I grew up on a ranch in Texas, where my parents had a large garden where we grew our vegetables. My mom and dad were hippies, so much of the food we ate was wholesome, healthy, and rarely processed. I was very connected to where our food came from. There were farm animals all around me, and I understood the value of treating them humanly before they entered the food chain. We collected eggs, made butter, and learned how to put fresh meat on the table as well.

My cooking has always reflected where I came from and been influenced by my childhood on the ranch. The recipe below uses simple, wholesome ingredients that combine my upbringing with popular cuisine like curries from far away with traditional Latin spices that I absolutely love. The flavors are bright, and the textures are a pleasant blend when eaten with the quinoa cakes.

I hope you enjoy it!

– Brett

Roasted chicken breasts with quinoa cakes, curry braised cabbage, and dinosaur kale
Serves 3-4 people

Quinoa Cakes

• 2 cups quinoa
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tbs parsley, minced
• 1 tbs black pepper
• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• 4 large eggs
• ½ yellow onion, diced small
• 3 tbs oil
  

1. Cook quinoa in stock with black pepper and parsley.
2. Cool cooked quinoa on a sheet tray.
3. In a large bowl, mix together cooled quinoa, eggs, Panko bread crumbs, and onion.
4. Heat 3 tbs oil in a frying pan.
5. Form 3-4 oz cakes from quinoa mixture.
6. Fry quinoa cakes in the pan until golden brown on both sides.
7. Set quinoa cakes aside and let cool down.

Curry Braised Cabbage and Kale

• ½ head of cabbage, sliced in long ½ inch ribbons
• 1 bunch dinosaur kale, sliced 1 inch thick
• ½ onion, julienned
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 2 tbs green Thai curry paste
• 1 14 oz can of coconut milk
• 2 tbs Tajín Clássic Seasoning
• 2 tbs corn starch
• ½ cup water

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven without the lid.
2. Add onion to oil and sauté.
3. Add coconut milk, Tajín, curry paste, garlic, and salt and pepper. Simmer.
4. Bring contents to a boil.
5. Place cabbage and kale in the dutch oven.
6. Put lid on dutch oven and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Remove lid and stir contents.
8. Mix corn starch with water.
9. Add slurry to dutch oven and stir.
10. Remove from heat. Add the lid to dutch oven and let sit.

Roasted Chicken Breasts

• 3-4 Skin-on chicken breasts
• ¼ cup rubbed sage
• 3 tbs garlic salt
• 1 tbs black pepper
• 3-4 tbs oil
• Cooking pan spray
• 1-2 cups water

1. Heat oven to 400F.
2. Spray chicken breasts with pan spray.
3. Add garlic salt, pepper, and sage to chicken in a large bowl.
4. Mix chicken by hand until evenly coated by spices.
5. Heat oil in an oven-safe frying pan until very hot.
6. Place chicken breasts in pan skin side down once oil is hot.
7. Let chicken cook skin side down for 3-5 minutes. Do not move the breasts.
8. After five minutes, flip the chicken so the skin side is up.
9. Add water to the pan.
10. Place the pan of chicken in the oven for 15-25 minutes. Chicken breasts should reach an internal temperature of 165F.
11. Once the proper temperature is reached, remove chicken from oven and set aside.

To Serve

1. Place quinoa cakes in the oven for 5-10 minutes to heat up.
2. Place quinoa cakes in the center of a plate.
3. Place braised cabbage and kale over cake.
4. Place chicken breast skin side up on top of veggies and quinoa cake.
5. Spoon approximately ¼ cup of sauce from braised cabbage and kale over each chicken breast.
6. Garnish with a dash of Tajín.

Enjoy!