elon. 

I think it's safe to say that we can pack away our skinny jeans and cable knit sweaters for good, now. That's right, because from here on out, it's short hem-lined sundresses (wishful thinking) lax pinnies all day, every day. Definitely no complaints from this girl.

Well, maybe one. 

I have no doubt that every student can relate to this-- the productivity degeneration that occurs every time the sun shines. While going to school in the south gives us shorter winters and and year-round tans, it also makes doing work that much harder. An 85 degree SURF day celebration just doesn't look as fun on the flip side of a library window. 

And with final exams marching in like the Hun army just as we bust out the SPF, I feel doomed for deadbeat city. 

While I can't offer any solutions yet, (I'm still trying to figure out a plan of attack for these last few projects) I can offer some recipes that provide temporary liberation from that daunting workload. At the very least, trying one of these healthy meals may trick your brain into thinking that you're being productive. And maybe then, you can open up Word. 

Fennel Frond Pesto 

Makes about 1 cup

[2] cups fennel fronds, plus [1] tsp
[3/4] cup chopped fennel stalk
[3] tbsp raw almonds, whole
[1] garlic clove
[1] lemon, juice
[2] tbsp olive oil
[1] tsp salt
[1] tsp cracked black pepper
[1/4] cup water

Place fennel fronds and chopped stalk, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor (or blender) and puree until well combined. If the mixture is too thick, add up to [1/4] cup of water. You could also add more olive oil, but to keep it light, stick with water. When the pesto reaches a thick and even consistency, transfer to a small serving dish.

For the mushrooms:

[3.5] oz Shiitake mushrooms

non-stick cooking spray

salt

pepper

Start by preheating a grill pan to high. Remove stems from the mushrooms, then season them with salt and pepper. Once the grill is hot, spray it with the non-stick cooking spray and arrange the mushrooms around the grill, cap side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for another couple minutes.

To plate, arrange mushrooms on a dish and top with about a couple tablespoons of the pesto. Garnish the plate with a teaspoon of fresh chopped fennel fronds and a drizzling of olive oil.

The fennel, lemon and almond combo make a really unique pesto that's not too overpowering. And come on, grilled mushrooms really are just the greatest. 

A springtime recipe so gratifying, Peter Rabbit himself would forgo his carrot addiction. But he'd probably never admit that... 

Vegetarian Yellow Curry

There was a time, not too long ago, when I would not go near a curry dish.

Had I ever tried it? Well, not exactly. But anything that reminded me of sweaty-man-pit was staying far away my dinner plate. 

Fortunately, I relinquished my naive preconceptions on a trip to London last semester. Outside of India, London is pretty much the capital of curried cuisine. And if I was going to try Indian food anywhere, this was my chance. 

Holy Shiva. To say that I fell in love would be an understatement. In between bites of garlicky naan and spicy Chana Masala, I was hating myself for refusing to try this sooner. Each dish was spicy in a way that didn't singe my tastebuds, and flavorful in a way that I'd definitely never experienced before.

That motley indian feast that I shared with my Dad and sister remains to be my most memorable. You can bet that I rolled out of that place with more than a full belly, but also a new appreciaition for an entirely foreign cuisine. I brought my excitement for curry back with me to Paris, and it's still one of my favorite flavors. 

Luckily, I found a curry dish (though Thai, not Indian) that I cannot get enough of. And I don't need a plane ticket to have it... just thirteen bucks.

It's Simply Thai's Tofu Yellow Curry with brown rice, and after ordering a couple dozen times, I realized it was time to make it myself. At least for my wallet's sake. 

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this vegetarian curry dish had me asking Simply Who? I was pleasantly surprised to find that my version was almost exact-- only better. (And unlike Anna's Thai Sushi, it didn't make me sick. But that's a different story). As I write this, I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to run and make it again.  

The kicker? I prepared it using only my microwave. With the leftovers from my Thai Coconut Curry Sauce, a little tweaking, and some easy steamed veggies, I had a meal in less than 10 minutes. Whether I was still on a high from nailing my go-to takeout meal, or whether this recipe is actually my new favorite, it's guaranteed to satisfy. 

Vegetarian Yellow Curry
Makes 2 servings 

[1] cup Thai Coconut Curry Sauce
[1/2] tsp curry powder
[1/2] tbsp low sodium soy sauce
[1] medium sweet potato
[1/2] cup chopped yellow onion
[1] tbsp chopping scallion

Add the curry power and soy sauce to the remaining Coconut Curry Sauce. Mix and heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes.

Using a metal fork, poke multiple holes in the sweet potato. Microwave for 3 minutes on one side, then flip and heat for an additional 2 minutes. Let potato cool slightly and cut into 1 inch cubes.

Next, steam chopped in onion in a microwave safe dish with a tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes. To replicate the Simply Thai version exactly, you could also add tofu and steamed carrots.

Finally, pour the hot curry sauce over the chopped vegetables. Garnish with fresh scallions and a little rice, then relish in the fact that a delicious meal like this took just 10 minutes... minus the hassle of takeout.

Pretty soon, the only menu you'll be mulling over will be on date night, when the chances of you paying are... 50/50. (Because after all, we are at Elon).

I added a little leftover rice, too!