Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Corned Beef

Perhaps you celebrated St. Patrick's Day a little too hard  this weekend.  Or maybe you didn't.  Either way, there's always the same question, what to do with the leftover corned beef? My sister's solution was to send some of it home with me, which I was more than happy to oblige.

Since I didn't actually get to eat the corned beef at my sister's house this year, I wanted to make something similar to the traditional corned beef and cabbage, but different enough that I wouldn't be bored with it.  While I love corned beef, I actually don't care much for cabbage.  And since I never had brussels sprouts as a kid, I don't have the same aversion to it as many people do.  When roasted to a rich caramelized color, brussels sprouts actually become much more flavorful than its limp, bland cousin.

So here is a lighter take on the traditional corned beef and cabbage, that you can make to make with leftover corned beef, to make up for a weekend of high-calorie debauchery.  Or just make it because it tastes good.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Corned Beef

1 lb brussels sprouts, sliced in half
3 oz (about 3/4 cup) cooked corned beef, diced
1 Tbs olive oil
2-4 tsps dijon mustard, divided
freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss sprouts and corned beef in roasting pan with oil, 2 tsps mustard, and black pepper until sprouts and beef are well-coated.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping over sprouts and corned beef once, about halfway through cooking time.  When sprouts are fully cooked and browned, transfer to a bowl or plate. Stir in1-2 tsps of mustard and more ground pepper, if desired. Serve as a side dish (or half of it as a meal as I did.  I won't tell anyone that you did.)

Quinoa Patties

Earlier in the week, I cooked a batch of quinoa to go with some chicken. While rice is my first love when it comes to grain side dishes, quinoa is rapidly becoming a close second. It has a nice nutty flavor, and it cooks faster than rice. And I like to see how the little curly strand comes out in the quinoa. (I know, I am easily amused).

Anyway, I had about two cups of leftover quinoa that I didn't know what to do with. After surfing the 'net for ideas, I was intrigued by the idea of making these quinoa patties. But I didn't have most of the ingredients, so used the recipe as a base and took some liberties with the spices. What I ended up with something of a cross between a biscuit and an Italian meatball with the basil, garlic, and parmesan cheese. It made for an unique snack when dipped with tomato-basil sauce. If I were to make these again, I would probably follow the recipe more closely and add feta cheese. What I am curious to see, though, is if theses patties would work as sort of vegetarian "meatballs" if tossed with pasta and tomato sauce.

Quinoa Patties
Loosely adapted from 101 Cookbooks

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, grated
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
5 eggs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Oil a baking sheet (I used cooking spray). Form batter into roughly two-inch patties. Bake for 15-20 minutes, (until nicely golden brown on the bottom side). Flip and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Makes about a dozen patties. Best served dipped in tomato sauce.