muddy footsteps

So I know I’ve been jumping back and forth a great deal on vegan food and foods regarding animal products. This is mostly in result to flying out to Europe. Generally if I’m on my own, it’s fairly easy to continue eating vegan food, whether I’m making it for myself or going to a restaurant. However, when I’m staying with a family or large group of people, I don’t want to be a hassle. I transition to vegetarianism and eat as much vegan food as I possibly can get my hands on.

Fast forward one month later and I’m back to the states and back to my comfort food. One of my favorite dishes are the Spicy Quinoa Cakes with a Sweet Mustard Sauce. The only downfall is that they are not vegan. So my quest is to veganize them. This version of quinoa cakes are a bit different. I used some similar flavors, but added cashew cream to the mixture to give it a unique texture. I made them thinner and flatter than the original version, hence the name, Quinoa Flats. They are also baked (healthier & more nutrition) instead of pan fryed. Don’t be fooled by the list of ingredients. Most of them are very common household spices. Besides the preparation of soaking the quinoa and cashews, this recipe is very simple and easy to make.

Ingredients

• 3 cups quinoa; soaked 3 hours-overnight; cooked
• 1 cup raw cashews; soaked 3 hours-overnight
• 1/3 cup raw apple cider vinegar
• 8 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
• 5 tsp diced jalapeños
• 2 tsp olive oil; infused recommended (garlic, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes…)
• 3 tsp tahini
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400.
2. After your quinoa has been soaking, you want to rinse thoroughly through a small strainer. If you don’t have a strainer with small enough holes, lay a cheese cloth on top of the strainer and rinse through that.
3. I like to cook my quinoa with a 1: 1 1/2 ratio. Some recipes call for more or less water at a desired time, but I find that this gives the grain a perfect consistency. Depending on how long you soaked your quinoa for, your measurement will be different because of the water absorption. If you soak your grains overnight, you will have a larger product of quinoa. I ended up with 3 cups of soaked quinoa. Combine your quinoa with water, according to the ratio 1 quinoa: 1 1/2 water.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Drain the cashews and rinse them thoroughly. Blend them with the water and vinegar.
5. Combine remaining ingredients, except for quinoa and 3 tsp diced jalapeños, with the cashew mixture and liquify.
6. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and combine quinoa and remaining jalapeños.
7. Spoon flat cakes on lined cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
8. Drizzle Sweet Mustard Sauce on top of flats.
9. Enjoy!