Yet another successful quinoa recipe today. Actually two, but the first one was just thrown together with random foods I had in the fridge.
It did not get photographed but had quinoa (of course, duh), sweet potato (leftover from yesterday), black beans, cilantro, tomato paste, smoked paprika, cayenne and s + p. Admittedly, I was a little embarrassed to eat it in front of my coworkers today because it kinda looked like a mess. Regardless though, it was tasty, for sure, just not the most photogenic food ever made.
The quinoa dish for dinner, though, was (semi) photogenic, and tasty. WIN.
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Quinoa Caprese Salad
((serves 1))
1/2 C bocconcini or fresh mozzarella
1 medium tomato
1/2 C cooked quinoa
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
1 T basil
S + P
1. Prepare the fresh mozzarella like this. And if you're using the cheese in the large ball, cut into bite size pieces.
2. Chop tomatoes into bite size pieces and toss with tomatoes, olive oil and season to taste with s + p.
3. Pour the balsamic vinegar into a saute pan over medium high heat and reduce until thick, about 5 minutes.
4. Mix mozzarella with tomatoes and quinoa and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
5. Enjoy!
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I was lucky enough to find some great looking tomatoes at the market earlier this week. Usually tomatoes don't taste like anything until the summer. The ones I found were labeled "heirloom" so I knew they had to be excellent. Fortunately, I was right, this time.
-S
I didn't think I'd post again today, but alas, here I am again! Woo! I just HAD to share this burger I had for dinner.
This makes me wonder though, what is the definition of a 'burger', culinarily speaking? Without doing a ton of time consuming research, a burger is made from ground meat. So, if I make a 'burger' from mashed sweet potato and black beans, can I technically call this a 'burger'?? Hmmmm.. more research is needed on this topic. Maybe this would be a good question for my beloved Alton Brown. Yes, I think I'll ask him via Twitter.
Anywho, I unfortunately cannot take credit for this burger recipe. Believe me though, this thing is ahhhhmazing. Then again, I do love sweet potatoes, a lot. Easily my favorite vegetable. It's a quick dinner if you make a batch on a Sunday and freeze. They're easily reheated in the oven/under the broiler when you're hungry and want some foods on the fly.
Sweet Potato 'Burgers'
((serves 6-8))
1-15 oz can black beans
3 C mashed sweet potato
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 C cooked quinoa (or other)
6 T oat flour (or other)
2 T sunflower seeds or pepitas
chopped parsley and/or cilantro
1/4 t cayenne
1 t chili powder
1/4 t corriander
1 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1. Sauté onions and garlic until tender and starting to brown.
2. Meanwhile, mash half the beans into a paste and keep the other half whole. In a separate bowl, mix all the spices together and set aside.
3. Combine all the ingredients except spice blend. I like to season with the spice blend to taste, so add accordingly. Also, if burgers are too wet, add flour until they're just right.
4. Divide evenly and shape into patties and freeze on a sheet pan.
5. Once frozen, wrap in plastic and foil and store until ready to eat.
To reheat: place burger on a pan and heat in a 450 F oven for about 20-25 minutes. If the top is not yet browned, set oven to broil until desired doneness.
I like looooove, Ezekiel english muffins. They have so much flavor and great chew. Not to mention, an awesome ingredient list. These babies make a perfect bun. Toast, spread on some tomato paste, top with burger, a fried egg (sprinkled with smoke paprika) and you've got yourself a FANtastic dinner. Eh, and maybe throw in a side of steamed veggies.
So there you have it.
Shoot! It's already 8 and I'm trying to put the final touches on this personal statement. eeeeek.
-S
