Quinoa Cakes

A week or so ago I made these Cheesy Quinoa Cakes. YUM.

They were crisp and refreshingly healthy. That feeling of feeding your body something wonderfully nutritious definitely is an after effect. I varied the recipe a bit, and omitted the aoli sauce, but the original is great I am sure. I added a side of garlicky kale, and for lunch, included some salsa. Although they were delectable with their own cheesiness and a little taste of olive oil, I would imagine most people would like to add a sauce or dip of some sort, so go ahead and experiment!

Ingredients (adapted from here):

2 cups cooked quinoa
2/3 cup grated gouda cheese
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Method:

For the cakes:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place all ingredients, except for the oil, into a mixing bowl and stir together until well combined. Season with salt and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Pour oil into a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Form ¼ cup patties with the quinoa mixture and place in the heated pan. You may have to do a few batches, but it'll be worth it! Cook quinoa cakes for about 5 minutes on each side, until the the edges have browned and they look crisp. Flip carefully with a spatula and place on a warming plate in the preheated oven. Repeat with the remaining patties until all of the cakes have been cooked. 

For the kale:
Throw in four to five handfuls of roughly cut and washed kale with a clove or two of garlic and olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, cover, and leave to simmer on medium heat for about fifteen minutes. Voila!

Feed them to someone you love, your child, your husband, your momma. They'll thank you for these crunchy and flavorful patties. They'd be perfect for a party appetizer or alongside some tomato soup.

Coming soon to a blog near you... DIY Larabars and Baked Oatmeal... !!