little savory cakes

I’ve been trying to incorporate different grains into our eating lately and quinoa is one of them. The first recipe I tried with it turned out dry and not so tempting so I was a bit leary of trying more quinoa. But I kept  reading lovely recipes on line. When I came across this blog post from Tara, with the mouthwatering pictures, I decided to give this recipe a go.

It worked, we liked it and it went into the file to make again. And following advice from Dana, I cooked extra quinoa the first time I made them, so last night, I just pulled a bag out of the freezer so one step was already done.

Quinoa cakes (from Tara at sevenspoons, from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day)

2 1/2 c cooked quinoa, at room temperature (I used red quinoa)

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt

1/3 c finely chopped fresh chives

1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped

1/3 c g freshly grated Gruyère cheese

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 c whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed

1 tbsp olive oil

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes sot that the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into patties. I’ve used a cookie batter scoop and my quarter cup measuring cup to form patties and both worked and form about 12 patties.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add 6 patties, if they'll fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden.

We had the patties over pea puree (inspired by this recipe) last night served alongside roasted asparagus and lemony hollandaise.

Leftover patties can be reheated and enjoyed as a lunch or snack.