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Little Quinoa Patties

Yield: 12 patties
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa, room temperature
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 cup finely crushed saltine or Ritz crackers or bread crumbs, plus more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions 

  • Combine the quinoa, eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the parsley, cheese and garlic. Add the cracker or bread crumbs. Stir the mixture until combined. If the mixture seems overly wet, add a tablespoon or two more of cracker or bread crumbs. If it seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water or broth. Let it stand for about five minutes so the liquid can be somewhat absorbed. Take small handfuls of the mixture and form into little patties, about 1-inch thick, yielding about 11 or 12 patties.
  • In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until it is hot. Add a single layer of patties (about half of them if you are using a 12-inch skillet) and cook until the bottoms are well-browned, about 5-7 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning (or increase heat if the patties aren't browning well). Flip the patties and cook about 5 minutes more until the second side is golden brown. Remove from the skillet and repeat with the remaining patties (adding a bit more olive oil, if needed). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Cooking the Quinoa: I like to cook my quinoa in low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth. It adds more flavor. If you choose to cook the quinoa in water, you might need to add a bit more salt to compensate.
Rinse the Quinoa: don't forget to rinse the quinoa before cooking - it makes a huge difference!
Adaptable: also, you can probably tell that this recipe is extremely adaptable. Quinoa works well with nearly any flavor, so feel free to change things around, up the spices, add onions, peppers, different kind(s) of cheese. Really, the sky's the limit here.