QUINOA CAKES WITH SHRIMP AND SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

Hello there. I'm back. I didn't become a member of Exodus International and move to Oklahoma to join Sally Kern's re-election campaign as many of you feared. I've just been busy, busy, busy with new projects (hopefully I'll be able to share some of it with you in the near future!) and also fighting a slight case of cooking block. I'm happy to announce that today I broke through my block and the kitchen once again smells like something other than my bottle of homemade vanilla extract that I spilled inside the cupboard.

Quinoa (prounced KEEN-wah) sounds like some form of martial arts to me. It's not, but if you are being mugged at 3 am you could always try shouting, "Stop! I'm a quinoa master and I don't want to have to kill you scumbag!" But a glance at the back of the box revealed that quinoa is a South American crop producing a grain with a high protein content, free from any gluten or wheat. Maybe not as handy at 3 am in a sketchy part of town, but it sounds good for improving your diet with whole grains and lean proteins which I'm all for these days.

I simmered the quinoa in low sodium, fat-free chicken broth instead of water. When finished, it was soft, fluffy,and somewhat alien looking, like tiny pod people waiting to hatch. I recovered from my first impression with my first bite. DELICIOUS! Similiar to brown rice in both taste and texture, but with a little more depth and less grassy taste. I was delighted to try something new and break out of my uninspiring cooking rut. Quinoa photo courtesy of Wikipedia


I discovered a recipe on Epicurious for savory quinoa cakes, topped with an eggplant ragu. I liked the idea of sauteeing the quinoa cake in olive oil to brown the outside, but the overall recipe sounded flat and bland. I took liberties and produced the version below, which turned out crispy, tasty, and is bound to be made again and again!


QUINOA CAKES WITH SHRIMP AND SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

1 3/4 cups low sodium, fat-free chicken broth (or good homemade broth)
fresh cracked pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well and drained
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried tyme
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced (I swear, I go to bed with garlic scented fingers every night--it's not at all sexy))

approx. 4-5 TBS olive oil

3/4 lb shrimp, cleaned

Spicy Tomato Sauce - See recipe below


Bring chicken broth seasoned with a few good turns of fresh cracked pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add drained quinoa, stir and return broth to a boil. When boiling, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Quinoa should have absorbed all broth (cook it just as you would rice). Pour quinoa into a bowl and let cool. Add beaten eggs, oregano, tyme, salt and garlic, stirring until very well incorporated. Heat approximately 2 TBS olive oil in skillet until hot, but not smoking. Scoop quinoa mixture with a 1/3 cup measure and drop into skillet. Press lightly with spatula to form patty about 3/4 inch thick. Add two more patties to skillet and cook over medium heat until edges are browned, roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully turn patties over (I guided with two spatulas to help avoid breaking). Cook until second side is also golden brown, then remove and place on paper to drain any excess oil. Add 2 more TBS olive oil to skillet if needed and repeat until mixture is used (should make roughly 7 to 8 patties).

Coarsely chop cleaned shrimp into bite-sized pieces. Sautee in 1 TBS olive oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally and removing shrimp immediately when they turn opaque--usually no more than 3 to 4 minutes.

Top each patty with a generous sloshing of warm tomato sauce and place equal portions of cooked shrimp on each. Serve and be happy!

I also think a nice basil chiffonade sprinkled over each serving would be a great idea.


SPICY TOMATO SAUCE*

*This is my go-to recipe for tomato sauce and I don't really have an exact recipe. I've given you the approximate measures here. Use this, or find a good basic tomato sauce recipe to use. I make this in large batches and freeze leftover sauce to use for quick dinners over whole-what pasta. You can half this recipe if desired.

4 to 5 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium-sized carrots, finely chopped
1 California bay leaf
6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced (told ya I always have garlic scented fingers)
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS dried tyme
1/2 tsp saffron threads (optional)
crushed red peppers (to taste--be brave!)

2, 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (preferably Italian)

Add oil to large, heavy pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and bay leaft, cooking and stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add garlic cloves, salt, pepper, tyme and saffron. Cook and stir another 2-3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, lower heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for a minimum of 45 minutes, or up to an hour and a half over very low heat. Stir occasionally and lower heat if necessary to prevent sauce from sticking to bottom of pan. Remove bay leaf before serving.