Crispy Quinoa Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I know I have about 20 different version of quinoa cakes, but that's because quinoa is my chicken. Most people eat chicken every week in a different variety, so I do the same with quinoa. These cakes were so good, and the sauce really sets them off! What's even better is the fact that this is a quick meal. The downside is that it has a lot of random ingredients. Ironically, I had most of them in my fridge/pantry, so this was a win-win for me!

Crispy Quinoa Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Source: Vegetarian Times, September 2011 Issue
Makes about 7 cakes, serving 2 cakes/person

CRISPY QUINOA CAKES
Ingredients
1 large egg
2 tbs. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tbs. tahini or nut butter SS: I used peanut butter
1-1/2 tsp. red or white wine vinegar
3/4 cup dried quinoa (to make 1-1/2 cup cooked quinoa)
1/2 cup finely grated sweet potato SS: That's about half of one large sweet potato
1/2 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional SS: I didn't use these
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese, optional
2 tbs. finely diced onoin
1 tbs. fesh parsley or cilantro SS: I used parsley
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine egg, flour, tahini (or nut butter), and vinegar in bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, then mash together until mixture is firm enough to shape into cakes. Shape mixture into 1/4-cup patties with wet hands. Bake on prepared baking sheet 25 minutes, turning once, or until cakes are browned.

ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups roasted red peppers, drained SS: Equivalent to 1 16 oz. jar
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1 clove garlic
2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Directions
Puree all ingredients in food processor.

So, there you have it! I only needed to purchase a sweet potato, feta cheese and parsley for the cakes, and the roasted red peppers for the sauce. This recipe makes quite a bit of sauce. I found that the sauce was great for veggies - try celery or snow peas!

8 Weeks

Ok guys, time really flies when you have a kid. She grows so much over a single day, she makes me feel like I should really be working on something EPIC! LOL. Seriously, I look at her now, and I don't even know who she is!

This past weekend, one of Naja's "aunties" came to visit for the first time. We had a blast catching up on things. We lounged outside on the deck, with Naja in her bouncer (pictured). This past week my mom and I started giving Naja a pacifier, and it's a lifesaver! Originally I didn't want to give her a binky, but it is very soothing for her, and keeps her quiet in car rides. For example, she normally won't fuss for about 20 minutes in the car without binky, and with binky, I can easily get another 20 minutes of a happy baby riding in the car! I tried it out this weekend, running some last minute errands before my return to work and things worked out great. Naja was a true camper the entire car ride.

This is my first week back at work full time. Thus far, I get up at 6 AM, and leave the house at 7 AM to be at work by 8:45 AM. I get home around 6:30 PM. I catch a commuter bus into DC, and then hop on the metro, and walk to my office. It's been tough being away from her for so long because I feel like a bad mother. However I steadily remind myself that I work to provide for her, and I'm still spending time with her in the mornings, evenings, and nights! Also, I'm enjoying work, which definitely helps a lot. I'm still nursing Naja, and things are going well, but I am very busy! I'm going to do another post next week on nursing as a working mother. The post will include some of the shenanigans I've run into, which should be both comical and informative for inquiring minds.

Naja is staying at home with my mom during the day. Some days she wakes up pleasant, other days she wakes up fussy. Babies are still human with good and bad days. I think her personality is starting to show and I think she's going to be a talker like her momma! Whenever she's around people talking, she makes these noises like she's trying to join in. I love it! Finally, yesterday, Naja smiled for the first time while she wasn't sleeping. I was SO EXCITED.

Spiced Chickpeas

Want a healthy snack? Try these spiced chickpeas! Chickpeas are obviously my favorite bean. I have a couple cans of them in my pantry at all times, because I love how they taste. I mean I used them in banana bread - clearly, I love them. These spiced chickpeas are a great, healthy snack. The recipe calls for you to remove the skins on the beans, but I don't think it's REALLY necessary. Try them out!

Spiced Chickpeas
Source: Adapted from weelicious.com

Ingredients
1 15 oz can chickpeas
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs canola oil
1 tbs honey

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel the skins from the chickpeas.
2. Whisk cinnamon and oil in a bowl. Toss the chickpeas in the oil and cinnamon. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the chickpeas on the cookie sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, turning every 15 minutes.
3. Toss the chickpeas in the honey, and bake for another 7 minutes.

Enjoy!

New Hairstyle

I can't remember the last time I did a post about hair. This is due to many reasons. One of which can be easily attributed to my indecision when it comes to me and my hair.  Another is my recent lack of inspiration with my hair, in general. I seriously consider chopping it all off once a week. WELL, I recently was *inspired* by one of the style icons of at BGLH. Lurie is a beautiful woman with GORGEOUS hair! I wanted to style my hair to look exactly like one of the styles she displayed in her interview. Well, my style did not turn out to look like Lurie's, but it's a nice version of a that style, so it's "new."

I don't know when/if I'll have time to do a tutorial (considering I barely want to do my hair). However, I'll try to explain how I did this style. I created a side part. Did flat twists on the side with the least amount of hair. I did medium-sized two-strand twists on the side with more hair. Then, I folded and pinned the two-strand twists to my liking, and used bobby pins to secure them. The entire style took me about one hour. I'm not sure that the tutorial makes sense. I tried to take enough pictures so that you could see the style from every angle.

I think this style is a really elegant natural style, and is great for a special occasion, or a professional, office setting. If you try this style, let me know!!!

Spaghetti and Veg Meatballs

Fall is here! I had to wear a JACKET yesterday because it was so cool! With fall weather comes warm, comfort food. Spaghetti and meatballs is a great way to kick things off.

Spaghetti and Veg Meatballs
Source: Vegetarian Times, September 2011 Issue
Serves 12

Ingredients
3 8-oz pkg. plain seitan, rinsed and rained
1 8-oz. pkg. low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tbs lemon juice (About 1 lemon)
2 tbs finely chopped fresh dill
2 tbs. finely chopped fresh min and/or parsley SS: I omitted this because I forgot to get it
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs olive oil
1 25-oz jar tomato sauce SS: Feel free to use your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce also
1 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

Directions
1. Pulse setian in food processor until finely ground. SS: Go ahead and pulse the onion too to save yourself some time chopping it. It's all going in the same bowl! Transfer to bowl, and add all ingredients except oil, tomato sauce, and feta. Mash mixture with hands or potato masher until mixture comes together. Season with salt and pepper. Chill 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat baking dish with oil. Scoop seitan mixture into golf ball-size meatballs, and place prepared baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
3. Pour tomato sauce over meatballs, and sprinkle with feat (if using). Bake 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

I think the ricotta addition gave them a unique flavor I normally don't experience. I will definitely fix the meatballs again. I will say I think I made my meatballs too big, and they were not tight, they fell apart somewhat, so I may also adjust the oven cook time, or make them smaller.

Chinese Tofu and Rice Soup

Eating is a necessity for me (hopefully you too), and I like to vary my meals, so I try to fix one new dish per week. In my free time, I read food magazines and blogs to help me scope out new, fresh recipes, and I love it! Food Network Magazine is one of the few food magazines I subscribe to. Most of the recipes there are meat-based, however I'm getting courageous by adapting the recipes to fit my dietary choices. This recipe originally calls for 1 cup of rotisserie chicken (and chicken stock), which I simply substituted with extra firm tofu cubes (and vegetable stock). This was tasty and filling! Everyone in my family liked it - brother and dad included!

Chinese Tofu and Rice Soup
Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine, September 2011 Issue
Serves 6

Ingredients
4 Large Eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pack (200 grams) Extra-Firm Tofu, Cubed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bunch scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 cups baby spinach
1-1/2 cups cooked rice (white, brown or wild) SS: I used white basmati rice

Directions
1. Whisk the eggs with a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large saucepan over high heat. SS: With all the broth that this dish calls for, I would suggest using a soup pan. Add the eggs and cook, undisturbed, until bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is set, about 1 minute.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring gently to break up the eggs, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tofu, broth, 3 cups water, the scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce and 1 teaspoon salt. Partially cover and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the spinach and rice and warm through. SS: If using chicken, add it at this step. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

I will definitely make this again, it's a one pot dish with all of the nutrients you need - protein, starch, and veggies! This also required minimal prep, aside from slicing the tomatoes and scallions, and beating the eggs - this was a dump and simmer cook job. Everyone needs that, especially during the week!

Make this vegan by leaving out the eggs - I think it would taste just fine without them!

Quarter-Life Changes

A couple of weeks ago, I hinted that I would have some serious updates some time soon. Now is the time to deliver those updates!!! NOTE: The pictures have absolutely NOTHING to do with this post, but everyone likes to see baby pics! I'm using pictures from a "photo shoot" I shot for Naja's birth announcements.

The main update is that I have moved to the DC/MD/VA (aka DMV) area!!! As you may remember, my parents live in Northern VA, and living in the area increases my support network for Naja. This is really a blessing, my mom is a TREMENDOUS help. She even encourages me to get out the house by myself while she watches Naja.

With this move also comes...a new job!!! C'mon guys...I wouldn't leave a well-paid job and move to a new city with a new baby without another comparable offer in hand. That's why I didn't respond to some of the comments regarding returning back to work and daycare - my apologies but your answer is here today! My new job is in the sales/commercial field, with a company in the healthcare industry in DC. My first day is next Monday, 9/12!

Proud uncle with his niece

Naja and I are staying with my parents for a bit, getting adjusted to everything. My mom has graciously offered to watch Naja during the day for a little bit. We're not sure exactly how long for now. I will most likely put her in daycare part-time when she starts moving around more. So, that's all for me - new city, new job, new baby...talk about quarter-life changes!