What is your culinary repertoire? Do you have anything?
When my colleagues Becky Crystal, Aaron Hutcherson and I spoke with Christina Quinn, host of the third season of The Post’s podcast “Try This,” the topic came up quickly. The podcast’s goal is to help listeners learn how to overcome common challenges, and this season, it’s all about finding the joy in cooking. Becky (The Post’s recipe editor), Aaron (a “Dinner in Minutes” columnist) and I all kept repeating the same thing: Cooks should learn to make a few dishes they can make over and over again.
The benefits are many: It takes the guesswork out of those late-night dinner rushes, it familiarizes you with the basics of recipes so you can tweak them to suit your (and your family’s and guests’) tastes, and perhaps most importantly, it makes you feel more confident in the kitchen every time you cook.
Get the recipe: Chickpea Quinoa Cakes with Pumpkin Seed Salsa
Sometimes a dish is so delicious it becomes part of your repertoire right away, and other times it takes years and repeated attempts to make a dish before it makes the leap from “let’s try that” to “when will we eat it next?”
This recipe falls into the latter category; it’s an idea I first started experimenting with 12 years ago, when I was looking for ways to improve my appreciation for quinoa. Heidi Swanson, one of my favorite cookbook authors, combines quinoa with eggs, cheese, dried breadcrumbs, chives, onion, and more, making little patties that she pan-fries until crispy. I loved it, but felt it needed to add cooked barley for more crunch, and I made various changes, like seasoning it with curry powder.
A few years later, I revisited the concept through a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe was similar, but with freshly made breadcrumbs, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a dollop of yogurt on top. It was delicious. But something was still off my regular menu. I’m not sure what it was.
Recently, I returned to the idea, this time substituting chickpeas for barley in my quinoa, along with fresh cherry tomatoes and scallions. I wanted to veganize the recipe, so instead of eggs I used vegan mayonnaise, a go-to substitute (at least as a binder). The chickpeas added texture and protein, but not as much of the latter as I’d hoped, so I started thinking about a nutty topping. I remembered having a pumpkin seed salsa made by chef Hugo Ortega years ago that was delicious, so I kept it simple and put it on top.
Though crisp around the edges and full of flavor, this cake is more delicate than previous versions. That’s why I prefer to roast it rather than pan-fry it, which makes it less messy to serve. Maybe that’s what made the difference, or maybe the universal combination of beans and grains is simply irresistible. But I’ve already made this cake many times since I first developed it.
Actually, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This recipe came into my repertoire because it’s not one, but two dishes. Because this salsa can be eaten with a spoon, its uses seem virtually endless. I know there are plenty of ways to adapt this dish into other dishes.
Get the recipe: Chickpea Quinoa Cakes with Pumpkin Seed Salsa
