Chive Quinoa Cakes

I had to make something with chives.  I picked a bunch the other day, put them in a little vase and although they are just beautiful to look at, I really wanted to cook with them.  I decided to make up some Quinoa Cakes with Chive Sour Cream.  

Recipe for Chive Quinoa Cakes

Makes about 8 cakes

• 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 white onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, plus more if needed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• chive sour cream (recipe follows)

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, and cheese. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Now you should have a mixture you can easily make into about 3-4 inch round patties.

 

Heat the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add patties and cook for 7 to 10 minutes covered, until the bottoms are browned. Turn patties carefully with a spatula and cook the second sides for about 6-7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet let cool.

The uncooked mixture keeps well for a day or two.

Chive Sour Cream

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
• salt and pepper to taste

Rhubarb Lime Eton Mess

Eton Mess is an English dessert combining fruit, whipped cream and meringue all tossed together.  Its like berries and cream but then you get a little crunch from the meringue. 

This dish is a take on one of my very favorite dishes made by my friend Joanna.  She was the pastry chef at a restaurant I used to work at and every spring her lime cheesecake with rhubarb compote would come on the menu.  It was so good!  I was really looking to create something that brought those flavors together.  I made this "Eton Mess" with a lime whipped cream, stewed rhubarb and vanilla meringue.  This totally satisfied my craving for that sweet and tart dessert.

Rhubarb compote

4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 beet cut into wedges for extra color (optional)

Place all ingredients into a sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until rhubarb starts to release some juices and it starts to boil.  Turn down the heat to low and simmer for about 15 min or until rhubarb has cooked down to a mush.

Lime Whipped Cream

1/2 cup Lime Juice
1Tablespoon lime zest
 7.5 oz sweetened condensed milk (1/2 a can)
8oz whipping cream

Stir together the lime juice, zest and condensed milk and set aside.  Whip cream until firm and then fold in the lime juice mixture with the whipped cream.

6 bakery meringue shells, broken into pieces

In a tall glass layer a spoonful of whipped cream, a spoonful of rhubarb compote, and then a few pieces of meringue.  Repeat once or twice depending on the size of your glass. 

Roasted Fennel Dip

My sister often gives me produce from her organic home delivery when she can't finish it all.  When she gave me a huge fennel bulb last night, I knew just what I wanted to make.  A warm Roasted Fennel Dip.  If you love an artichoke dip, try this.

Ingredients

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 2" wedges
3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a roasting pan add fennel and whole garlic cloves.  Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast until fennel is very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. Puree fennel and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in 1/3 cup cheese and the mayo. Transfer mixture to a 2-cup baking dish, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake until dip is hot in center and cheese is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with crunchy french bread or crackers.