Month: April 2011

Quinoa Burgers

/ Ren

The newly-formed Austin Food Blogger Alliance has teamed up with the Capitol Area Food Bank to promote awareness of the resources available to area residents (such as the SNAP program).  As AFBA members, we have specifically been challenged to come up with affordable, kid-friendly recipes that are tasty, healthy and easy to prepare.

I did some quick research on which low-cost foods are chemical-free, whole (minimally processed) and nutrient-dense, and decided that quinoa [keen-WAH] fit the bill quite nicely.  Cultivated in the Andes Mountains since the pre-Columbian era, this seed is prized for its extraordinary nutritional value, particularly protein and essential amino acids.  Gluten-free and easy to digest, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

Here, then, is my recipe for surprisingly satisfying, delicious quinoa burgers..

Quinoa Burgers

Makes 3-4 patties, depending on size (recipe inspired by a post at Eating Welll…Living Thin)

2/3 cup quinoa (choose from black, red or brown varieties)
1-1/3 cup water or broth
1/2 cup shredded cheese
2 green onions, slivered
2 eggs
1/3 cup corn flake crumbs or bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Place quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed.  Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature.

Stir in cheese, green onions, eggs and corn flake crumbs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, then refrigerate mixture for 1 hour.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Form quinoa into hamburger-shaped 1/2-inch patties, then gently place in hot pan and cook until golden brown on both sides.  Serve plain or on a bun, with toppings of your choice (tomatoes, onions, hummus, etc.).

(Vegetarian) Israeli Couscous with Fresh Vegetables, Harissa and Mint

/ Ren

Two kinds of couscous (pearled and Israeli whole wheat) are sautéed in olive oil, then simmered in a rich, homemade vegetable stock flavored with harissa and fresh mint and tossed with a medley of lightly-cooked, seasonal vegetables..

Israeli Couscous with Fresh Vegetables, Harissa and Mint

1/2 cup pearled couscous
1/2 cup Israeli whole wheat couscous (Ptitim)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups homemade vegetable stock, boiling
1 to 2 teaspoons harissa
1 small bunch fresh mint, chopped
2 carrots, cut into small, oblique shapes, about 1/2 cup
1-2 large spring onions, including green tops, bias-cut, about 1/2 cup
1/2 cup fresh green peas
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Sauté couscous in olive oil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to coat evenly.  Add boiling vegetable stock and harissa, reduce to a simmer and cook until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed, about 8 minutes.  Stir in peas and mint, cover and remove from heat.

Sauté carrots, garlic and onions in olive oil,  stirring frequently until just softened.  Stir in tomatoes and cook 1 minute longer.

Stir cooked vegetables into warm couscous and serve garnished with fresh mint.  Offer harissa on the side if desired.

This post is part of Meatless Monday, a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health

Savory Wild Boar Sausage with Fried Sage, Two-Corn Polenta

/ Ren

Freshly-ground wild boar from the Texas Hill Country is mixed with chopped yellow onions, Italian sweet chili powder, fresh garlic, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper.  Formed into patties, then fried in sage brown butter and served over two-corn polenta (fresh kernel corn and stone-ground yellow flint corn) with sweet peppers and fresh chives..

Savory Wild Boar Sausage with Fried Sage, Two-Corn Polenta

Pellegrino and Mint Lemonade

/ Ren

I worked in the garden much of the day today, then treated myself to some fresh, homemade minted lemonade.  So cooling and refreshing..

Pellegrino and Mint Lemonade

6 large lemons, halved around the equator
1/2 tray ice cubes (filtered water)
1 palmful fresh spearmint leaves
1-1/2 cups Pellegrino or other sparkling mineral water
sweetener of your choice

Use a exprimidor de lima (Mexican lemon squeezer) or other device to squeeze all of the juice into a blender, leaving the seeds and peel behind.   Add ice cubes, mint, mineral water and sweetener and pulse until the ice is crushed.  Taste and adjust for sweetness then serve immediately.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

/ Ren

Plump, briny cherrystone clams from the cold waters of the Northern Atlantic, in a spicy, clear broth of clam juice, crushed tomatoes, sauteed celery, onions and garlic, red pepper flakes, bacon, parsley, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper.  A true classic..

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Manhattan Clam Chowder (adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart)

3 cups filtered water
2 dozen cherrystone clams, scrubbed (about 2 cups clam meat)
5 slices non-smoked, thick-cut bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 jar (28 ounces) whole organic plum tomatoes, strained, juices reserved, tomatoes finely chopped
1 Kennebec or Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh celery leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring water to a boil in a large pot.  Add clams, cover, and cook until shells open, about 10 minutes.  Transfer clams to a large bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Discard any clams that do not open.  Remove meat from shells, and return to bowl.  Discard shells.  Pour reserved liquid through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl (you should have 2 1/2 cups).  Sprinkle a few tablespoons liquid over clams to keep them moist.

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Add bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.  Pour off excess drippings, leaving just enough to coat bottom of pot.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and reduce heat to medium.  Add onion, celery, garlic, and red-pepper flakes, and cook, scraping bottom of pot, until vegetables are light gold, about 7 minutes.

Raise heat to high, and stir in tomatoes, 1 cup reserved tomato juice, 2 1/2 cups reserved clam broth, and the potato.  Reduce heat, and simmer until potato is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Cut large clams in half.  Stir clams, bacon, parsley, and oregano into broth, and heat until warmed through, about 30 seconds.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Manhattan clam chowder has clear broth, plus tomato for red color and flavor.  In the 1890s, this chowder was called “New York clam chowder” and “Fulton Fish Market clam chowder.”  Clam chowder, in its cream-based New England version, has been around since the mid-18th century.  Many restaurants in northern Rhode Island sell both red and white chowders, while the southern coast favors clear and white chowders.

The addition of tomatoes in place of milk was initially the work of Portuguese immigrants in Rhode Island, as tomato-based stews were already a traditional part of Portuguese cuisine.  Scornful New Englanders called this modified version “Manhattan-style” clam chowder. –Wikipedia

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