Love being home where I can learn Mom’s latest recipes—this dish a particular new fave. Fermented garlic is her savory additive of the hour—and despite its necrotic appearance, I concur—it is a vegetarian’s dream. 
Notably, I tried to tout myself at the family dinner table as a reformed flexitarian, someone who eats mainly vegetarian dishes but will occasionally eat meat and fish (if it’s really good)—which my brother quickly dressed down: “that means Rachel eats whatever she wants but still feels righteous about all her choices.” Bingo.
Quinoa Cakes with Red Curry Veggie Sauce
Recipe from my mother
Quinoa Cakes:
one cup of red quinoa in 2 cups of H20, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, cool.
add one cup bread crumbs
add 1/8 cup whole wheat flour
add one clove fermented garlic (black and rotten looking!) squished
add two eggs. Stir until blended.
Sauce:
one shallot
3 cloves fermented garlic
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 14 oz can coconut cream
1 cubed zucchini
1 portobello mushroom, also cubed
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro chopped
1/2 cup fresh spinach chopped
fresh lime juice
1.5 Tablespoons of red curry paste (I’m sure you could use green curry if you like that better!)
In olive oil, sauté the shallot, add vegetables, excluding spinach and cilantro. Cook until the shallot is translucent. Then add coconut cream and fish sauce, along with fresh spinach.
Leave to simmer and begin grilling the cakes in another sauté pan, in olive oil. Make two-inch patties by scooping them onto a large spoon and flattening them in your hand. Off the grill, drain them onto a paper towel and add the cilantro to your sauce.
These are great when paired with roasted asparagus and mandarin slices. Super flavor, and healthy healthy healthy.
Adding this to quinoa category of my recipe stockpile.
Oh my gosh, this sounds amazing! I’m definitely saving this recipe. Thanks to your mom for the inspiration! Coincidentally, that very product caught my eye at Trader Joes and became one of the stocking stuffers I gave my stepmom. I hadn’t yet seen it out of the bag, and I will warn her to not let the rather unappetizing appearance deter her from enjoying its taste 🙂 Also, little brothers are so masterful at calling out their siblings on what they perceive to be not-completely-true statements, LOL 🙂