Quinoa Cakes

Let's hear it for quinoa ... again.

I know you thought we were done with our quinoa series last week but I just have to share this recipe for the little people in your life. Now, it's not really a recipe per se b/c I didn't measure anything and I just kind of made it up on the fly. However, that gives you complete creative freedom to add your favorite ingredients.

Combine a cup, or more, of cooked quinoa with 3 or 4 eggs, a 1/4 cup of cheese and several handfuls of whatever vegetables you have on hand. I tossed about 1/3 cup of both corn and peas into the mixture but you could really add anything. Fully combine the above ingredients and season with a bit of black pepper and sea salt. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and drop 1/4 cup of the mixture into the hot pan and cook until golden brown, turning once or twice.

The twins gobbled these up, especially when I offered a little katsup for dipping. The big surprise was how much Eric enjoyed the quinoa cakes. I was getting ready to freeze all of the leftovers when he promptly stopped me and grabbed two for himself. Voila, dinner was served :-)

Spaghetti with Beans & Greens

As I've mentioned before, we eat a lot of beans around here, mostly because they are easy to prepare and inexpensive. The fact that they are tasty and nutritious is just a bonus because I'm pretty sure I would still sneak them into meals for the cheap and easy reasons.

Here is a delicious, light spaghetti recipe that is as easy on the wallet as it is your waistline. I always rinse and drain canned beans to remove any excess sodium but you can usually find sodium-free canned beans as well.

Spaghetti with Beans and Greens

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti (I use whole wheat)
3/4 kosher salt, divided
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more to taste)
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 (16-ounce) cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
5 ounces arugula leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 or 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions and drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing gently, set aside and keep warm

Return pan to medium heat and add oil, garlic and pepper; cook 2 minutes until garlic is slightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomatoes and beans and cook 2 minutes. Add pasta and cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add reserved pasta water and arugula, tossing gently to combine.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and cheese. Serve immediately.

Make yummy noises. Enjoy.


(Just 290 calories and 4 grams of heart-healthy fiber in a 1.5 cup serving)

The Dog Days of Summer

Summer is right around the corner which means more time spent outdoors, and more time exposed to the sun's harmful rays. To help protect yourself and your family please visit the Environmental Working Group's web site for a list of top-rated sunscreens with the fewest chemical ingredients.

There is some controversy about chemical sunscreens and whether or not those that contain vitamin-A actually speed the growth of cancer cells. Your best bet for fail-safe sun protection will always be a hat and lightweight clothing, but when you must expose your skin to the sun consider using natural sunscreen products that contain either zinc or titanium minerals.

Surf's up!

The King of Quesadillas

This recipe reminds me of something the King - Elvis Presley - would eat. His love of peanut butter and bananas is legendary so why not grill up a tasty version of this classic combination?

I would like to take full credit for this super easy recipe since both my children (well, all three of them if you count Eric), as well as myself, enjoyed this little concoction. However, it was our very own Jeannie C. who shared this recipe with me.

Banana Quesadilla
Spread all-natural peanut butter (or almond butter) on a 100% whole wheat tortilla.

Sprinkle a little cinnamon and slice bananas on half of the tortilla.

Fold in half and grill until warm and golden brown.

Slice, serve and enjoy.

How easy, easy, easy is that? And, if your kids are into dipping food into something, consider a side of plain yogurt or fresh fruit salsa for dunking and dipping.

This is a fast, nutritious lunch for kids and toddlers but would also be a great pre- or post-workout recovery snack for the kid in all of us.

Thank you Jeannie!

Summer Reading List

For those of you looking for some books to add to your summer reading list, I have a couple of suggestions.

Last week acclaimed author and speaker Geneen Roth was on Oprah talking about her new book, 'Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything.'



And before you get turned off by her mention of God in the title, you should know that she explains "God" as that longing for something bigger, better and deeper than our daily grind. She uses the word "God" to represent the wonder, mystery and miracle in life that you can't quite pinpoint but that you know is all around you.

Roth says that "if you suffer about your relationship with food -- you eat too much or too little, think about what you will eat constantly or try not to think about it at all -- you can be free. Just look down at your plate. The answers are there. Don't run. Look. Because when we welcome what we most want to avoid, we contact the part of ourselves that is fresh and alive. We touch the life we truly want and evoke divinity itself."

Packed with revelations on every page, this book is a knock-your-socks-off ride to a deeply fulfilling relationship with food, your body...and almost everything else.

Get it. Read it. Love it.


This next book, 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' is one that I am currently enjoying:



If you've read any of Kingsolver's novels you know that she is talented writer with a gift for wit and humor and her first nonfiction narrative is no different. This book chronicles the year that Kingsolver, along with her husband and two daughters, made a commitment to become locavores–-those who eat only locally grown foods.

Those looking for healthful alternatives to processed foods will find inspiration to seek out farmers' markets and to learn to cook and enjoy seasonal foods. However, the book's purpose is serious food for thought: it argues the economic, social and health benefits of putting local foods at the center of a family diet and opens your eyes to the age-old truth that you are what you eat.

Get it. Read it. Love it.

Another for the Wee-Ones

I found another crowd-pleasing quinoa mixture for the little ones this weekend. It even got rave reviews from a certain difficult-to-please-little-peanut of ours:



In a food processor, I mixed together a cup or so of cooked quinoa, a baked sweet potato (skin removed) and a ripe banana along with a teaspoon of cinnamon. Voila, dinner was served ... and even enjoyed.



This, along with the quinoa, black bean and banana puree, freezes well so don't be afraid to make a big batch and then store in smaller containers in the freezer. We do and it definitely makes the age-old question, 'what's for dinner mom?' an easy one to answer.

Bon appetite!

Quinoa & Roasted Vegetables

Quinoa with Roasted vegetables

Ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 red onions
2 zucchinis
2 large mushrooms
10 cherry tomatoes
8 cloves garlic
olive oil
fresh thyme
ground black pepper

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water


Directions:
Wash and slice all the vegetables except the tomatoes and garlic.

Leave the tomatoes whole and the garlic cloves in their skins.

Toss all the vegetables together in a large roasting tin with olive oil and the thyme.

Season with ground black pepper and a little salt.

Roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water and bring to the boil; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it is cooked.

Serve roasted vegetables over quinoa and enjoy.