Broken Bones and Chimichangas with Salsa Verde Cream Sauce and Curried Quinoa Crisps

So my name is Anne. Anne means 'Graceful One'. Generally I can walk in a straight line and not bump into anything. Unfortunately, the other morning with my hair all frumpy and sleep still in my eyes I stumbled down the stairs in the most lovely of vaulting pirouettes and slid down a number of steps, breaking two toes in the process.

Now I figured, meh, I just bruised the hell out of my foot. I'll just walk it off, ice it a bit when I'm done doing whatever has to get done. But as the morning progressed and my foot turned from blue to purple to black I thought maybe I did something more than bruise it. Went to Immediate Care and they babied and pampered me, which was both shocking and delightful. If you've ever been to an ER or one of those 'gouge the injured' pit stops you know the wait time alone could kill you and when you are seen you sit in a cubicle forever and then get bunted out the door before the last stitch is put in.

I was in and out in under 45 minutes and that was with x-rays (which I got copies of on a cd!), so they've got my official "You're Awesome" stamp of approval!

So I hobbled about all that first day in my mountain hiking ortho-shoe. Over doing it. Cause frankly, I wouldn't be Annie if I weren't killing myself trying entertain my kids, make dinner, finish laundry, and blog at the exact same time. So day two rolls around and I'm feeling the hurt! I put out the APB to all my friends that I'm gonna lose it and two of them step up and bring us some delicious eats so I don't have to stress over what to make. Jeanenne of West Side Stories and Sarah of B. Ferrante's sent over all sorts of good food. Thank you ladies! Below are recipes for some of what was sent over.

Curry Quinoa Crisps:

1/2 cup raw quinoa
1 cup water
1 tbls extra-virgin coconut oil
2 tsp fennel seed and minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 tbls curry and chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp turmeric and ground coriander
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 flax egg – 1 tbsp freshly ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp warm water and allowed to sit for 5 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.

Combine quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Cover and cook on high heat until boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 12 minutes. Once complete, remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the next 6 ingredients in a medium frying pan and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes until onion is translucent.

Add all ingredients – cooked quinoa, sauteed onions, and remaining ingredients to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse 4-6 times until everything is combined and broken down slightly.

Shape mixture into small patties and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes so the patties hold together nicely.

Salsa Verde (This one I already had at home.):

Roasted tomatillos, onion, hot peppers of your choice, lime juice and pulp, cilantro, salt, olive oil, sugar, garlic, and cane juice. Roast tomatillos and peppers. Cool and chop. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend to desired consistency.  

Chimichangas:

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (or 2 cups chicken, diced)
1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup onions, chopped
Salsa
Unbaked tortillas

Spoon about 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla. Top each with about 2 tablespoon cheese. Fold in the 2 sides envelope fashion. Roll up each tortilla, starting from one of the short sides. Lay side by side in a casserole dish. Add a thin layer of shredded cheese. Add layer of Salsa Verde mixed with sour cream. Add crisps on top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven.