Quinoa and Swiss Chard Fritters

I know what you're thinking....I love quinoa and I love swiss chard, but they're TOO HEALTHY! Well, I can fix that for ya. Just add some egg and cheese and fry em!

I found this recipe on the New York Times website.

INGREDIENTS

I bunch Swiss chard, washed and stemmed (do not discard the stems) I like to just grab the leaf in one hand and the stem in the other and pull them apart

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 plump garlic cloves, minced, or 2 teaspoons minced green garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup quinoa

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon canola oil

For serving:

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp honey

1-2 tsp curry powder

1. Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the chard leaves. Blanch for two to three minutes until tender, then transfer to the ice water. Drain, squeeze out excess water and chop medium-fine. I squeezed the chard with my hands and then sliced the clump like when you make basil chiffonade). Add the chard stems to the water, and cook four to five minutes until tender. Transfer to the ice water, then drain and cut in 1/4-inch dice. Measure out 3/4 cup of the stems, and reserve the rest for another purpose (or just toss with salt and pepper and munch while cooking the fritters)

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a medium or large skillet. Add the garlic. When it is fragrant, in 30 seconds to a minute, stir in the chard leaves and stems and the cumin. Stir together for about a minute, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl, and add the quinoa, Parmesan and egg. Stir together.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the canola oil together over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet. Moisten your hands, and shape the quinoa and chard mixture into four hamburger-size patties (or make smaller, fritter-ish patties). Carefully place the patties in the hot oil, taking care not to crowd them in the pan. Press down on the tops of the patties with the bottom of your spatula to prevent them from falling apart; if they are thick enough, they should stay together. Cook for four to five minutes on each side until nicely browned. Remove from the heat and serve.

Variation: Substitute 2 pounds bunch spinach for the chard. Stem and wash the leaves (discard the stems) and wilt, in batches, in a large frying pan in the water left on their leaves after washing. Proceed as instructed.

Quinoa and Black Beans

Quinoa and Black Beans
Originally uploaded by kel h

Quinoa is a great whole grain, and black beans are full of protien. This is one of my favorite recipes for Quinoa, and it's especially good on a cold day like today.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
* 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
* 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or replace with 1 chipotle pepper chopped up, but beware because it's a bit spicier this way)
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels
* 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

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DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.