Quin-whaaa?

So I've been thinking a lot lately about what I should be putting in my mouth. I also have tendencies towards hunger rage as the mealtime hour approaches, so I like to plan ahead. Rather than grabbing at the first "double fiber" granola bar or "justifiably better than Doritos" bag of pretzels I see, I've been researching superfoods that pack the most punch. Currently at the top of my list? Quinoa! It's got loads of iron—beets and spinach are closely related—fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc! (Pow!) It has more calcium than milk! (Splat!) And! It has the highest protein content of any grain! (Zing!) It's such a super food that they are actually considering including it as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration human occupied space flights. Yes, it may soon be literally out of this world.

Naturally, I've performed an exhaustive search for "delicious quinoa recipes" on the internet and have found two that I'm eager to try:

Breakfast: Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa, via 101cookbooks.com

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1 cup quinoa, (note: don't forget to rinse quinoa)

2 cups blackberries (or blueberries)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

4 tsp honey

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in berries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with toasted nuts. Drizzle 1 teaspoon honey over each serving. 

Serves 4

Lunch/Dinner: Quinoa Patties, modified from epicurious.com

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature

4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
Water, if needed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Combine quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Form mixture into twelve 1-inch thick patties. If need be, you can add more bread crumbs a bit at a time to firm up the mixture, though it is better to err on the moist side of things. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 6 patties with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the other sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. 

Yields 12 small patties

I may soon be eating quinoa at every meal. Try and stop me.

- Cathleen