Quinoa with Roasted Veggies and Mama's Sauce

Quinoa? What’s Quinoa? When I tell my friends I made quinoa for dinner they just smile and nod and hope I don’t realize that they have no idea what I’m talking about. But I do. And if only they knew the power of quinoa, then maybe they would change their minds. Quinoa comes from the gooseberry plant and is similar to cous cous or rice. It has many nutritional benefits and is known as a superfood. Can quinoa fly and wear a cape? No, I wish. Superfoods are nutrient-rich foods that are considered to be exceptionally beneficial to the body. Horrayyyy for foods that are exceptionally beneficial! Anyway, it tastes like a fluffy form of rice. So if you like rice, then quinoa is a great substitute if you’re looking on the healthier side. It’s a tad-bit more expensive than regular white rice, but I think the benefits outweigh the price. And the benefits include: high protein, high dietary fiber, calcium (lactose free), iron, potassium, magnesium, gluten-free… need I say more?

Danielle Critelli at the Neuschwanstein Castle which
is the castle that inspired Disney's Cinderella's Castle!
Dreams on dreams.

My good friend, Danielle Critelli shared this lovely dinner with Jenn and me a few days ago and she was a little skeptical on what in god’s name I was making for her. Danielle is not a very good veggie eater and had no idea what quinoa was. So when I told her I’m making her superfood quinoa with roasted veggies and tomato sauce, she hesitated coming over and reconsidered our friendship. But little did she know that I was about to BLOW HER MIND… and fill her with tons of nutrients.

I have to admit. As a friend, I shouldn’t have shoved her into all these new foods so fast. “Danielle, you’re gonna eat this. You’re gonna eat it and like it!” Maybe I was a little too harsh. Well, what’s done is done and she said she actually really enjoyed it! Hopefully, she wasn’t lying. Nonetheless, after dinner she said, “My tummy is tickling.” So I either inflicted a disease upon her or she was digesting all of the new nutrients her body never experienced before. I vote the second option.  

This recipe is very easy to make! I had a little help because my roommate, Ryan Pardo (shout-out), had a rice cooker available and I visited my mom the weekend before so I had some of her leftover sauce that I naturally brought back with me. So if you have a rice cooker and leftover sauce… or dare I say… JARRED sauce. Excuse me, I almost just barfed. You can make this dinner in 20-30 minutes. However, a rice cooker is not necessary. You can use a medium sauce pan and cover to complete the same task in the same amount of time. And for the sauce… you could use jarred sauce if you really want. Just please don’t tell me that you did and never use Ragu. That might as well be ketchup. If you want to make fresh sauce I can tell you a quick way to do it, however, it may take more time than taking it out of a jar.

Quick Tomato Sauce Recipe: Simply get a medium sauce pan and pour some olive oil (about 2 tbls.)onto it while it’s heating. Next cut up half an onion (can be red, white, yellow) and place it in the pot and let it golden a little. Then take a can of crushed tomatoes and pour it into the pot. Next you spice the shit out of it. Garlic powder, salt, pepper, emril spice seasoning, oregano, Italian seasoning, anything your heart desires (apply as much as you want.) Let it sit for 20 minutes at least and you got yourself some fresh sauce… A real authentic sauce recipe is soon to come in the future Shut Up and Eat adventures.

So if you’re in the mood for something different, healthy, and overall FUN, this is your next dinner. It’s always good to share meals with friends and family… and maybe even a glass of wine. All three are healthy to the mind and soul. I hope you enjoyed and don’t forget to follow our twitter so you can stalk our every move. And you can also submit your email above to receive an email every time we post!

Bon Appetite,

Dom

Click Here for PRINTABLE RECIPE!

Quinoa with Roasted Veggies and Mama Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of water

2 tbls. Olive oil

1 cup of broccoli, chopped thin

½ bunch asparagus, chopped into threes

2 Bell Peppers (Red and Green), sliced into cubes

3 on-the-vine red tomatoes, sliced in wedges

4 cloves of garlic

1 cup of carrots

1 cup of portabello mushrooms

Salt, pepper, & garlic powder, to taste

Equipment: Rice Cooker (optional), sauce pan (for sauce or rice cooker replacement) baking sheet, cutting board, knife.

***Note: All of these vegetables are replaceable and are not all necessary. You can use any vegetables you want to make this dish. Any combination would work.

Directions:

First, rinse all of your veggies in water (make sure if you use mushrooms to wash them thoroughly.) Next, you need to chop all of your veggies… you’re gonna feel like fruit ninja, except they are veggies… so I guess Veggie Ninja it is. Helpful tips while chopping produce:

Asparagus: Cut off the ends of the asparagus and dispose of them because they are tough to eat.

Bell Peppers: Cut around the stem of the pepper and extract all of the seeds. Then you slice it long ways and then slice them horizontally into cubes.

Carrots: These babies can fly all over the kitchen. Make sure you hold them down while you cut them or else you can poke somebody’s eye out.

Mushrooms: Cut them into cubes.

Tomatoes: Slice in half first, then cut the core of the stem out and cut into wedges.

Garlic: Hit garlic clove with the side of the knife to get wrapping off. Then you chop into slices.

Next place them on a tray (or two) and drizzle with olive oil. Put salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your liking and place into oven around 425˚F for 20-25 minutes.

On a side note, place 1 cup of quinoa into rice cooker or sauce pan and 2-2 ½ cups of water. Cover on medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until done. The picture above is what it should look like when done.

Since Jenn, Danielle and I had to wait for both things to cook, we decide to dance. We started out dancing to One Thing by One Direction and we ended up salsa dancing to Caribbean music… I don’t know how that panned out but for some reason it is usually what we do when we have to wait in the kitchen. We have concluded that we are weird… but fun? Once 20 minutes has passed and your dance fever has mellowed out, check the oven and if the veggies are roasted to your liking take them out. This is the finished product. LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE COLORS.

Once the quinoa is done, place it on a plate and if you want… you can shape it into a heart or whatever you want. Maybe this is a good meal for valentine’s day??? Tag this shit and save it for your loved one. After you place the quinoa, put all of your delicious veggies over top along with the sauce poured over. Remember to heat up the sauce if it is leftover or from a jar.

And last but not least, pour yourself and your friends some red wine and relax and enjoy dinner. Don’t be afraid of all of the different vegetables. They should be more afraid of you because you chopped them up and then roasted them in a 425˚F oven. Shame on you. Enjoy guys! Don’t forget to comment below!

Curried Falafels

In these last few weeks before the start of my senior year at Saint Joe’s, I can’t help but get a little bit nostalgic about how much this school means to me.  There seems to be little reminders everyday that take me back to my memories from these past three years.  Just the other day, for example, a friend of mine was eating a falafel for dinner and I was instantly transported back to the second week of my freshman year. One of my suitemates had suggested we go downtown to explore for the day as new residents of the great city of Philadelphia.  We hardly knew each other, as it was only the second week of school, but we deemed ourselves BESTFRIENDZ by the mere fact that we were going to be living together for an entire academic year.  See how awkward we were?

                                  

At least I was having fun...

                                

After some window-shopping on South Street we decided to stop for lunch at a cute little chain restaurant called Maoz, a falafel joint.  I had heard of this Middle Eastern sandwich before, but had never actually tried one; and although this falfael franchise was probably not the upmost authentic experience, I’ll still remember my very first bite and the uniqueness of the fried chickpea balls, cucumbers, tomatoes and tzatsiki sauce wrapped up in warm pita.

Inspired by this first falafel experience, and in attempts to make my four years at Saint Joe’s come full circle, here is a recipe I came with!

Click Here for the PRINTABLE RECIPE!

Ingredients

• 1 (15.5-ounce) can chicpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 small onion, chopped, about ½ cup
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
  
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons curry powder

For the yogurt sauce:

• ½ cup vanilla yogurt (I like the sweetness of it)
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste 

Method

1. Combine chickpeas, onions, garlic and eggs in a blender.  Blend until the mixture has the texture of a chunky hummus, leaving some large chickpea pieces.


2. Transfer the chickpea mixture to a large bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Form into 5 patties or 9 small patties if you want to eat in a pita pocket.  The mixture should very wet to ensure a moist patty, but if you are having trouble forming them, stir in more breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon at a time.


3. Combine all ingredients for the yogurt sauce.  Taste for seasoning and set aside.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Drop the patties into the pan with space in between. Do this in batches if necessary.  Cook for 5 minutes, then carefully flip and cook the other side for another 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. These patties are nice because they are pan fried and not deep fried, making them healthier than a traditional falafel.

 

Serve in a warm pita with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and drizzle the yogurt sauce on top.

Fun Tip!
Don't know what to do with all of your extra pita bread? Cut them up into wedges, brush them with olive oil and top with salt and pepper or with cinnamon sugar! Bake at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy! Everyone loves a good pita chip! YUM! Now, Shut up and Eat!

Cherry Buckle Cake

During the time that I lived in France, I had the amazing opportunity to visit my good friend’s grandparents’ home in the southern countryside.  I had not yet travelled to this part of the country, and I was excited by the prospect of beautiful rolling plains and vast farmland that awaited me.
Upon my arrival, I was showered with les bises françaises,  (double-cheeked kisses), and back handed compliments like, “You’re rather thin for an American!” and “It’s good that you’re open to trying other foods besides McDonald’s”.  (Uhmm…McDonalds!? Please…) While the main course was cooking, my friend’s grandfather invited me to take a walk with him to cherry tree nearby their home.  “My bride makes the most delicious cherry cake with the fruit from this tree,” he told me. “And I like to eat a few before bringing the basket back to her.” We used a large hooking tool, pulling down the taller branches, to pick the sweetest cherries from the tree; and for every 10 cherries we picked, my friend’s grandfather ate 4 or 5 of them. 

  The cherries were exquisite. The loving care that this family had put into the growth and harvest of the tree was evident in each succulent and sun kissed fruit. 
                                         
I never considered myself much of a cherry eater before this experience, but I now find myself using this summer fruit in a variety of different recipes! Here is my recipe for Cherry Buckle cake, my version of the cake made for me, that day in the french countryside. I hope you enjoy!

Click Here for the PRINTABLE RECIPE!


Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients


STREUSEL
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch table salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened

CAKE
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
10 Tbsp (1/2 cup+2 Tbsp) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups (20-ounces) fresh cherries, pitted and halved

Directions

STREUSEL
1. In a mixer combine flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt until combined and no large lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix until mixture resembles wet sand and large pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Adjust rack to lower third of oven. Spray 9-inch springform pan with with cooking spray, line bottom with parchment paper, and spray parchment paper. Dust pan with flour.


2. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl. 

Cream the butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest, until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated scraping down the sides between each addition. 
 
Gradually add flour mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Using a spatula fold in the cherries.

3. Transfer batter to the prepared pan, pushing with the spatula to spread evenly and smooth surface. 
 
Squeeze portion of streusel in hand to form a cohesive clump, then break the clump with fingers and sprinkle over batter. Bake until golden brown, about 55-65 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.


4. Run a paring knife around the outside of the cake. Open the springform pan and invert the cake onto a plate lift off the pan and remove the parchment paper. Invert the cake again this time onto a serving platter. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Fun Tip!

Remember all those cherries that you were pitting?

Well, don't throw out those stems!!


Boiling cherry stems for 8-10 minutes makes for a delicious detox tea that you will absolutely love.

Now, shut up at eat!