Spinach-Feta Quinoa Cakes with Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce

Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce:

1. 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, reduced-fat or whole

2. 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions

3. 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4. 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

5. Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quinoa Cakes:

1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2. 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3. 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4. 5 ounces chopped baby spinach

5. 2 large eggs, beaten

6. 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa

7. 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

8. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

9. 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

10. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

11. 1/2 cup bread crumbs

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 Cakes:

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. Add the spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium-size bowl.

2. Add the eggs, quinoa, 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. Heat the panini press to medium-high heat. (I’m just going to use a frying pan because i don’t have a Panini grill and these look too good to miss out on)

4. Form quinoa patties about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Place the patties on the grill, in batches if necessary, and close the lid. Grill the patties until they’re cooked through and browned on the outside, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with lemon-dill yogurt sauce.

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Chipotle Carrot, Avocado, and Kamut Salad

Ingredients

1. 5-6 large carrots

2. 2 teaspoons olive oil

3. ½ to 1 teaspoon chipotle powder

4. 1 cup Kamut

5. 1 avocado

6. ¼ cup sunflower seeds

7. 1 tablespoon olive oil

8. 1 tablespoon honey

9. 1 tablespoon lime juice

10. Cilantro, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.

2. Cover Kamut with water and bring to a boil. Let cook until Kamut is tender, roughly an hour*. Drain and set aside.

3. Cut carrots into ½” slices. Toss with two teaspoons of olive oil and ½ teaspoons chipotle powder (add more for a hotter dish). Roast for 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.

4. While carrots roast, remove avocado from skin and dice into large pieces.

5. Toss together kamut, roasted carrots, avocado, and sunflower seeds. Whisk together olive oil, honey, and lime juice. Drizzle over kamut and lightly toss. Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro.

*Notes* It is recommend to soak Kamut before cooking preferably overnight. This will cut down on cooking time.

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Gluten Free Day 12 – Stuffed Mushroom Cups

For the 12 days leading up to Christmas, we will be posting 1 new Gluten Free recipe a day. These are perfect as an appetizer, finger foods, or simple dishes to take to holiday parties (or even make just for yourself!).  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1. 12 large button mushrooms

2. ½ cup cooked quinoa

3. 2 slices turkey bacon

4. 3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion

5. 1 teaspoon olive oil

6. 2 tablespoons vegetable or chicken broth

7. 1/8- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

8. 3 T cream cheese

9. 4 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Remove stems from mushrooms and set aside.

3. Cook quinoa according to package directions.

4. Coat a small pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil and add the onions.  Sauté on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the cooked quinoa, broth and garlic powder and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat, let cool a bit, then transfer to a small bowl and then stir in the cream cheese.

6. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and divide/add the filling to them. Bake for 15 minutes, until starting to brown. Remove from oven top with parmesan cheese, and bake for another 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly toasted.

Makes 12 servings

Serving size: 1 mushroom  Calories 40 Protein 2 g Carb 3 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 1 g Fat 2.5 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 85 mg

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