Savory Quinoa Patties

It's hard to cook just a little quinoa. Those deceptively tiny grains fluff up so enthusiastically I know they want to take over the kitchen. Turn your back and poof! there's even more quinoa in the pot, or at least it seems that way. Instead quinoa just takes over refrigerator space as you store the overage from a typical batch. Accept this as a gift, a challenge to get creative.

Earlier this week we enjoyed a Quinoa Mediterranean Salad for several meals, but a generous bowlful still remained, chilling out in the fridge. I could have served it as a salad one more time, but we were ready for something different. Inspiration came from a SevenSpoons' post that reviewed a quinoa patty recipe from Heidi Swanson's award-winning book Super Natural Every Day. That led me to these crunchy little cakes of deliciousness.

Just my luck, we ate every single patty this time so there were no leftovers. Too bad, because I think quinoa patties might pair well with a frisee salad and I still want to top a fat quinoa cake with a soft poached egg and parsley sauce. I must be thinking of the SevenSpoons' photo that first brought me to this recipe.

While I used leftover Mediterranean salad as the base for these patties,  plain quinoa could serve as well. Add some of your favorite savory ingredients and you're half-way there. These little cuties come together quickly after you mix cooked quinoa with crumbled cheese, capers, green onions, herbs and seasonings, breadcrumbs and eggs. Use a small cookie scoop to portion the mixture into small balls and use your fingers to compact the mixture a bit to avoid crumbling as they cook.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, place the quinoa balls in the pan and gently flatten to form small patties, about 1/2" thick. Now leave them alone for several minutes - really, don't move them, don't poke them, just ignore them - so the base will set and hold them together nicely. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the bottom is nicely browned.

Photo: space the patties so you can turn each one without disturbing its neighbors

Use an offset spatula to gently turn them over cook until the second side is nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Photo: note the crispy, golden-brown crust

Keep the first batch warm while you cook the remaining patties, or use two skillets or a large griddle and cook them all at once. You'll want to serve them hot, with a sauce on the side. To sauce or not to sauce is a major decision. RL covered his last few patties with Thai Peanut Sauce.

Photo: RL likes a little sauce on his quinoa patties

I couldn't choose a favorite between Sweet Thai Red Pepper Sauce and Mint Tzatziki, so I tried both. Both sauces were delicious and highlighted different ingredients in the patty mixture, but I preferred my quinoa cakes plain, without any sauce to mask the already tasty flavors.  

The surprise of the day was RL's change of opinion from "Do I really have to eat these?" to an enthusiastic "Let's have them again soon". That's fine with the cook although I am officially through posting quinoa recipes for a long while. Unofficially though, quinoa might appear on my plate again soon. It has joined kale as a current must-have ingredient.

Quinoa Patties

Makes 12 small patties

2 cups cooked quinoa (I used leftover Quinoa Mediterranean Salad)

1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed & drained

4 green onions, sliced in thin rings

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

a generous handful of fresh feta or mozzarella crumbles

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley or mint or both, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Hot sauce, to taste (option)

Olive oil, canola oil or clarified butter to cook the patties

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the oil and mix thoroughly. Chill and let rest a while to allow the breadcrumbs to soak and soften. 
2. Portion the mixture into twelve small balls.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, place the quinoa balls in the pan and gently flatten with a spatula to form patties, roughly 1/2" thick. Now leave them alone for several minutes - don't move them, don't poke them, just ignore them - so the base will set and hold them together nicely. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the bottom is nicely browned.
4. Use an offset spatula to carefully turn them over cook until the second side is well browned, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Keep warm while you cook the remaining patties, or use two skillets or a large grill and cook them all at once. You'll want to serve them hot, with a sauce on the side, or perhaps with an egg on top.

Quinoa Fusion Stir Fry

Quinoa Week Continues...

Photo: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad meets Asian StirFry/RiceBowl

What more could a sunny morning bring to improve the day? Not much, since I'm quite happy with a multi-cultural bowl of quinoa goodness and a view of Mt. Rainier out the kitchen window.

Photo: Mt. Rainier, looking south across neighboring docks & fences

A mounded half-cup of Quinoa Mediterranean Salad leftovers joined a quick Asian stir-fry of slivered pork, fresh kale and a pair of scallions with a sprinkle of ponzu, a tablespoon of Thai sweet chili sauce and one beaten egg. The resulting dish just filled a rice bowl with a pleasing combination of sweet, savory and salty tastes - cranberries, red peppers, capers, kale, citrusy soy sauce and sweet hot chili sauce... Totally delicious.

Why so happy this morning? It helps that the kitchen television is off, so I can ignore the repetitive 24-hour coverage of disasters near and far. It helps that breakfast was yummy, healthy and quick to fix. It helps that Seattle is forecast to have more than three days in a row of sunshine. It helps that I scored a dental appointment on short notice. It REALLY helps that The Mountain is out... and I remembered to pause and enjoy the view.

Have a great day.

Quinoa Mediterranean Salad

Quinoa is back on the menu again. I have ignored this versatile grain far too long, reaching past the three-pound package sitting on a pantry shelf as I grabbed other items. But it is ignored no longer. This month that fluffy, protein-filled pseudo-grain has starred in a stuffed pepper recipe. It worked so well that I was ready for something more. More, but different. 

Next I cooked a pot of quinoa, added various ingredients that we like, mixing sweet and tart flavors, and raided the refrigerator for more inspiration. Lemons, of course, lemons must be part of the mix. Friend Tanya had just gifted me another bag of gigantic Arizona lemons from her orchard in Yuma. These Southwestern lemons are something special, incredibly juicy and somehow more lemony than any of the puny, local grocery offerings.  

Photo: the puny lemon on the bottom right is the grocery store product

The dressing began with a 2:1:1 blend of Greek olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar and lemon juice. Taste, adjust, taste, tweak it a bit more... I probably ate an entire serving's worth in taste tests but it was worth it. The resulting salad was delicious. How good is delicious? Well, RL reluctantly  sampled a small serving, and then... Wait for it... asked for a second helping. 

We have enjoyed that quinoa salad recipe over several days in a number of ways and it has not lost its appeal. Serve it on a lunch salad plate.

Fill an avocado or even an avocado shell .

This is not a new idea. Similar recipes are found all over the web, and I must have skimmed a few at one time or another, but this version just... happened. Okay, just now I Googled "quinoa salad" and found over 13 million hits. 13 million! There's something going on here. Beyond the fact that quinoa is a complete protein, providing all 9 essential amino acids, is gluten-free and cholesterol-free and usually organic, has a lot of fiber and cooks in 10 to 15 minutes which is quick compared to most grains - beyond all that, quinoa is incredibly versatile and adapts to a wide range of flavors and cuisines. 

Hmmmm, what's next? What is your favorite quinoa recipe?

Quinoa Mediterranean Salad

4 generous servings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed & drained
1 3/4 cups water (or broth)

1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sultanas or raisins
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar or orange juice
1 sweet red bell pepper (or several multi-colored minis)
3-4 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 generous Tbs capers, rinsed
zest of one fat lemon
1/8 cup fresh mint leaves, rough chopped
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
1/4 cup or more mild feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (more or less to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the quinoa as directed on the package, resisting any urge to lift the lid while it cooks. Fluff with a fork and turn out into a medium bowl to cool.
2. Add the dried fruit and 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar to a small cup and warm in the microwave. Set aside while the fruit plumps.
3. Mix the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust, adding more lemon if it seems flat, or a touch of warmed honey if it is too tart.
4. Add the chopped peppers, green onions, pine nuts, capers, lemon zest, mint leaves and parsley to the cooled quinoa. Add the now-plumped dried fruit to the mix and gently toss all to mix. Add the dressing, one large spoonful at a time, tossing as you go. Again, taste and adjust. 
5. Top with the crumbled feta cheese and serve.

Note: The flavors will blend over time, some will brighten while others recede. I tend to add more mint on following days, or a sprinkle more lemon zest.