I love waffles. You could pour pancake batter into a waffle maker and BOOM! It looks 100 times more delicious.  What is it about them that’s so alluring?  Is it the crispy exterior?  The nooks?  The crannies?  Or maybe it is that I’m shallow.  Pancakes are often imperfect.  Pancakes can look like someone who jumped out of bed, splashed water on their face, threw on a semi-clean pair of jeans, and tried to make it appear as though they showered.*  Waffles look so… dapper.  So prim and proper.  Perfect little grids.  Perfect sections.  Perfect edges.  Perfection.  Waffles did shower before coming to meet you for breakfast.

*I am often a pancake…if you know what I mean.

My husband got me a new waffle maker for my birthday last fall.  The one we got as a wedding gift — how should I say this? — sucked.  Waffles stuck to the so called “non-stick” surface every single time.  The exterior (the part stuck to the inside of the waffle maker) would burn while the interior remained raw.  It was awful.  My new waffle maker is pure happiness.  I use it a ton.  More reasons waffles trump pancakes: Clean up is easier and effort is minimal (no stupid flipping one at a time!).

Waffles FTW!

These are my two current-favorite waffle recipes.  Both include yogurt which adds a nice tangy flavor and a boost of nutrition.  If you don’t have a waffle maker, you can totally make both of these as pancakes.  As a general rule, any waffles can be pancakes but not all pancakes can be waffles.  Some pancake recipes are too heavy for the waffle maker.

Top either recipe with butter, coconut oil, maple syrup or whatever you like on your waffles!  One of my new favorite waffle toppings is sweet flavored vinegar.  We have fig vinegar and maple syrup vinegar — amazing waffle toppers.

Enjoy right away or freeze! I usually do both… we have some for breakfast (my kiddo LOVES these, by the way) and I freeze the rest.  I usually break them into quarters so I can pull out a little waffle at a time (or several quarters for a big Mama breakfast).

Whole Grain Yogurt Waffles 

Based on this recipe by Martha Stewart

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour — I like to use white whole wheat flour because it is lighter, but use whatever you like
• 1/2 cup almond meal — Use flour if you don’t have or like almond meal
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (amount of fat doesn’t matter — I used whole milk when I made these for my daughter but would use low or no fat for myself)
• Optional: A few tablespoons of flax seed just for a nutritional boost

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients — the flour, almond meal, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda and flax if you’re using it.  In another bowl whisk together the wet ingredients – honey, melted butter or coconut oil, eggs and yogurt.

Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture.  Let is sit for about 10-15 minutes so the oats can soften a bit.

Prepare your waffle maker.  Add 1/2 cup of batter (this may vary depending on your waffle maker) and cook until browned.  My waffles were rather dark in color but not burned. (They are the ones in the photo above.)  I thought I ruined the first one, but discovered it was just the color.  This is my new favorite waffle mix — ridiculously nutritious AND delicious!

Whole Wheat Lemon Yogurt Waffles 

Based on this recipe from The Family Kitchen at Babble

• 2 cups whole wheat flour — again, I like to use white whole wheat flour, but use what you like
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt — I used whole milk yogurt, but you use whatever kind of plain yogurt you like
• 1 cup whole milk (You could use lower-fat milk if you prefer)
• 3 eggs
• 8 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients first — flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients — yogurt, milk, eggs, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Add 1/2 cup of batter (more or less depending on your waffle maker) and cook until golden brown.

You can top with any of the suggestions above or get fancy!  In a sauce pan, add 3/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/4 cup of lemon juice.  Bring to a boil and cook for one minute.

A few months ago we got a chest freezer.  (I have a narrow side-by-side fridge… you know, the kind that aims to save space by giving you a smaller fridge AND freezer…) The goal was to cook and prep all kinds of things to keep in there to make my life easier.  It has sort of served that purpose so far; I’m a little behind on making meals to put in there, though.

Sorry, SELF.  I’ve been a little busy working fulltime and keeping a short but very demanding human being alive!  Geez.

Well, this weekend I kicked it into high gear.  Thanks to my daughter shifting to one long nap in the afternoon, I cooked the sh*t out of this weekend!  In yo’ FACE, weekend!

My biggest victory was a beef stew perfect for the freezer.  I got six pounds of stew-beef on sale last week so I needed a recipe I could make BIG but without increasing the effort by much (ie, no additional chopping!).  This was perfect.

Mahogany Beef Stew

Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine (I made a few minor changes and doubled…)

- olive or canola oil (something neutral)
- 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
- 1-2 onions, chopped
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 springs thyme
- 1 pound potatoes, cut into chunks (carrots or butternut squash would work fine)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Heat a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.  Add a bit of oil.  Season the beef well with salt and pepper.  Add to the pot in batches to brown on all sides.  (This is the hardest part of the recipe… you can get through it!)

Once it is all browned, remove from the pot.  Add the onions and sauté (add a bit more oil if necessary), scraping up the brown bits left by the beef.  Sauté until the onions start to soften.

Put the beef back in the pot and mix with the onions.  Add 1 cup of the wine, reserving the other cup.  Add the tomatoes (with their juices!), hoisin, bay leaves and thyme.  Bring to a boil.

Once it boils, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Add potatoes (or whatever you’re using) and the other cup of wine.  Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to high.  Boil for about 15 minutes to allow the sauce to slightly thicken.  If you want to stop here, you can… otherwise, we’re going to make the sauce even thicker.  In a separate bowl, dissolve one tablespoon of cornstarch in one tablespoon of water. Reduce the heat to medium and add the cornstarch mixture to the pot, stirring occasionally.  Simmer for another 8 minutes.

Done.  Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems.  Season with salt and pepper if you wish.

This stew is rich and dark — intensely flavorful.  Unlike other beef stews, I find it to be too rich to eat alone but perfect over rice, barley or noodles.

I’m dividing the stew into portions and freezing for nights when I don’t feel like cooking.  I can’t wait to not feel like cooking!

New Year’s Eve… now it is just the night before a day off from work.  Once it was something big.  Something wild.  Something expensive that required a special outfit and special plans.  Heavy eating and heavy drinking.  But now?  Screw that.  I’m not staying up past midnight when I know an early-morning wake-up is inevitable.  Call me lame… I don’t care.  I’m the mom of a toddler and I’m tired as sh…sugar.  (I’m trying to watch my mouth.  It’s not going well.)

It has become a New Year’s Eve tradition (two years in a row constitutes “tradition” right?) for me to make a special meal for Hubby and me.  Roasted leg of lamb, creamy polenta, Brussels sprouts with cranberries… it was all delicious.  But the Cinderella of the meal was the dessert.  A dessert that was supposed to be one thing but then I got lazy and sleepy so I made it something else that required less work.  And it was incredible.  My plan was to make apple crisp complete with my favorite pie/crumble/crisp topping but there was just so much slicing and peeling and tossing and zzzzzzz…  I cut the apples in half as I prepared to slice and peel and blah blah blah but then I got tired.  (Yes, really this is how it happened.) So here is what I did:

Lazy Apple Crisp

• Apples (the crisp topping recipe is for 4 halves, so 2 apples (yeah, I know… I have the smarts…) but make as many as you want, just adjust the topping)
• ½ cup of flour – whatever kind you have on hand
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup cold butter – that’s ½ stick
• Heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the apples in half long-ways.  With a spoon or melon baller (I like the melon baller for this), scoop out the core plus a little more to make a well in the center of the apples.  It doesn’t need to be too deep, so don’t get too crazy.  Put the halves in a baking dish.

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and oats.  Then cut in the butter.  A pastry cutter or fork will be fine for this.  Mix until you have a crumbly topping – every bit of dry stuff should be touching some bit of butter.

Mound some of the topping onto each apple-half.

Put enough water in the bottom of the dish just to cover the bottom.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.  Then lower the heat to 350 and bake another 20 minutes.  The topping should be brown and the apples should be soft but not mushy.

If there is any yummy goo in the bottom of the dish, spoon it over the apples.  Remove them from the dish and let them cool just a bit.  Serve alone (that’s how we had them) or with a scoop of ice cream.

Unreal.  I’m in love with this topping recipe.

I started making apple sauce from scratch a few years ago when I learned how “easy” it was.  Just core, slice, and dice a ton of apples… cook in a saucepan with a little water… stir, mash, stir, mash… add cinnamon and whatever else… stir, mash, stir, mash… until it is perfect.  At least a couple hours of “easy” work.

This is the easiest, most moron proof, most delicious way of making homemade applesauce you will ever find.  I promise.  I will refund the money you paid to subscribe to this blog if you find an easier one.  Oh, you didn’t pay anything?

That method works, but why bother?  Nowadays I make a ton of applesauce for my kiddo, plus my hubby and I love to mix it with butternut squash this time of year.  I am not going with that old method.  No freaking way.

Easy Applesauce

Ingredients:
- As many apples as you like; any type is fine
- Cinnamon is optional but encouraged
- You can also add butter, maple syrup, honey, oats, etc if you like.
- Water

Tools:
- Glass baking dish
- Melon baller
- Whatever kind of food processor you like — immersion blender (my choice for this), food processor, blender, etc.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Scoop out the core of your apple with the melon baller stopping short of going all the way through.  Leave the bottom closed.

Put the apples in the baking dish.  Sprinkle cinnamon into each cavity.  Put a little water in the bottom of the dish — just enough to cover the bottom.

Bake for 40-60 minutes depending on the apples.  As soon as they start to split and/or wrinkle a bit, they’re done.

Let them cool just enough so you can handle them. You see all that delicious cinnamony goo in the apples?  Pour that into your bowl. With a butter knife cut out the bottom of the core.  Toss the apples, skin and all, into the bowl.

Blend.  You can make it as smooth or chunky as you like.  Your choice.

Done.  That’s it.  It is delicious.  Baking the apples concentrates the apple flavor just a bit making it a rich, silky applesauce.

(Mix with pureed butternut squash or sweet potato, some either dried or cooked fresh cranberries, and toasted pecans for an awesome side dish.)

I will never make applesauce any other way.  Ever.

I’ve been wanting to compile some of my favorite recipes for a while — recipes that I actually make over and over again.  So here they are… my favorite recipes broken into a few categories.  Did I leave anything out?

Big Batches:

Turkey chili — This takes some time and it has a lot of ingredients.  BUT it makes a huge pot that will last a very long time.  And it is freaking delicious.

Best Ever Mac n’ Cheese — One batch of this will last you several meals… or it will serve a lot of people… or grab a fork and dig in alone because it is just that good.  This mac n’ cheese is my most comforting comfort food.

Cashew Chili — I am in love with this recipe.  It is healthy, delicious, warm, and easy to make in a great big pot.  Freeze it in batches and grab some for lunch or a quick dinner.

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie – This is a staple in my house.  Easy to make, healthy, and it makes several meals.  Oh, and it is customizable!  Love that.

Quick Weeknight Meals:

Sausage Kale Soup — Toss whatever sausage you like (I go for something smoky and spicy) into a pot with some aromatics, spices, greens, and stock… before you know it dinner is ready.  Delicious, nutritious, and enough for more than one meal.

Korean Style Steamed Eggplant — This could not have been easier or more delicious.  I love love love this recipe!

Creamy Avocado Pasta — This is our ultimate quick weeknight dinner.  Now that I’ve made it so many times, I don’t even break out the food processor.  I just mash with a fork to save on dish-washing time.  And I’ve jazzed it up with some steamed shrimp, grilled chicken, feta and/or slow roasted tomatoes.  This is definitely one of my husband’s favorite dinners.

Lemon Chicken Breasts – If you can get the chicken into a marinade in the morning or the night before, this dish is better.  If not, no biggy.  This chicken dish is easy to prep and only takes 30-40 minutes in the oven.  Plus it is so very tasty!

Sweet Potato Soup With Maple Black Pepper Whipped Cream – Very few ingredients and very little work.  The only thing that really takes any time is cooking the sweet potatoes.  If you don’t have a food mill, any kind of food processor is fine (food processor, blender, immersion blender, etc).

Other Recipes I Love and Don’t Want to Leave Out:

Roasted Herbed Chicken Breasts — Delicious.  Easy.  Look and taste fancy.  Can’t be that!  The amount of time this takes really depends on how quick you are with a knife.  It is a good meal to make on a Sunday so you have dinner for a few nights.

Stuffed Tomatoes — So delicious.  So light.  So fresh.  Excuse me while I fantasize about Crete and stuffed tomatoes… ahhh….

Turkey Meatball Subs (or just turkey meatballs) — The ultimate snow-day or game-day food.

Black Bean and Banana Quesadillas — (I wrote this post for another blog.)  I actually made this for my daughter, but ended up loving it for myself.  These quesadillas were delicious and easy to make.

Mexican Chocolate Pudding — Need I say more?  You can also freeze this in small batches and eat as a yummy frozen treat.  It doesn’t defrost well, though.

Grilled Apple and Gouda Pizza — This was one of the best pizzas I’ve ever made.  No grill?  Make it in your oven… 475 on a stone or whatever pan you have.

My husband used to hate eggplant.  Would. Not. Eat it.  That was problematic for me for two reasons: 1) I get a boatload in my CSA box each year and struggle to eat it myself and 2) Eggplant is delicious and I’d like to for him to be able to partake in its deliciousness (for my convenience, obviously).  Well at some point (time has completely run together) he tasted it and said “Hm.  This is good.  Ok, I eat eggplant.”  Just like that!  I bet he liked it all along!  Jerk.

(J/K! Love you, sweetums!)

(J/K!  We don’t say sweetums.  Gross.)

So now I get to cook eggplant for dinner!  Like, for BOTH of us!  Hooray!  You can imagine my joy when I spotted this recipe that included three of my favorite things (I’m super into lists today, apparently!): 1) Eggplant, 2) Asian food and 3) an easy meal that I can make on a weeknight when I’m tired enough to go to bed at 6:30 and sleep until morning.

Korean-style Steamed Eggplant

Courtesy of Kimchi Mom

- 4 Asian eggplants (I used 5 or 6 little ones, actually. Just don’t use American eggplant, ok?  Not flavorful enough.)
- 3 green onions
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil (Do not skip this!  It is what makes it taste super authentic.)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Something for heat — Add to taste.  Kimchi Mom says to use kochugaru (coarse red pepper powder) but I don’t keep that on hand.  I used Huy Fong chili garlic sauce (they make the sriracha most people have).  Sriracha would work.  Or skip the heat if you must.

Cut the ends off the eggplant and slice in half.  You need a steamer basket for this… put it in whatever pot you use for steaming and fill with water up to the basket, not over.  Put the eggplant in, turn the heat to medium-high, cover and steam for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your eggplant.  My eggplants were fatter than Asian eggplant so it took more like 15 minutes to steam them fully.

While they are steaming, chop the green onions and mince the garlic.  Mix everything — onions, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili sauce (or whatever) in a bowl.

When the eggplants are done, remove from the steamer and quarter.  Put on a plate and pour as much sauce as you would like over them (just pour it all… it is too damn good not to).

This tasted like a dish I would get in a restaurant.  It was so delicious… and light!  Nothing cooked in heavy oils or anything.  Nice, light, flavorful eggplant with that rich spicy sesame sauce.

We ate this hot on the night I prepared it and cold the night after — it was fantastic both times.  This is a new fave.

We’ve had this lady staying with us for a while.  She’s very nice, friendly and highly entertaining… overall, it has been good to have her.  But we’ve been really put-off by this one experience we continue to have.

So I’ve been cooking a lot for us — obviously — and I think the food’s been pretty good.  I mean, we eat it!  So we sit down to dinner and she’s all happy and chatty.  We talk about our days — typical dinner table conversation.  I prepare everyone’s plates and bring them to the table.  She takes one look and refuses like she’s the freaking Queen or something!  I don’t know if she doesn’t like my plating or if the food just doesn’t look appetizing to her, but she refuses.  When I say “refuses” I don’t mean she says “no thank you,” I mean she refuses.  ”No way I’m eating that!  Are you kidding me?!  Get it out of my FACE!” If it is already in front of her, she has been known to throw it to the dog.  WTF?! Who does that?!  It is so crazy. So I tried making other things, even buying pre-made things that look nicer but it didn’t work.  She still was incredibly rude, yelling about how she wasn’t eating that swill.  That’s what she called it — swill! I’ve never had an experience like this with a dinner guest.

At first I didn’t let it bother me.  Don’t get me wrong, I was shocked at her behavior!  But she never got far enough to even taste my cooking so I didn’t take it too personally.  Now, though, I’m starting to get offended!  I went to all this trouble to cook and she calls it swill and throws it to the dog?  I don’t think so, lady!  Have some freaking manners!

But what am I going to do?  I mean, she is my baby.

Hey pinners and non-pinners-who-kind-of-secretly-want-to-be-pinners!  I’m starting something new here on eatniks… PINTEREST FRIDAYS! *Crowd goes wild*  Every Friday I’m going to post my favorite food related pins of the week.  If you come across something awesome, please feel free to send it to me via Twitter, Facebook, or tag me on Pinterest! Oh, and you should totes follow me on all three.  (I’ve never used “totes” before and I feel kind of icky for doing so now.  I need a shower.)

- Curried Pea Sandwich with Coconut-Cilantro Chutney — Um… YES PLEASE GET IN MY FACE NOW THANKS.

- Avocado Popsicle – Because eating delicious things will distract you from the fact that your skin is melting off in this obscene heat.

- Red Beet Baby Gift Set — I might have another kid *just* so I can buy all of these outfits and dress him/her as produce every single day.  I really might.  Don’t push me.  (PS — If you get one of these and put a baby in it, you are required to send photos.  It is mandatory.)

Hubby got a new job — I’m very proud of him.  But before he even started this new job, we were invited to a party at his new boss’ house.  Obviously we had to bring something.  ”So what?” you say?  Here’s the kicker… Hubby works for the federal government and there are rules about the value of gifts a person can give to their boss.  That value is $10.  I had two choices: the finest bottle of Charles Shaw I could find to wow the new boss or I could make something.  I sincerely hope you already know which one I chose.  I really hope.

I made something.  (Did you guess right?)  Not just any something… but something that really impressed me. They sounded so fancy and they tasted so good; I wanted to high-five myself. I actually have no idea if it impressed the new boss*, but I like to think he was blown off his seat.  Let’s go with that.

Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

These cookies were so easy to make and SO DAMN DELICIOUS that they are going to be my new go-to cookies.  For those of you like me who aren’t into super sweet desserts, these are perfect.  They definitely taste like espresso and have that same bitterness.  Dust with powdered sugar to balance that bitterness.

This recipe came from Smitten Kitchen and I didn’t make any changes.  I’m going to paste her recipe here with my comments.  Note: I am not plagiarizing!  I hate those jerks!  This is NOT MY RECIPE!  Although… when someone tells me that the cookies are awesome, I’m taking credit.

- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon boiling water (Shhh… I used hot water and it worked fine)
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (plain, or a toffee variety), finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chunks from Whole Foods)
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. [My dough was pretty crumbly which (I think) was correct.  It will come together when you roll it.] Fold in the chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.

3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. [Basically, try to fill the bag with your dough.  Just roll and roll until it is about right.  I had one jagged corner, so I just ate those cookies.  You know, just tidying up.] As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. [I used no ruler; mine were rustic.  My pizza cutter worked great for cutting the cookies.] Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving. [I dusted them until the tops were coated.  It added a really nice sweetness that wasn't overpowering.]

You’re going to love these cookies.  No joke.

*New Boss’ wife is an incredible cook.  She made three fabulous fruit tarts for dessert… my sad little (but delicious!) box of cookies got lost on the table of gorgeous tarts (and rightfully so).  Lesson learned: Do NOT bring food to the house of someone who’s a better cook than you.  Noted.

Hi.  Yes, I’m still here.  I haven’t completed forgotten about you despite all evidence to the contrary.  The new baby came along and I stopped giving you attention — I know.  My dog totally feels your pain.  If it is any consolation, I’m still writing about food and posting fun recipes on this other blog!  No, that doesn’t help?  I see.

A quick recap of the last several months: My baby is growing like a weed on steroids doused in Miracle Grow making a wish at a Zoltar machine.  She’s been eating solid food for 5 months, something I looked forward to with all of my being only to discover that babies don’t just automatically love food and want to go out for dumplings and mapo tofu.  Oh.  I didn’t realize.  So in an effort to 1) feed her real wholesome nutritious ingredients, I’ve been making all of her food and 2) expose her to new and fun flavors thus getting her on our same menu ASAP, I’ve been a cooking fool.  Cooking for her, cooking for us… cooking cooking cooking!  And now… 5 months into solid foods… she is finally eating almost anything that I put in front of her.  (Note: That “finally” is purely a reflection of my foodie impatience and not a reflection of her pickiness/non-pickiness.)

Anyway… We’re good now!  Any foodie parent will agree that there are few things more satisfying than watching your child devour and enjoy something you cooked for them.  Pure. Heaven. (For a special kind of nerdy parent…)

How about a recipe, huh?  I’ve got a good one for you… adult, kid and solid-eating-infant friendly!  Adapted from a recipe I spotted on Pinterest, I present to you…

Red Pepper Quinoa Bites (or nuggets or balls or patties… whatever)

This recipe is great for kiddos; a great snack for adults; or even a terrific appetizer or hors d’oeuvre.

- 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup of uncooked polenta or milled barley
- 2–3 roasted red peppers — minced
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup of crushed tomatoes or purée — I used the fire roasted kind.  Muir Glen’s cans are BPA free!
- Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano — or whatever seasoning you like
- salt and pepper
- breadcrumbs as necessary to make the mixture easy to mold

Cook the quinoa in 1 cup water.  Add quinoa to a hot saucepan and toast for a minute or two.  Add the water.  Add a little seasoning if you would like — I added a sprinkle of chili powder.  Reduce the heat and cook covered for about 10 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.

Cook the polenta or milled barley.  (Milled barley is barley that has been ground into a flour-like consistency.  I love this stuff… it makes a great breakfast cereal.)  Cook the barley in 2 cups of water whisking often.  You don’t want it to get clumpy.  It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook.  You want it to be thick like oatmeal.

Heat your oven to 350.

Combine the quinoa, water, roasted peppers, tomato puree, and any seasonings you like.  I used jarred roasted peppers and they were kind of salty so I skipped the salt.  Season it to your liking, tasting often, BEFORE adding the egg!  You can’t taste it once you add the egg.

Once you get it all right, add the egg and some bread crumbs.  Add a little at a time until it is a texture that can be molded — sort of like meatloaf.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Shaping your bites is easier if you chill the mixture first.  If you don’t have time for that, no worries.

Shape your bites into whatever shape you want.  I went with a nuggety shape.  Balls would work great as hors d’oeuvres.  Patties would be good on sandwiches.  Whatever you want.

Bake for 20-35 minutes depending on how think your bites are.  Mine took 35 minutes.  The outside should be crispy and they should be firm to the touch.

I made a bunch so some will go into the freezer and can be defrosted one at a time for Baby.  They are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside as if they were deep fried.  I’m pretty much in love with this recipe. Later this summer when I get eleventy bazillion sweet peppers in my CSA box, this is what I’m doing with them.