1/31/11

Quinoa Corn Cake




Its Monday morning and the baby is still sleeping. This means a little more think to think creatively.  I open my fridge and see some leftover corn from the weekend's burritos dinner.  Corn always triggers corn tikkis (corn cakes) in my head but I wanted to give it a little twist.  So I thought of adding quinoa instead of potatoes.  Surprisingly enough, they turned out pretty good. Now, I cannot wait for the hubby to come home so I can experiment on him. 

Ingredients and Method:

1/2 cup corn kernels, canned
1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
1/2 chicken bouillon cube
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp all purpose flour
Dash of garlic powder, paprika, italian seasonings, hot sauce
Few chopped cilantro
Salt and Black pepper
Panko crumbs to coat

1. Cook the quinoa in a microwave with water and chicken bouillon cube. Alternatively, one can use chicken stock instead of water or just plain water would work as well. Generally, it is one part quinoa to two parts liquid.
2. Let the cooked quinoa stand and completely cool so that there is no moisture left before adding the remaining ingredients.
3. Add all the ingredients except the panko breadcrumbs.  Mix well. Add the all purpose flour a little at a time just to bind the mixture. The consistency should be thick enough that one can pack it into small balls. You can let the mixture stand for a few minutes so any moisture gets absorbed making it easier to make the cakes.
4. Now we are ready to make the Quinoa Corn Cakes. Divide the mixture into balls of equal size. I got about 6 medium size balls. Pack them into balls and flatten them out.  Heat oil in a griddle and keep the flame on medium high. Roll the cakes into the panko breadcrumbs and put them on the griddle.  Drizzle more oil as necessary. About 3 to 4 minutes on each side should do the trick.  Cakes should be golden brownish at the end. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Note: Panko breadcrumbs burn relatively faster so do not cook on high heat as the breadcrumbs crust will burn leaving the egg uncooked. 

1/29/11

Chicken and Beans Soup

Well folks, I am back. My blog was on a vacation along with me. I went to the motherland, India for some well deserved R & R.  Of course at times, I felt like a well fed Bakra (Lamb), you know the ones that are especially prepared for a feast during Bakri Id! I ate all the seafood I could do possibly have and oh Indian Chinese as well.  And the tandoors and also my beloved Kadak Pav (Bread) with Amul Butter.  And did absolutely no WORK at all.  But, all good things and good vacations come to an end and so did this one.

Now, back to the daily grind of cooking and cleaning and grocery shopping and billing and gardening and shoveling and all that jazz.  And back to the cold winters of the Northeast.  And you know when it is cold, there is nothing more soothing than a steamy warm bowl of soup.  This soup was so easy to make and was really delish.



One fillet of Chicken breast, partly boiled in hot water
15 oz tomato sauce can ( I used about 3/4ths of the can)
15 oz Cannelini beans can
15 oz Black beans can
1/2 medium size onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
2 Serrano peppers, sliced lengthwise
2 to 4 pods of garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 10 oz cans of low sodium chicken stock
Dash of Italian seasonings spice
Olive oil

Garnish:
Nachos, coarsely crushed with hand
Mexican four cheese blend shredded cheese
Lime juice
Cilantro (finely chopped) and Green onions (optional)

Heat some oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped garlic cloves and green chillies. Sautee a little. Add the onions, carrots, and celery.  Sautee until softened and cooked.  Add the tomato sauce and mix well.  Add both cans of the chicken stock. Keep the flame on medium high and let it come to a rolling boil.   Now turn the flame to low and add both cans of the beans. Make sure the beans are rinsed and drained off of any reserved liquids found in the can.  You can do this in a colander.  Let the soup simmer covered on low heat for a good 10 to 15 minutes.  Make sure to add some Italian seasonings spice for a zesty kick. 

Meanwhile heat water in a pot.  Add salt.  Wash, pat dry and chop chicken breast in bit size pieces.  Partly cook the chicken in the hot water. When chicken turns white, it is cooked.  Drain the water out.  Add the pieces to the soup towards the end to prevent them from overcooking. 

I let the soup simmer on low setting in a slow cooker for 20 minutes or so. If you dont own a slow cooker, you can simmer the soup in a pot itself. 

Mix well and serve in a bowl.  Sprinkle some lime juice.  Add some shredded cheese (it will melt from the heat of the soup) and crush some nachos on the top.  Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

For vegetarian: Skip the chicken and substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock.