Crispy Quinoa Cakes

Eating healthy is about to get oh-so easy. But first things first, let's take a moment to appreciate the fact that I am posting a real recipe and not another batch of cookies! The cooking side of this blog strikes again...

I will warn you now that these are highly addictive. Honestly, they taste like my far distant memory of tater-tots. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a fluffy texture and just a hint of that delicious fried taste we all love so much. Except these give you not only the superfood benefits of quinoa, but a serving of yummy veggies too! They work great over a bed of lettuce with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. 

Thanks to my mom for my gorgeous new sautee pan!

Recipe Adapted from: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/04/09/crispy-quinoa-patties/

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled to room temperature
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup of onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup shredded zucchini
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (gluten free or regular, I used panko)

1 Tbsp+ olive oil, for cooking

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, and mix in the quinoa, salt and pepper.
2. Stir in the parsley, onion, zucchini, cheese, and breadcrumbs.
3. Heat the oil on a medium-low temperature while you form the patties.
4. Add 5-6 patties to the pan, or as many as will fit without touching, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the bottoms have browned.
5. Very carefully, flip over the patties, cover and cook another 5 minutes, until golden. Add more olive oil to the pan between batches if needed. Don't worry if some of your patties fall apart while they cook, the crumbled parts will still taste delicious dumped on top of a salad!

*I've made these a little more FODMAP friendly, but feel free to add in some chopped garlic, extra onion, and any other veggies, like carrots, summer squash etc., that you want to shred up! 

*The finer you chop the veggies, the better the patties will stick together, shredding or grating works best.

Enjoy warm or cold! You can also store the uncooked mixture in the fridge for a few days.

Yields 13-15 patties

My happy solar powered dancing flower agrees these patties are the best!

 Don't you just want to bite into one of these? Noms