Quinoa Cakes
- I love Quinoa for it’s healthy qualities and versatility. It’s delicious for breakfast with a drizzle of honey and it makes a fabulous side dish for dinner. You can throw in some roasted vegetables or dried fruit and nuts to add flavor. In this recipe I decided to take advantage of it’s nutty flavor when it’s crispy and make it into small cakes plus kids love them even though they’re full of veggies. I’m giving you two preparations. The first is lightly fried and the second is baked.
- Serves: 6 people
- Prep. Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Tools: medium saucepot, food processer, medium sauté pan, mixing bowls, measuring cups, baking sheets (baked option)
- INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Quinoa
- ½ zucchini, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup frozen spinach
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon tehini paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup part skim ricotta cheese
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- DIRECTIONS
- 1. Prepare the quinoa according to the directions on the package (2 cups water for 1 cup quinoa).
- 2. Add the zucchini, carrot, onion and spinach to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse 20 times so that the vegetables are all evenly chopped and mixed together. You want them to be small but not pureed.
- 3. Place the sauté pan over a medium flame and add 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Add the vegetable mixture and sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables are no longer raw. You want them to soften.
- 4. Add the cooked vegetables and quinoa to a large bowl and allow the mixture to cool completely.
- 5. In another bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, tehini paste, lemon juice and egg.
- 6. In small third bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
- 7.Once the quinoa has cooled add the flour mixture and ricotta mixture to the quinoa and stir thoroughly. At this point the mixture may be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
- 8. To prepare the cakes place the cleaned sauté pan over a medium flame and add the remaining canola oil. Allow it to get hot for 3 minutes.
- 9. Take a ¼ or ½ cup measuring cups depending on the size cakes you want to prepare. Fill the measuring cup with the quinoa and drop the mixture into the hot oil. Pat down like a latke. Allow the cake to cook for 7 – 10 minutes depending on it’s size. The cake should be golden brown on the bottom and not stick to the pan. Flip the cake over and allow it to cook for another 7 – 10 minutes on the other side.
- 10. Transfer the cake to a plate lined with paper towel to soak up the excess oil. Serve immediately or reheat on an oiled baking sheet in a 350º oven for 12 minutes.
- An alternative to frying: You can scoop the cake mixture onto an oiled baking sheet and place in a 400º oven for 20 minutes. Be sure to press down lightly on the cakes when you place them on the sheet. The cakes will only be crunchy on one side but they’ll still be tasty.
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