“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food, and for warmth. Winter is a time for home.” – Edith Sitwell
Winter is the season of rest and rejuvenation. It’s the season, that unlike any other, where we tend to crave more. More peace and love. More layers and comfort. More magical moments at home with family and friends. More of something, anything, that may be missing to feed the mind, body, and spirit. Winter is the time too, unlike other seasons, where we find that our bodies actually need more care and love. This time of year our bodies can sometimes come up short. And no I am not referring that our bodies physically shrink! What I mean is, our hair, nails and skin can take quite a beating with the cool, extra dry air that moves in after autumn’s season of change. You may find that your skin cannot stay moisturized even after the layers of lotion applied. You may also find that your nails are more brittle and your hair dry. These things, while all normal with any seasonal change, are signs that the body is missing something and may need more support. And what better place to provide the support that it needs than in the heart of home, the kitchen.
This week’s Gift of Something is Something to E A T. Today I am going to share a dish that is rich in beautifying ingredients to give your body some extra love and nutrients that it deserves this time of year. Because quinoa is naturally chalk full of essential vitamins, I decided to create a recipe that is packed with it. Along with a few other added things to help with beautifying the body from the inside + out.
Quinoa Patties
Serves 4-6
Prep time : 30-40 minutes
Total time : One hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
Relish:
1-2 Red Bell Pepper
2 Tablespoons Parsley
1 Teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of salt + pepper
Cakes:
1 cup par cooked quinoa
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic powder
1 1/3 cups organic vegetable broth (or chicken or beef broth works too)
1 cup chopped spinach leaves
1 cup chopped kale
1 cup feta cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 regular bread crumbs
Pinch of celery salt
Pinch of salt + pepper
Instructions
To make the relish:
Grill red pepper over open fire or chop and lightly sauté
Chop red pepper
Add 2 tablespoons parsley
Pinch of garlic, celery salt and pepper
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (add more if so desired)
To make the cakes:
Preheat Oven to 425 degrees
Start by preparing quinoa. Once it’s par cooked, remove from heat to cool.
In a separate bowl, take 1 cup feta, 2 eggs, panko and regular bread crumbs and mix together. Add pinch of celery salt, regular salt, pepper and garlic powder.
In a pan sauté chopped onions in olive oil and add 2 cups vegetable broth (or broth you so desire) and bring to boil. Once it’s to a boil, add 3 cups of quinoa and then turn down the heat to low. Add your spinach and kale. If the mixture seems too wet, add more quinoa. Once you have the quinoa ready, combine with the feta and bread crumbs. Mix and form into patties.
Take a warm baking sheet and spray with pam to prevent patties from sticking. Place your patties on the warm baking sheet and put in the oven for 10 minutes. This helps bind the patties together more and starts baking them. While the patties are in the oven, take a medium size pan and prepare over medium to high heat with olive oil. After the patties have been in the oven for 10 minutes or so, remove them and sauté them in the hot pan. This helps to brown your patties and will give them a crispy outer layer–which adds to the flavor and dish!
Remove from heat and top with relish before serving.
Notes
Looking to make this meal extra healthy, skip the sauté part at the end and simply bake your patties (10 minutes on each side) until they are lightly browned or fully cooked.
Enjoy!