Black Bean & Feta Quinoa Patties

The recipe originally called for spinach, but let’s be honest I forgot to buy spinach and ended up substituting with black beans. Perfect recipe for those Meatless Mondays. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

Gluten Free Quinoa Patties:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup of finely chopped red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup of black beans
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups of cooked quinoa (I made 1 cup of uncooked and had leftovers)
  • 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs

Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup plain Non-Fat Geek Yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used half of a lemon)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Next time I make this I might consider adding cucumbers to the sauce to make it more like a tzatziki 

Directions:

Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce:

  1. Whisk together the yogurt, scallions, lemon juice, and dill in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate the sauce for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.

Quinoa Patties:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium-size bowl.
  2. Add the eggs, quinoa, black beans, feta, dill, lemon zest, and black pepper and mix well. Mix in the bread crumbs and let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the bread crumbs to absorb some of the moisture.
  3. Add a little olive to a grill pan and heat to medium-high tempature.
  4. Form quinoa patties about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Grill the patties until they’re cooked through and browned on the outside, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with lemon-dill yogurt sauce.

Recipe adapted from this version: http://paninihappy.com/spinach-feta-quinoa-cakes-plus-5-quick-dinners-on-the-panini-press/

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Mimosa Jello Shots

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I made the Mimosa Jello Shots for the New Year’s Eve party I hosted and was surprised how much of a hit these were. I saw this recipe on Pinterest but decided to put my own twist on it and use Orange flavored gelatin.  I will admit I did not get those perfectly cut squares that they show in their photo, instead I suggest using the clear plastic shots glasses for serving.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of Orange Gelatin (Jello)
  • 1 cup of boiling water
  • 1 cup of chilled champagne (I used Cava – Spanish Sparkling Wine)

Directions:

  1. Combine gelatin and boiling water in a bowl. Stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Let it sit and come to room temperature.
  2. Slowly pour in the chilled champagne.
  3. Pour into clear shot glasses until they are about 3/4 filled and set in refrigerator to chill, about 4 hours.
  4. Sprinkle with shimmer sugar right before serving. Note, that the sugar dissolves quickly once on the jello.

Enjoying reliving the college days in a more grown up style.

Originally posted here:  http://www.perpetuallyengaged.com/2011/12/champagne-jello-shots.html