Name: Quinoa Cakes
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Healthy
Ingredients: 1 cup fresh spinach, washed patted dry and thinly chopped; ½ tsp. garlic, inner stem removed, then minced; 1 cup cooked red or golden quinoa (rinsed); 1 tsp. freshly minced curly parsley; 1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped red onion; Zest of 1 large lemon; 2 tsp My Sage Gourmet Aglio Olio E Peperoncino; 1 tsp.freshly ground pepper (or to taste); 1 tablespoon whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs; 1 egg, beaten; 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese; Grape seed oil; TOPPING:; 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill; 1 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt; 2 teaspoons lemon juice

I love using Quinoa. I know tons of recipes for it but sometimes it’s finding that perfect little add in that gives it all you need. So, I played and played and finally found what I think are the perfect combination of flavors making this an easy, tasty, healthy dish that you will cook once, then eat a few more times through your busy week.

Quinoa Cakes

Yield: 4

(Adapted from Barefoot Kitchen and Whole Foods Market recipes)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh spinach, washed patted dry and thinly chopped
½ tsp. garlic, inner stem removed, then minced
1 cup cooked red or golden quinoa (rinsed)
1 tsp. freshly minced curly parsley
1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
Zest of 1 large lemon
2 tsp My Sage Gourmet Aglio Olio E Peperoncino]
1 tsp.freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Grape seed oil
TOPPING:
1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

In a large bowl mix together spinach, garlic, quinoa and red onion, lemon zest, Add salt and pepper (adjust salt as needed. Add Panko, beaten egg and goat cheese- mix well.
Make Quinoa patties about 2″ across and a 1/2 inch thick.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, add just enough grape seed oil to cover the skillet bottom.
Test oil by dropping a tiny piece of quinoa into the oil, It should sizzle but not pop. Adjust heat as needed.
Place patties in skillet, careful to leave a bit of space around all sides of each patty, allows even cooking.
Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip gently to hold shape and cook on the second side 3 minutes.
Place finished patties on a cookie sheet covered with a layer of paper towels to bloat off excess oil.
Stir together dill, yogurt and lemon juice in small bowl, then spoon over warm quinoa cakes.

(OPTIONAL)

CAN BE BAKED if you make the following adjustments:.

Increases cooking time,reduces oil usage, great flavor all the same!
Preheat oven to 400°F.

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS to use when baking:

1/3 cup grated carrots
1/3 cup seeded and grated yellow squash
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
teaspoon baking powder
NOTE: ELIMINATE THE PANKO BREADCRUMBS!!! The flour replaces it as a binder when baked!!

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl mix together the spinach, garlic, Quinoa and red onion, lemon zest, carrots, squash, flour, beaten egg and baking powder, omitting panko.
Form mixture into eight (4- to 5-inch) patties and arrange on an oiled baking sheet.
Bake, flipping halfway through, until lightly browned and just crisp, about 25 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 241mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 15g

America, it’s Time to Fall Back in Love with Canned Tuna

Last fall I read a distressing article, entitled “How America fell Out of love with canned tuna”. The article had a lot of not so great things to say about the canned tuna. At the time I thought it was another reason to not “have to” eat canned tuna again. I am happy to report, that it is officially Time to Fall Back in Love with Canned Tuna!
Thanks to a company called Safe Catch, we can once again delve into the canned tuna arena knowing we will find tasty,safe,healthy goodness in every bite.

I grew up eating tuna fish sandwiches. My mom managed our family kitchen within a budget that had to stretch over 5 kids, all of which were athletes. I am still in awe of that, quite an accomplishment indeed. Tuna sandwiches were one of our three weekly sandwich choices. Mom also used canned tuna for a lot of dishes from tuna noodle casserole to tuna burgers. I truly Love my Mama, but let’s just say she killed my appetite for tuna when the casserole and burger came into the picture-absolutely terrible (sorry Mom). In fact, to this day I rarely eat tuna.

By the time I get through putting gobs of mayo and sweet relish into the Tuna to cover the taste, there remains little health benefit to it. I might as well be eating a bag of potato chips and a hunk of a hostess ding dong. For me,that all changed when I covered the NPEW show this year. As I walked through the exhibit halls, I was bombarded with an array of tasty samples every which way I went. It is a yummy culinary overload like you can not imagine. So, when I was offered a sample of canned tuna on a cracker, I was happy to say no thank you, I don’t do tuna- (again, sorry Mom, no offense meant). What came next was a very pleasant surprise. My event companion slash amazing photographer slash hubby, tasted Safe Catch Tuna and said “you really should try this”. Reluctantly I did and well, Hot Dang!- Safe Catch delighted me with its delectable deliciousness!

Recently I received a complimentary box of Safe Catch Wild Albacore Tuna for me to play around with in my test kitchen. I opened my first can and was greeted with beautifully chunky, pristine albacore tuna. I took a tiny taste on the end of my fork and it tasted incredible-all by itself-this was going to be fun! Since then I have been making all sorts of recipe that I think you will truly enjoy and I’ve shared them below; however I highly encourage you to try this tuna by itself first. You would be missing out on an absolutely yummy experience if you didn’t!

A little About Safe Catch:
Safe Catch is the only brand that tests every single tuna individually for mercury levels.
There are no fillers or additives, just pure delicious responsibly, wild caught tuna in every can.
You can learn more and order yours at Safe Catch Tuna. Just click here

Recipe Links

Why Eat Tuna:
Research suggests that consuming canned tuna may provide a wide range of health benefits, from improving blood vessel function to boosting weight loss. Besides containing high-quality protein, selenium and potassium, canned tuna also possesses omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. Learn more here

Disclaimer– I received free samples to review and provide you with my honest opinion on the products. I am not paid to do so. These are my opinions based on my experience with the products themselves and my interactions with the staff of the company. The opinions in my posts are my own, authentic views. Your experiences and sentiments may vary from my own. Thank you for taking the time to read my post/s. Kind regards, Carol Takakura

Photographs courtesy of Jttphotography

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