Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragù and Hiking at Donut Falls

My stay in Utah has been one of self-reflection and an opportunity to prioritize life, yada..yada...yada. With my quest to return to "inner-simplicity", I have also made a conscious effort to know each and every item I am consuming. Or, not consuming. Among some of the yums I have avoided include candy (and I do love my Twizzlers and tootsie rolls) and caffeine. That means diet coke and coffee have been shelved. Yikes! Talk about some withdrawal migraines I had early last week. I have also omitted sweets in general, cakes, cookies, etc. Now, I am not much of a cakes and cookie eater, but when they're omitted...isn't it interesting when random cravings arise. Nonetheless, I am on a mission. So, instead, I replaced the literal with the figurative. I hiked Donut Falls (pictures above). My substitute proved to be a much more rewarding endeavor.

One thing I have missed is the physical acts of baking and cooking, since they are both stress relievers for me. Luckily, I was able to accost the kitchen this weekend and cook for the crew. First, I made a version of the Szechwan Wraps I made a while back. These wraps were made with ground turkey, Bibb lettuce, no salt, and I replaced the soy sauce with Bragg Liquid Aminos (which tastes just like soy sauce without the sodium).

Next, I made Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragù. I had tried the cakes once before and was only semi successful. This time, the cakes turned out perfect. And, since everyone was unfamiliar with quinoa, I was able to introduce a new and healthy dinner option.

The difference for me, this time, was (a) I doubled the recipe (b) I used a rounded 1/4-cup to pack and help mold the cakes, and (c) used PAM instead of oil.

Our house grandma...going in for a bite

Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragù
A Gourmet Magazine Recipe

For quinoa cakes

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided (I used PAM spray)

For topping

1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup drained bottled roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 pound smoked mozzarella, diced (1 cup) (I omitted any cheese)

Make quinoa cakes:Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan.

Meanwhile, wash quinoa in 3 changes of water in a bowl, then drain well in a fine-mesh sieve.
Stir quinoa into boiling water and return to a boil, then simmer, covered, until quinoa is dry and water is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, then stir in egg.
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and lightly brush with oil. Lightly oil a 1-cup dry-ingredient measure. Pack enough quinoa into measure with a rubber spatula to fill it two-thirds full. (If spatula becomes sticky, dip in water.) Unmold onto baking sheet and gently pat quinoa into a 4-inch-wide patty with spatula. Make 3 more quinoa cakes, brushing measure with oil each time. Chill cakes, uncovered, at least 15 minutes.

Make topping while quinoa cooks and chills:Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and drain 30 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of eggplant to extract liquid, then pat dry.

Cook eggplant, onion, garlic, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, roasted peppers, and water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender and mixture is thick (if dry, thin with a little water), about 10 minutes.
Cook quinoa cakes:Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Carefully add quinoa cakes and cook, turning once carefully and adding remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons oil, until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes total (pat cakes to reshape with cleaned rubber spatula while cooking if necessary). Transfer to plates.

To serve:Return eggplant ragù to a simmer and stir in parsley and half of mozzarella, then simmer, stirring, until cheese just begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Spoon over quinoa cakes, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Cooks' notes:

Quinoa cakes can be formed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Eggplant-tomato ragù, without parsley and mozzarella, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.