Wednesday, March 24, 2010

croquette as i go

Hey! YOU! Yes, you!... you're incredible :). I cannot thank each of you enough for all of your kind comments on yesterday's post. You sure know how to make a girl feel loved! 

Now, let's travel back to my home kitchen. I spent last Thursday afternoon preparing my tapas for the Bloggie Potluck at Leslie's apartment later that night; I was immediately inspired by Veganomicon's Broccoli-Millet Croquettes, and so I got to work chopping, mixing, cooking, and baking, while also passing the time with a lunch bowl of random vegetable and hummus goodness.
The original Veganomicon recipe calls for 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves  garlic, 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, several pinches of freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth,
4 cups of broccoli, tops and stalks, chopped very finely into pea-size or smaller pieces,
and 1 cup of millet (of which I replaced with quinoa). The ingredient list was simple enough.

The procedure, however, was quite tiresome with nearly 2 hours of cooking time. So, I changed it all together, beginning with substituting quinoa for the millet. It didn't take me any less time but the results were pretty and yummy :) and here it is:

Danielle's Broccoli & Quinoa Bites (or Croquettes)
  1. Rinse the quinoa and cook it alone, for at least 15 minutes, with one cup of vegetable broth and one cup of water. Make sure to first bring it to a boil before letting it simmer.
  2. Leaving the quinoa on the stove, chop up about four stalks of broccoli into tiny pieces. 
  3. Turn off the quinoa pot and place another large pot on the stove. Withn it, sauté the minced garlic in olive oil for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the spices, mix, and then add the pre-cooked quinoa. Stir it consistently and allow it to toast for about 3 minutes.
  5. Now add the remaining one and a half cups of vegetable broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
  6. Mix in the chopped broccoli, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes. Next, uncover, and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring often.
  7. Turn off the heat but leave the pot covered on the stove to cook for another 10-15 minutes. After this time all of the liquid should be absorbed, making the quinoa mushy. If it is not, leave longer; "You are looking for a polenta-like consistency."
  8. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool on the counter for about 10 minutes before placing it in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
  9. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and spray two baking trays with a small amount of oil while you wait.
  10. Following the cooling period, tightly mold the quinoa into small balls, brush each with olive oil, and place on the baking trays and into the oven.
  11. Allow to bake for about 30 minutes, making sure to check every 4-5 minutes following the 20 minute mark to see if they are ready. They will be golden brown with a crispy exterior and soft inside when fully-cooked.
13. Serve immediately and enjoy alongside: Katie’s peanut hummus from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan paired with Mary's Crackers, Leslie's coconut sweet potato dip and white bean pesto surrounded by asparagus and roasted peppers, Jenny’s savory spinach balls, Sofia's lentil & roasted tomato bruschetta from Spices of Life, and one to two to three glasses of red (or white) wine.14 . And finally, end your feast with a dessert of Megan's chocolate peanut butter cups.
Okay, so maybe the last two steps aren't exactly mandatory, but they are highly suggested! I had such a wonderful time getting to know the five other NYC bloggettes over health-foodie-approved dishes and the necessary end-of-the-week wine. Much love to Leslie for hosting it and to all the other attendees for making it such a satisfying success in every which way :).

Q: What's the last recipe that you adventurously made your own?

16 comments:

  1. Love the idea of a Bloggie Potluck--so much fun! Virtually every recipe I try changes as I go along...but the last one was probably the pumpkin bulgur chili from last week.

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  2. Oh my gosh, those croquettes look fantastic. Bookmarking them now!! I got a little adventurous with a tofu scramble for dinner, but usually I stick to what I know! Have a great night chica :)

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  3. That recipe looks fab! Veganomicon seems like such an awesome cookbook.

    I'm actually incapable of following a recipe. I never have all of the ingredients, so I kind of just wing it!

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  4. this is terrific! i love the idea of a blogger pot luck.

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  5. I'm really sorry to hear about the breakup, Danielle. Big big hugs. You are FANTASTIC and we all adore you. Truly.

    And as far as food goes... those little croquettes look mighty tasty :)

    (and more hugs).

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  6. it was great meeting you- wow.. you really make healthy food look good!

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  7. BroccoliHut: Come next time? :) Oh, I know, you're such a kitchen maven, and inspiration.

    Gabriela: Why thank you! They turned out well on a whim. I go with the safe stuff too usually ;)

    Susan; Oh it is. Good for you!

    THE ACTORS DIET: Aw, haha, thanks, it was wonderful!

    Sagan: Oooh that felt nice, thank you so much Sagan. Seriously :).

    hokie30sgirl: Ditto... and thanks!

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  8. i think the last 2 steps of this recipe are clearly the most important. :)

    i had a blast at the potluck - i can't wait to for you to be back so we can do it again!

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  9. yum. you and the bloggettes make good, healthy food so appealing! have a great weekend :)

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  10. Mmhmm those look good. I tried making veggie burgers using quinoa, beans, and the veggies in my fridge. They came out aiight, just not so flavorful. I'll try again... These are inspiring.

    Also thanks for thsoe links :) I'm always looking for other NYC bloggers to connect with

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  11. another benefit from eating all your oatmeal aside from its general healthfulness

    http://www.realbeauty.com/health/diet/nutrition/eat-your-way-to-better-sex?src=sem&mag=bea&dom=otto

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  12. So glad you finally posted the recipe! I was popping those babies like candy the next day :)

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  13. I'm just catching up on all your posts now... two things:

    1. I'm bummed I missed you at fitbloggin too! I would have loved to chat. Oh well, always next time!

    2. I'm so sorry to hear about your boy troubles :( That just plain sucks. Big time. But you seem to be taking it in stride and doing a lot of introspection- keep it up!

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  14. leslie: Me too and me neither! :)

    jsbh: Thank you, I'd agree! Same to you!

    La: Sounds like it should be good! Maybe try some different spice combinations? The tarragon and garlic in these were key. You're very welcome!

    chris: Hahahaha, you are the best. Thank you.

    Jenny: Oh good, I'm glad! Hope you get to enjoy them again :).

    Anna: Definitely for next time. And thanks for your support! It's so comforting to have so many understanding people to help me along the way.

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  15. I'm from Miami and that's the most unique croquette I've seen. Great job!

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