FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Fancy, Huh?

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My super simple broil-everything-and-call-it-a-night-dinner turned out much fancier than one could have ever anticipated.  I prepped the salmon and sunburst tomatoes the same by spraying lightly with olive oil and sprinkling with seasoning.  And while they were busy broiling on high, I got to work on something new.

Balsamic reduction, anyone?  I suppose that’s where the fancy came into play.  But really it required much too little effort to be considered fancy in any way, shape, or form.  I brought 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of ponzu sauce to a boil and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.  Little to no stirring was required.  I was shocked.

I placed the salmon, tomatoes, and walnuts on a big bed of baby spinach and generously drizzled the room temperature balsamic reduction over everything.  If I had guests over for dinner, I assure you they would have been impressed!

Quinoa Meatless Balls

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Ever since the grape leaves and quinoa recipe, I’ve become a ton more confident cooking with quinoa.  Quinoa tabbouleh, truffled quinoa and cheese, and now… Quinoa meatless balls.       

I’ve also become severely addicted to using my food processor to “chop” veggies.  Shredded, chopped, same difference to me if it means tear-less eyes.

FoodFash Quinoa Meatless Balls (yields 12 balls)

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 Not-Chick’n Bouillon Cube

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 yellow onion, shredded

1 green pepper, shredded

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 eggs

1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small pan, bring water, quinoa, and bouillon cube to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.  While the quinoa is cooking, brown garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  Add shredded onion and green pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until the onions are wilted and transparent.  Stir in seasonings and quinoa.  Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the eggs and breadcrumbs.  Form into 2″ balls and place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes and serve.

I was super happy with the way these meatless balls turned out.  I had tried a couple store-bought varieties over the years and was never happy enough to buy them again.  In this recipe, the egg and veggies keep the quinoa moist and held together, while the bread crumbs add a crispness to the outside and texture throughout.  And there aren’t 16 unpronounceable ingredients in these, which is a huge plus.

The Not-So-Easy Way

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You know how most of the time people are on a mission to make things easier?  At work, at home, everywhere in life, the easier route is typically the preferred route.  Well lately always, I’m fairly certain that I subconsciously choose the more difficult route.  Tonight was no exception.

I’m going on my third weekend in a row of out of town guests and I have a chore list a million items long.  I should have stopped at Whole Foods on my way home from work and picked up something from the salad bar.  If I felt like cooking, I should have reached in my bag of quick recipe tricks and whipped up something that would make a minimal mess in my kitchen.  I should not have wandered the aisles day dreaming and recipe creating.  I absolutely should not have settled on a recipe that would destroy my kitchen and double my chore list.  But I did.

I took a meal that could have easily been thrown together with spaghetti squash, jarred sauce, and frozen meatless balls and turned it into something uber homemade.  Like uber, uber.  For the record, if you want to make this meal in a hurry you can do just that.

If you want to take your time, listen to sweet tunes, and get your hands dirty, then make your own sauce and meatless balls.  For the sauce, barely brown a few cloves of crushed garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil, add 6-ish chopped vine tomatoes and some salt, and boil on high heat until some of the moisture is gone (10 to 15 minutes?).  For the meatless balls, check back tomorrow for the step-by-step!

Potato, Turnip & Chive Pancakes

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Would you consider someone to have a baking problem if they ninja’d their way out of going out on a Friday night so they could dream up recipes and head to the market first thing on a Saturday morning?  My 22-year old self would cringe at the thought.  My 29-year old self has mixed feelings.

I called my mom when I left the house this morning, knowing she’d be the only person awake that I could share my grand ideas with.  So excited, I asked “turnip and chive pancakes, mom, what do you think?”.  Little did I know that she was scarred from a childhood of thinking turnips were potatoes in stew and she did not share my excitement.  Bummer.

Only some of my excitement was lost as I wandered through a very empty Central Market.  I tossed turnips and chives in my basket and, reluctantly, tossed a white baking potato in there as well.  As much as I despise white potatoes, I knew they were necessary today.

FoodFash Potato, Turnip & Chive Pancakes (yields 3, 1/4 cup pancakes)

1 large white baking potato, shredded

1 turnip, shredded

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of fresh chopped chives

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

After shredding the potato and turnip, squeeze moisture out of them with your hands and then wring with a paper town to remove excess moisture.  In a small bowl, mix the potato and turnip with eggs, chives, salt, and pepper.  In a heavy bottomed pan, heat grapeseed oil over high heat.  Test oil hotness by tossing in a small piece of potato to see if it sizzles.  When the oil is hot enough, use a 1/4 cup measure to pour three pancakes into the pan.  Gently flatten the pancakes with a spatula.  Watch closely and when the edges are browned, flip pancakes.  When the other side is browned and crispy, remove pancakes from pan and place on paper towels to remove excess grease.  Serve right away.

So turnips vs. potatoes…  They are so darn similar.  I ate a raw shred of each before I started mixing and yeah, I could tell the difference, but not by much.  Turnips have a crispness to them, like they contain more water, whereas potatoes are as starchy as starch could be.  Turnips have a bit of bite, so I understand my mom’s hesitation for them making up the entire pancake, but they also have a flavor to them unlike potatoes.

Cooked and seasoned, there was no telling which was which in the pancake.  Perhaps it’s because chives are amazeballs and transformed two very boring veggies into something so delish.  For the record, potato turnip and chive pancakes are worthy of serving to your favorite breakfast guest.

And as far as nutrition is concerned, turnips have about 60% less calories and carbs than a potato and contain much more calcium.  So verdict?  Mixing turnips and potatoes is the perfect way to add a little flavor and reduce a lot of calories in a traditional potato dish.  I’m thinking this could work with mashed and scalloped dishes too.  What do you think?