Eat Simply, Eat Well

Healthy recipes & tips to help you live the good life. by Ann Plough

Cilantro-Parsley-Avocado Dip

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Back when I was a kid in elementary school, there was a saying we heard or saw pasted to the wall nearly every year for 6 years:

“March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”

I don’t know who was responsible for this ubiquitous line, but I can tell you: Mother Nature had a completely different idea this year.  The lamb came early and the lion returned to say hello for a little while.

If there ever was a day where you need a little comfort food, it would be today.  After leaning full-on into the winds of Spring with the sun shining down encouragingly as the snow melted away, there’s been a shift.

The snow is back.

Oh, it probably won’t last long: it’s so wet and sloppy that the slightest shimmer of warmer temps will send it melting back down into a muddled puddle, but nevertheless, this is definitely a day to stray outdoors as little as possible.

I do, however, have a recipe that keeps Spring at the front of your mind. You’ve already seen pictures of it here and here, but now I am finally sharing the recipe.  It’s a twist on guacamole with a spin of pesto, I suppose, but it uses a large quantity of herbs to create an intense green paste that is perfect for dipping crunchy crackers into, serving alongside vegetable or meat or quinoa patties, or just tiding over your hunger with by just indulging in a few spoonfuls.

Easy to put together and quick to disappear – you may want to double this batch!

Cilantro-Parsely-Avocado Dip

1 large bunch cilantro, roughly chopped, including stems
leaves from one large bunch of parsely, chopped (discard stems)
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, to your taste

Place all ingredients into a blender or into the bowl of a food processor.  Process until completely smooth.  Scrape out into a bowl and serve.

Makes a scant 1 cup.

Raw Cacao & Almond Energy Bites

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I have to admit – most days I need a little snack mid-afternoon to get me through the slump between lunch and dinner.  Sometimes if I’m at home, I shove a walnut into the middle of a date, add a bit of goat cheese and enjoy it immensely. But if I’m at work or running around town, I’ve found that finding a healthy option for an afternoon snack is no easy task.

These totally-easy-to-make energy bites are something I love to keep in the freezer, pop a few in my handbag in a little container, and nibble on later to give me a much-needed energy boost.  They are so delicious: just dates, raw cacao, almond flour and cocoa nibs.  They are both soft and crunchy, and are sweet but not too sweet.  You can whip them up quickly in your food processor and you’ll be set for snacks all week long.

The raw cacao provides powerful antixodiants, iron and magnesium while the dates give a satsifying natural sweetness along with a good dose of potassium and fiber and the almonds provide potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium.  These little nuggets pack a powerful punch! One or two will take you a very long way.

They are great for after a gym workout, an all-day shopping excursion, or a long hike.  Whichever way you decide to enjoy them, you’ll be smiling for sure.

Raw Cacao & Almond Energy Bites

2 cups soft fresh dates, pits removed
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the mixture all comes together in a thick, sticky mass.  Using a mini ice cream scoop or a large spoon, scoop out 2 tablespoons at a time, roll into a ball, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate.

You can consume immediately, package in an airtight container and freeze, or refrigerate for up to two weeks in and airtight container.

Makes 20 bites.

 

Savory Quinoa Patties

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Savory Quinoa Patties

I promised a recipe for those Quinoa Patties I mentioned in my Chickpea, Lemon & Ginger Dip post, and a recipe you shall have.

I couldn’t get the idea for quinoa patties out of my head for days.  I saw a recipe in Ottolenghi’s Plenty More.  The Iron You had a recipe posted.  Heidi posted one at 101 Cookbooks (which was an inspiration for the first two, and I was inspired by all of them, so we should all thank Heidi, really!).

Quinoa is a super grain – high in protein, essential amino acids, phytonutrients, and an excellent source of manganese, phosphorus, copper, mangnesium, fiber, folate and zinc.  This is one to get into your diet for sure.

Before you begin mixing and stirring I want to let you know that this recipe makes a big, ol’ pile of quinoa patties.  You’ll have a LOT of these savory little morsels.  Which isn’t really a problem, because you may find your hand drifting toward the platter of them just when you thought you were done.  Or you can invite a crowd over and make everyone happy.

They make great leftovers too, so you can either freeze them for way later, or package them up for lunch the next day with a little yogurt and lemon zest; a little left over dip if there is any; a few oven-roasted tomatoes, or on the top of dressed salad greens.  In fact, that’s what I’m going to do for lunch today as I had a few hanging out in the freezer.

But back to the recipe…

You can make the batter for these the night before and fry them up the next day/evening if you wish. You don’t have to let them sit, but the flavors do develop nicely with an hour or so of rest time in the fridge.  If you want them right away, don’t worry:  measure, mix, stir, fry, consume immediately and it’s all good.

A few notes:

  • If you want to make these gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour – that’s what I did and it worked perfectly.  You can also use all-purpose flour.
  • Since both the soy sauce and fish sauce have salt, you won’t need to add any extra salt
  • Add the flour last.  Depending on how wet your quinoa is once you’ve drained it, you may need slightly less.

My oh my – these are GOOD! You won’t be sad you made the effort.

Savory Quinoa Patties with Chickpea, Lemon & Ginger Dip and Cilantro-Parsley-Avocado Dip

Savory Quinoa Patties 

First, cook your quinoa
3 cups water
1 cup raw quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a small pot; bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer; cover; cook 10 minutes or until tender.  Drain through a fine-mesh colander/sieve and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Shake the colander a bit to remove as much excess water as possible.  Proceed with recipe.

Prepare the quinoa patty mixture
Cooked quinoa from above (should measure roughly 2 cups)
1 cup oatmeal flakes
1 onion, minced
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Tamari or other soy sacue
1 teaspoon Fish sauce
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon minced, hot chili pepper
1/4 cup flour, gluten-free or all-purpose
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Mix really well to blend all flavors completely. For ideal results, allow the mixture to rest for 20 minutes before frying, or you can make the recipe a day ahead and refrigerate.

To fry
Heat a non-stick pan or a seasoned cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil, sesame or coconut oil to the pan, and rotate the pan so the bottom is evenly coated.   Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized rounds of the quinoa mixture into the pan and press them down lightly with the back of a spatula.  Fry until the bottom is golden brown; flip the patties, and fry until both sides are golden brown.

Makes about 50 patties

Serve with 1 cup lemon + 2 teaspoons lemon juice for a quick sauce or make the Chickpea, Lemon & Ginger Dip for a real treat.