‘It is only by risking ourselves from one hour to another that we live at all’
Food for thought
No matter the path we choose to honour, there will always be conflict to negotiate. There will always be discord with those who would rather have us be something other than ourselves. If we choose to avoid all conflict within others, we will eventually breed a conflict within ourselves. In the book ‘the body says no, Gabor Mate intimates that this can contribute to disease by causing dis-ease.
It takes time to understand who you truly are, versus the constructs of society, education, religion and family to name a few. In the book, ‘untamed’ by Glennon Doyle, she takes us through her journey of her finding herself amongst the rubble of constructs she had taken on to people please and be loved. In the end she notes, ‘sometimes being brave means letting everyone down but yourself’’.
The recipe
This is delicious alternative to meat-based meatballs. Higher in protein per meatball from the hemp and quinoa, easier to make and lighter as part of an evening meal. Make your quinoa for the week and use this recipe for any leftovers you may have. I added in the vegetable stock and made the red wine optional versus the original recipe. The original recipe came from one of the chefs at Fiddleheads Cooking Studio. This is an organization I recently started to work for. It offers kids cooking classes, in the aim of promoting food exploration, and promoting food education through seasonal ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tbsp. EVOO
- 1/3 cup, finely minced shallots
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- ½ tsp. crushed fennel seeds
- 2/3 tbsp. red wine (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 .25 cup hulled hemp seeds
Method
- Bring 1 ¾ cups water to the boil with the stock cube, add the quinoa, cook for 12 minutes or until you see holes in the grains. Switch off and allow the rest to cook by steam. Once cooked, transfer to a plate and allow to cool.
- At the same time heat a little oil and sauté the shallots with a pinch of salt until translucent, 2-4 minutes. add the garlic and crushed fennel and sauté for another 30 seconds
- If using add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the quinoa, aromatics and hemp seeds in a food processer and pulse till formed into a well combined pate
- Roll the mixture into little rounds and pan fry in the remaining oil to sear and give some color
- Serve in a lunch box, as a canape or with spaghetti and marinara
