Quinoa Burgers

Found these on Pinterest and they are divine.  They are a lot like potato latkes, but with quinoa, so they are really healthy.  We had them with soup,  Enjoy.

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 medium carrot, finely grated (OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed)

3 eggs

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 green onions, including white parts

1 /2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin ( I would leave this out next time)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Olive oil for frying

.

To cook quinoa:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.  Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.
.

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat (you will need to add more oil after each batch).  Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.   Makes approx. 10 burgers.

Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kelly told April and April told me about these. These cook up big and fluffy - which is my kind of cookie. The original is from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (definitely do this).

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the parchment lined sheet 3 inches apart. Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are lightly toasted. Makes 18 cookies.

Mexican Bean Salad

The base recipe is from Allrecipes.com, I just added a few things. This makes quite a big bowl, enough for a potluck. If it's 8 servings, then each is about 250 calories, but those are pretty big servings.

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained.

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 clove crushed garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili powder


In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn, and red onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, chili powder and black pepper.

Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

Got this one from Dakin Stovall at a recipe swap years ago. It is so easy and very hearty.

1 (16 oz.) package dried split peas, rinsed
2 cups diced ham
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
6 cups hot water

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given. Pour in water. Do not stir. Cover and cook on low 8 - 10 hours, until peas are very soft. Stir and serve.