magical quinoa

I haven’t posted much about quinoa lately, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not still utterly smitten with this little super-grain. Loving quinoa has gotten easier over the past couple of years because I can now even find this at my local Walmart Supercenter here in NW Arkansas – and when it’s convenient to purchase, it’s convenient to work into your recipe rotation!

I’ve seen a couple of quinoa patties around the internet lately (I blame Pinterest). So, when I picked up a new pack at the store last night, I figured there was no time like the present to give it a go. Might’ve been some sort of (vain) attempt to offest some of the damage I’ve done this Superbowl weekend. Maybe.

These are really easy to throw together and will be a new regular at our house. In the future I can see dressing them up in all sorts of ways – with different veggies, different cheeses, maybe even a Mexican or a Greek version!

Quinoa Patties
(adapted from Epicurious)
2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, plus more if needed
Water, if needed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into four 1/2 cup patties (approximately 6″ in diameter and 1″ thick). Try to err on the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, but you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add patties and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the bottoms are browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for another 5-7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and serve warm.