Quinoa Cakes

Every now and then, I get behind in my posts but I have a good excuse this time — I started a new job and, HOORAY, it’s in Philadelphia.  So no more driving 40 miles a day….I can relax and let SEPTA Regional Rail escort me to my new destination.  Regardless, my tardy tales are a problem because sometimes that’s how we remember whose turn it is to cook next…our hosting rotation in is alphabetical order.

That’s easy enough, right? 

And, as you have read before, we all know what we bring to each host’s house.  When we are at A.’s house, I bring wine.  This time I brought a bottle of Roadside Red (mainly because I like the image of the rooster on the label), a varietal blend loaded with layers of violets, black currant, blueberry and spice (at least that’s what the label says).  Wine Enthusiast rated this wine with 88 points saying "... a great bargain.  You'll be pleasantly surprised by the lush red fruit, spice, mocha, and anise flavors and how easy this wine is to like."  So if you looking for a nice, inexpensive bottle of red with a playful label, give this one a try!

Last Wednesday, A. made Quinoa Cakes and when I asked her to send me the recipe, she said, in her typical foodie fashion, “I pretty much made it up!”  I was not surprised….I like to watch her in action because I learn so much from her casual and confident cooking style.  I usually follow a recipe but I am getting better at looking at the ingredients and knowing what would substitute nicely.  

I could not just whip something up.  At least nothing edible.

Anyway, like barley, buckwheat and bulgar, quinoa is a healthy alternative to other small pastas such as couscous and risotto.  It’s actually the seed of a beet relative and has an earthy, nutty flavor.  Quinoa comes in a variety of colors, but the red, black and white are the most common.  Packed with amino acids, fiber and iron, quinoa is cooked just like rice — a cup of grain to two cups of water, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes — and happily accepts a panoply of other ingredients for a tasty and healthy side dish.  Toss in some pine nuts, parmesan cheese, basil and bell pepper and, abracadabra, you got yourself a side!

Quinoa Cakes
Ingredients
3 cups of cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1 cup frozen corn
3 scallions, diced
3/4 cup of cheese (A. used fontina but any cheese will do)
Salt, pepper to taste
Paprika to taste and for a bit of color
Cilantro for garnish

Directions
Mix everything and form into patties - you should get about ten. If the patties feel a little wet, mix in some flour to stiffen them up a bit.  Heat canola oil in a pan and fry each patty until golden.  Serve with avocado cream.  Sprinkle on some cilantro.

Avocado Cream
2 avocados, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonaise
Juice of one lime
Add all ingredients to a cuisinart or blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

For dessert, C. made a delicious and beautiful crustless Goat Cheese Cheesecake and here is the link to the recipe.  She didn't have enough goat cheese so she substituted some ricotta cheese.....improvising at it's best!

Shrimp and Grits

As you know from previous posts, I am a person who likes routine.  When cooking for myself, I typically choose from one of five or six healthy, quick and easy-to-make dishes.  One reason I adore having company is that I get to explore and make dishes that I thoughtfully dog-eared in cookbooks or magazines or found on whatever.com….I really do cook to show others that I love them!  

It was M.’s turn to cook on Wednesday and she made Shrimp and Grits.  As difficult as this may be to imagine, I never had Shrimp and Grits before Wednesday.  That routine thing.  I know, I know, I should be embarrassed by this fact, and I am. But I’m more disappointed because I’ve been missing out on 50+ years of spicy, creamy goodness.  

The South is often called the “Grits Belt."  Grits come to us by way of the Muskogee Tribe — from the Southeastern Woodlands — who would grind corn to a “gritty” texture. This technique was adopted by the American settlers who would often give food allowances, including grits, to their enslaved people.  Wanting to make the most of their local resources, the enslaved people would prepare the grits with shrimp and other fish abundant on the Gulf Coast.  Fast forward 120+ years, in the early 1980’s, a ritzy restauranteur in North Carolina kicked simple Shrimp and Grits up a notch by introducing cheese, bacon and other spices.  Following a visit from the New York Time’s Craig Clairborne, the Shrimp and Grits craze we know today took off.

To add a bit of kick to this dish, M. used “Slap Ya Mama” Cajun spice…a spice — according to the label — that “gives you a loving slap on your back, followed by a ‘fiery’ kiss on the cheek and a desperate plea for water!”  

Before dinner, we nibbled on cheese and sipped wine by the fire.  It was lovely.  

Shrimp and Grits
Adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients
Grits
2 cups water
2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup of cream
Salt and pepper
A pinch or two of spicy seasoning
1 cup stone-ground grits
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Shrimp
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of spicy seasoning 
A big splash or two of vermouth, white wine or beer (enough to deglaze, complement the flavors and create a sauce)
Fresh tarragon, chopped (to taste)

Bring water, broth and cream to a boil. Add salt, pepper and spicy seasoning. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with the vermouth to create a sauce.

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Top with the shrimp mixture and sprinkle tarragon on top.  Serve immediately.

For dessert, A. brought a citrus-glazed polenta cake…more on that later.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

It has been downright frosty here in the northeast.  Temperatures have barely climbed out of the 20’s and it took me three hours to get home on Friday evening following a “snow storm” that left about an inch – yes ONE inch – of snow behind.

Why is it that the slightest how-do-you-do from Mother Nature causes traffic chaos?  Also, have you ever noticed that people just don’t know how to drive in snow or pouring rain?  I was both terrified and amazed by the passenger cars, pickup trucks and an assortment of other large vehicles that just whipped by at their usual speeds of a gazillion miles per hour stirring up spray and salt in their wake.

I ran out of wiper fluid, but that’s another story.  I was so on edge by the time I got home that I ate half a cheese steak, a slice of pizza, a macaroon and downed two glasses of wine.  For those of you who know me, that little collection of carbs is completely off the grid for me and myfitnesspal.com was categorically salty about that dinner entry.

On a more peaceful note, I walked into Architect’s house on Wednesday night for our weekly soiree and I was instantly greeted by the sweet smell of sautéing onions that provoked an “it smells so good in here” outburst from me.  Architect was making wild mushroom risotto because since it’s been so cold, she wanted to have “something warm and comforting that sticks to the ribs.”  It was so good, I had two helpings and my suspicion is that it’s going to stick to more than my ribs.

Risotto is an Italian rice dish that is prepared in a soffritto (vegetables, onions and butter or olive oil) to coat the grain then small amounts of liquid - broth, wine or water - are gradually added to plump the grain to a rich and creamy consistency.  Finally, cheeses are incorporated to make the mixture even more velvety and totally irresistible.  Risotto is normally a first course (primo) but when things such as vegetables, meat or fish are added, it stands out as a completely satisfying and delicious main course.

The Wild Mushroom Risotto recipe that Architect used is from epicurious.com.  The recipe touts a “four fork” rating from previous users because it’s somewhat fancy, easy to prepare and very tasty.  One user substituted truffle oil for half of the olive oil…truffle oil is expensive but the resulting flavor it adds to food is worth every dime. Another user made the recipe with wild and brown rice chanterelles mushrooms and reported amazing results.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

www.epicurious.com

Ingredients

3 14½ ounce cans vegetable broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, oyster, crimini and stemmed shiitake), sliced
1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain rice
 ½ cup dry Sherry
 ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
 ¾ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation
Bring vegetable broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep broth hot.
 
Melt 3 tablespoons butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add wild mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot vegetable broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh thyme. Serve warm.

We also had a delicious salad of greens, roasted carrots, blood oranges and goat cheese that was not presented in the traveling salad bowl because Foodie wanted us to appreciate the cacophony of colors and textures before we enjoyed the explosion of flavors.  The entire meal was simply delicious and was complemented nicely with a bottle of red wine.  

The Chick Loves Farro

So, I'm driving home from a work function the other day and my daughter sends me a text...it says...."Guess who's at the Borders? Lisa Scottoline." Remember the weak-in-the-knees episode involving Cake Boss Buddy, well, this was equally debilitating. I composed myself, drove to the Media/Swarthmore exit of the Blue Route, and headed east on Baltimore Pike, turned right into the parking lot and proceeded straight to Borders where Lisa was amusing the crowd with her stories and signing books. I gave her a hug and we had a nice little chat about her last book "Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog"....I told Lisa that if she ever sees me in a white dress with a bouquet of flowers in my hand she should just trip me....she laughed...

No, really.

She signed my book....I am beyond elated.

I was absolutely thrilled to meet Ms. Scottoline...I can only dream about being equally as witty....and charming!

In a recent Chick Wit post, Lisa talked about a trip to a New York -- where her daughter lives -- Italian restaurant where she tried and totally enjoyed a dish made with farro, tomatoes and cheese. Farro, considered the "mother of all grains," is an ancient grain that has a delicious nutty flavor and chewy texture. Italians have enjoyed it for many centuries. I found a recipe for Farro with Roasted Vegetables on thekitchn.com and I post the link below....enjoy!

Farro with Roasted Vegetables