Saturday 13 October 2012

Quinoa Cakes with Beet Chips

With Fall upon us in full force, I've been diving into rich, Indian spices for a lot of my meals. Curry has become a big favourite, especially because I can make it without the heat for my dear pansy mouth. Curry mixed with coconut is exceptionally fantastic as well. (Stay tuned for a feature in November that makes awesome coconut curry kits :)) Along with curry, I've been loving the cumin. This recipe shines cumin and is subtle, yet prevalent. You'll just have to try it out to see for yourself.

This day, I thought I would try something fun and different. I found the recipe for the quinoa cakes on http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/ and you can see the actual recipe here. I omitted the spicy corn relish as I didn't have any fresh corn at the time, but I think I'll try it out next time (making it a mild corn relish of course), as we will definitely be having these again. I even made them as an appetizer for a friend's birthday party and I had none left to bring home. I think that was a good sign. :)

The beet chips I saw on the blog http://tasty-yummies.com/ and the recipe can be found here. I, of course, have everything also posted below, but sometimes people like to see where a recipe originated from. I know I do. I'm hoping to one day get creative and start inventing my own dishes. I know I'll get there, but to get my feet wet, it's always nice to follow in the footsteps of those who know what they're doing when it comes to healthy eats.

I'll be able to make so many more delicious recipes for you once I finally have my very own food processor. It's on my wish list, now just to continue being patient. I have my eye on the Kitchen-Aid 7 Cup Elite Slice food processor. Any comments on this one if you have or have used it? Do you have any suggestions or recommendations of a better one? Please share any information you may have? I'm a sponge! :D

Ok, now, without further ado, I give you today's most delicious meal:

QUINOA CAKES WITH BEET CHIPS (gluten-free, dairy-free, can be made vegan)


quinoa in the muffin tin, ready to bake 

 Yummy!

Quinoa Cakes

Ingredients:
makes 12 quinoa cakes

1 cup quinoa, cooked and then cooled
sea salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 eggs (use an egg replacer to make this recipe vegan)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Mix cold quinoa with paprika, cumin, spinach, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Add eggs, or egg replacer, and mix together.
-Add 1/4 cup of the quinoa mixture to each muffin cup. Press down a little on the top so it is flat and even.*
-Cook for about 20-30 minutes, until the tops are just turning brown and cakes are fully formed. Remove from oven, cool, and then flip the muffin tin over onto a baking sheet. 

*Both times I've made this recipe, I've had trouble getting my cakes out of the muffin tin. I tried without spraying and with spraying beforehand, and it made no difference. We were even using a non-stick pan. We used a plastic spoon to carefully loosen the edges of the cakes and scoop out onto a plate.

My husband made a spicy, mustard dip for these cakes and they were a hit. I used some tamari sauce, or soy sauce, and I enjoyed them like that.

 Slice beats. For best results use a mandoline slicer or food processor that slices for even slices. I used a knife and it was quite difficult.

Coat with olive oil and lay out on a baking sheet or stone. 

 Bake, sprinkle with salt and enjoy!
Beet Chips

Ingredients:

3-4 medium beets (or 6-8 small beets), peeled and sliced thinly. Use a mandoline slicer for best results, and it's easiest!
1 Tbsp olive oil
Sea Salt to taste
Any other additional seasonings you may like to try

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Toss the beet slices with oil in a medium sized bowl until they are all well coated.
-Lay them flat in a single-layer on a rimmed baking sheet (bake in multiple batches if necessary).
-Bake for approx 20-30 minutes, until chips are crispy. Check after about 15 minutes, since the time will vary based on thickness of chips and how dark your baking pan is.
-Sprinkle a little sea salt (unprocessed) over the top when you take them out.
-Transfer to a wire rack and they will crisp up a bit more as they cool.

I hope you enjoy this fun, easy, healthy meal as much as we did. It's sure to become a regular in our home :)


Happy Eating!

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