Leftovers and a Recipe for Quinoa Cakes with Broccoli and Parmesan

When I was growing up my family ate a lot of leftovers and I never gave it much thought.  Both of my parents worked outside of the home and I was certainly quite lucky to have a mother who was an excellent cook (my father was no slouch either).  But, as most of us can now appreciate, it's difficult to get a nutritious, balanced meal on the table night after night especially coupled with the stresses of modern daily life.


Clearly recognizing this, my mother would cook items in batches or repurpose food from the previous evening's dinner.  I have no doubt this was more economical and just plain easier for weeknight meals.

To this day, I still love leftovers.  I think a lot of foods taste better the next day or a even a few days later.  Plus, I am a big fan of the cook once, eat twice philosophy of meal prep.

My family now?  Not so much.

Both my husband and daughter make the same "yuck, leftovers" face when presented with food that vaguely resembles something else they recently consumed in our home (the HORROR!).  But, as I've mentioned before, I hate wasting food.  So, from my love of leftovers and a refusal to throw out perfectly good food, a recipe was born.

Our family is making a concerted effort at limiting processed foods, especially carbohydrates and flour so we've been eating a lot of quinoa.  Fortunately it's delicious, nutritious and cooks up in a flash.  You can even prepare large batches and freeze it in measured portions.   What I love best about this dish is that the recipe uses leftover quinoa and some broccoli I had in the fridge.  I think using cold quinoa was the key - sort of like using cold leftover rice for fried rice or cold leftover risotto for cakes.

The idea here is to be creative - use whatever you have on hand.  I imagine these would be great with spinach and goat cheese.  Or carrots and cumin and feta.  Or cauliflower and cheddar.  Or...


Quinoa Cakes with Broccoli, Parmesan and Mozzarella
Yields about 8 2-3" cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c cooked quinoa (preferably chilled - leftovers)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked broccoli (mine was steamed)
• 1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese (more if you want)
• 2 TBS shredded mozzarella (I used part-skim)
• 1/4 c bread crumbs (I used gluten free corn flake crumbs)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• Oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Combine all of the ingredients, except the egg, in a mixing bowl and stir well.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
2. Add in the egg and make sure it is thoroughly incorporated and the mixture isn't lumpy - use your hands if you want to.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan until it shimmers (I used olive but you can use canola, grapeseed - anything that won't burn too quickly since you want these cakes to be brown and crispy).
4. Scoop out the mixture into approximately 2 TBS portions and form a cake that is a little less than 1/2" thick.
5. Place in the oil and cook for about 8-10 minutes (flipping over mid-way through) until brown on the exterior and fully cooked inside.
6. Alternatively, brown on each side for a minute or two and finish cooking in a 375˚F oven.
7. Season with additional salt while they are still hot (if desired).

We had these for dinner but I bet they would make a great savory breakfast with a fried or poached egg on top.

And Now for Something More Traditional (A Recipe for Creamy Oven-Baked Polenta)

It seems like corn pudding or a variation thereof is a common menu item on Thanksgiving.  Growing up in my home - not so much.  My father is allergic to corn.  Read that again.  Yes, corn.  All forms of corn.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be allergic to corn?  It's in EVERYTHING.   Don't believe me - read a label in your supermarket.  You're sure to find corn syrup or corn starch somewhere on the list.

Needless to say there weren't a lot of corn products on-hand or on-table when I was younger.  In the years since striking out on my own I have developed a healthy appreciation for corn meal and corn flour.  I love baked goods made with both products.  And I can't get enough polenta.  I also make quite a mean polenta; a polenta that pretty much secured my "A" on my culinary school final cooking practical.  But making delicious, creamy, luscious, lick-the-spoon polenta is a huge pain in the, ahem, arm.  All that stirring.  And waiting.  And stirring.  And waiting. And stirring... You get the picture.   Once you add a job and a child into the dinner-time mix something as time consuming and attention-stealing as polenta slowly fades from your repertoire.

Enter my savior:  oven-baked polenta.

I'm not sure where I first heard about this technique or what prompted me to try it but it is revelatory.  This method produces a swoon-worthy polenta that is rich in corn flavor, creamy in consistency and all-around delicious.  As an added bonus you can bake it right in the dish you plan on serving it from so there is one less pot to clean.  This is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving or any time during the winter.  It makes a great accompaniment to braises and anything with a sauce.  And, I have it on good authority (OK, my own) that it's quite delicious on its own topped with some fresh ricotta cheese and toasted walnuts.

Oven Baked Creamy Polenta

Yields 6-8 servings as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup corn meal (coarsely ground is best)
• 4 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth (you can use water but broth adds more flavor)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 TBS unsalted butter
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more to your liking)
• ¼-½ cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
2. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish and set aside.
3. Combine the cornmeal, broth and salt and pepper and pour into the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, stir to mix thoroughly, dot the top of the polenta with butter and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  Top with toasted walnuts if using.  Serve immediately.

"Delicious!" (Plus a recipe for Apple-Cranberry Bread) #savethanksgiving

I have always loved tart flavors.  My parents love to tell a story of me, at a very young age (young enough to still be in a high chair), sucking on lemons, grimacing horribly and then eagerly asking for "MORE!"   I still love citrus, especially lemons and grapefruit.  I add a squirt of lemon juice or a dash of lemon zest to any dish that will accommodate it.  I love a vinaigrette that makes your lips pucker.    So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I am crazy about cranberries.  I buy them all fall and freeze them for use throughout the year because I just can't get enough of them when they are in stores in November and December. 

I can't remember exactly when I had my first cranberry bread but it had to be when I was about seven or eight years old.  I remember this taking place in our "old" house and we moved just before Thanksgiving the year I was nine.  My mother and I had read a book where part of the story included baking cranberry bread and the book included the recipe (I wish I could remember the title of the book!).  I begged her to make the bread for Thanksgiving that year and, being the awesome mom that she is and was, she made it of course.  I distinctly remember it including orange juice because I was blown away at the idea of baking! with orange juice!  Every since that Thanksgiving our family dinner has included cranberry bread.  Now that my parents live in Florida Thanksgiving definitely has a different feel to it - hello we eat in shorts with the air conditioning on - but a cranberry bread is always part of the meal.

In developing this recipe I wanted to keep the feel of that long-lost recipe but also wanted to boost the flavor a bit.  My favorite banana bread in the world is by Dorie Greenspan and that is the inspiration for this recipe.  Her banana cake (as she calls it) is extremely moist and quite sweet.  I figured the sweetness would play nicely against the flavor of unsweetened fresh (or frozen) cranberries.  Homemade unsweetened applesauce subs for for the mashed bananas and the flavor is enhanced by the addition of cinnamon and ground ginger.  This recipe is extremely moist from the addition of sour cream so rather than adding liquid in the form of orange juice I added the zest of a good-sized orange.  My tasting panel (aka my daughter) declared the bread "delicious."  I hope you do, too.

Apple-Cranberry Bread (Cake?)
Yields 1 Bundt Cake or 2 standard loaves (recipe can be cut in half)
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2  tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2  tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 8 oz unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce (preferably homemade but store-bought is fine)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (Greek-style is preferable if you opt for yogurt)
• 1 12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped (not dried) 
• 1 TBS flour

Preparation:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350˚.
2. Generously grease a 12 cup Bundt pan or two standard loaf pans (I have used three mini-pans in place of a standard loaf pan as well - great for gifts!)
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.
4. Using either a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until it is creamy.  
5. Add in the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla.  Add the eggs in one at a time taking care to incorporate each egg fully.
7. Decrease the speed of your mixer and beat in the applesauce.  Add in the orange zest.  Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled at this point - it will come together when the dry ingredients are added!
8. Add in the dry ingredients alternating with the yogurt or sour cream in two batches and mix to combine between each addition. 
9. Toss the cranberries with about 1 TBS of flour to coat evenly (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the bread).  Mix in the cranberries by hand to distribute evenly.
10. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
11. If using a Bundt pan it should take about 65-70 minutes to bake.  If using standard loaf pans baking time will be reduced to about 50-55 minutes (The mini-loaves take about 40).  If the bread is browning too quickly during cooking you can cover it, lightly, with some foil.  You'll know they are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or when you press on the top it bounces back leaving no indentation.
12. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing.  Allow to cool completely on a rack before slicing. This recipe actually tastes better the next day (just wrap the bread tightly for storing).

"Delicious!"

A Confession (Plus a Recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Yogurt and Pomegranate) #savethanksgiving

I have a confession to make. It's a little embarrassing.  Some might say it's downright un-American.  But for you guys I'm willing to come clean (takes a deep breath):

I'm one of those people who prefer the side dishes on Thanksgiving.  Left to my own devices I would skip the turkey altogether.

(Hangs head in shame).  I know, I know.  I'm sure my family and guests would revolt so I make a turkey every year - a damn good turkey I should add (dry brine, herb butter, 2 kinds of dressing [not stuffing] and an herb-kissed turkey-based gravy - posts on this forthcoming!).  But the few years I was a vegetarian (11 to be exact) I didn't even miss the turkey on Thanksgiving at all *gasp*.  Plus, if we're going to be historically accurate, it is more likely that the Pilgrims and Native Americans ate lobster or venison than turkey but let's not quibble, OK?

I realize that the center-piece of most Thanksgiving tables is a turkey and I will give the bird its due at some point (see above).  In fact I have taken a pledge to Respect the Bird.  Join me and others who love Thanksgiving in an effort to savor the fall and give Thanksgiving its due before moving on to the craziness of the winter holiday season.  You can follow them on twitter and on Facebook.

But right here, in this little post, I want to to focus on a side dish.  This is a recipe you can use all year long - not just on one day of the year and, while it is my goal to #savethanksgiving,  my ultimate goal is to get everyone cooking a little more  (you know - the whole Everyone Into the Kitchen thing).

As the darker days of fall settle upon us, come dinner-time, I find myself preheating the oven and then digging around the refrigerator for something to roast.  Combined with a little oil, some salt and maybe some herbs or spices, vegetables and meats are transformed by the proper application of dry heat.  As an added bonus roasting doesn't usually involve a lot of advanced preparation, is simple to do and often results is pretty easy clean-up.  

The beautiful, sturdy vegetables of fall lend themselves so well to roasting.  One such vegetable is the often maligned cauliflower.  People are used to eating cauliflower as an overcooked part of a steamed or boiled vegetable medley and I can see why it isn't appealing to many that way.  But once you have eaten roasted cauliflower you'll never look at it the same way again.

Gone is the strange mealy, bumpy texture and lack of flavor.  In its place you will find a subtly sweet, crunchy yet supple vegetable with a complex almost nutty taste.  I have made simple roasted cauliflower for children who claim they "HATE it" and it's "yucky."  But toss it with some oil and a little salt, pop it into a 425˚ oven and call it "popcorn cauliflower" and you've got a hit on your hands.  Combine it with some spices, yogurt and herbs and it is transformed into a sophisticated holiday table worthy side dish or, dare I say, main dish for vegetarians.

Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Yogurt and Pomegranate 
Serves 4 as a side-dish
Adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets (yes the one in that picture is purple - I'm a sucker for interesting vegetables)
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I recommend Greek-style)
pinch of salt
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley or mint leaves (or a combination of the two)
2-3 TBS pomegranate seeds (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
2. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and pepper.  I do this right on the baking sheet - no need to dirty a bowl!
3. Spread the cauliflower mixture out on a baking sheet leaving room between the pieces for air to circulate and prevent the cauliflower from steaming.
4. Roast, tossing the pan from time to time, for about 25 minutes.  You want the cauliflower to be golden brown.  In this case I used purple cauliflower and it is a little harder to see.  Some pieces will be crunchier than others based on the size.  This makes for a nice variation in texture in the dish.
5. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl.
6. Combine the yogurt with a pinch of salt and drizzle over the cauliflower.  Top with chopped parsley or mint and pomegranate seeds.

#savethanksgiving (Plus a Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup)

I am on a one-woman mission to save Thanksgiving.  (#savethanksgiving) Over the years I've noticed that Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier.  I'm pretty sure things hit an all-time low this year when I saw tinsel in a local Duane Reade drug store on October 5th(!!).  

Before you get the wrong idea you should know this about me:  I am, quite possibly, the biggest "Christmas-loving Jew"™ you will *ever* meet.  Ask anyone who knows me.  I deck the halls. I am jolly. I don gay apparel.  I make cookies.  I listen to music.  I have a TREE (well I am married to someone who isn't Jewish but I am so very happy for the excuse to have a tree!).  And, mom, before you freak out, Chanukah always gets equal treatment around these parts.

But Thanksgiving has always been and will always be my favorite holiday.  Long before I discovered my love of food and cooking I adored Thanksgiving.  I mean, really, what's not to love? It's a holiday that is solely dedicated to the art of eating.  I have fond childhood memories of watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade in my pajamas while delicious smells wafted through the house.  And, although I have since discovered more complex and ingredient-laden recipes, I still make my mother's cranberry sauce because without it it's just not Thanksgiving. 

In my one-woman effort to #savethanksgiving, I am going to use the month of November to post some seasonal recipes that will hopefully make it onto your Thanksgiving table.   This first one is a crowd pleaser which can me made a few days ahead and is a great start to any meal or a meal in itself paired with some crusty bread and a green salad on a cool fall evening.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Coconut Milk
Yields approximately 3 quarts

Ingredients:
2 TBS oil (canola, olive, grapeseed - whatever you prefer)
1 1/2 cup of diced onion (about 1 large onion or 2 medium onions)
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1 /2" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4-1/2 tsp ras el hanout (or whatever spice you choose to add - curry would work well as would cinnamon but I would add more cinnamon as both ras el hanout and curry have more spicy kick.  I buy ras el hanout at Fairway in NYC but you can order it from a variety of sources )
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced with the seeds reserved
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of low-fat coconut milk

Prepration:

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a pot that can hold all of the ingredients.
2. Add in the onions and saute 2-3 minutes until they are just translucent.
3. Add in the garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute until they are fragrant.
4. Add in the ras el hanout or spice of your choice and stir to coat the vegetables with it and saute another minute more.
5. Slowly pour in the stock and bring the mixture to a boil.  Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add in the apples and squash and allow the mixture to return to a boil.  
7. Cover and reduce the heat so the soup is simmerig gently.
8. Allow the soup to cook for about 45 minutes until the squash is softened.  Don't worry that the apples will cook at a faster speed.
9. Working in batches puree the soup in a blender with the coconut milk.  
10. Return the soup tyo the pot to gently reheat.  Taste and adjust seasoning to you liking.  
11. Serve, garnished with the roasted seeds (if you'd like).

For roasted squash seed garnish:

1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F.  
2. Separate the seeds from the stringy squash innards (I find a colander and running water work best).
3. Dry the seeds and toss with a little olive oil and salt.
4. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet (I line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking).
5. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned and crunchy.  Check them every few minutes and shake the pan to ensure even browning.  They may take more or less time depending on their freshness, water content, your oven, etc.  Just don't let them burn!
6. The seeds will keep well in an air-tight container.

Plagiarizing Myself

I started out posting some recipes on my Facebook page and eventually decided to start this here blog. I still don't know what I'm doing here, really. But, if I must say so myself, I do know my way around the kitchen. Here's a recipe I created last Fall in an effort to use some things in the pantry (I stumbled upon a bag of organic pearl barley that I must have bought while in a daze because I honestly didn't remember purchasing it) and in desperation for a side-dish for dinner one night.

For me, side dishes (or main dishes) with a high fiber content are great - especially on Weight Watchers (note to self: now there's a source of blog posts!). Imagine my delight to learn that a cup of cooked pearl barley has only 193 calories, 1 gram of fat and 6 grams of fiber! It also delivers 12% of the RDA of iron and is a great source of Niacin, Manganese and Selenium.*

I scrounged around the fridge and came up with this recipe. It will work with any variety of vegetables and aromatics and is incredibly easy to make. Leftovers are delicious added to a leafy green salad.

Mushroom Barley Pilaf

Yields 4 very generous side servings

1 generous TBS olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 or 6 large button mushrooms, halved then thinly sliced
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 3/4 cup chicken stock (preferably low sodium or sodium free so you can control the seasoning yourself)
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh chives (for garnish)

• Heat the oil over high heat in a pot large enough to accommodate the finished product (3 quarts is ample).
• Saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and the onions are translucent - 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mushrooms to release their liquid and shrink slightly in size.
• Add in the barley and stir to coat with the oil and allow the barley to toast for about a minute.
• Pour in the chicken stock, add in the bay leaf, and adjust seasoning. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer.
• Simmer for 45 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff and top with the fresh chives.

*Thank you www.nutritiondata.com