Quinoa Kale Patties

Recipe from http://yummysupper.blogspot.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yield:  12 small patties (6 servings)

My husband and I really liked these.  They reminded me of hash browns or tater tots, so I think the kids might enjoy them, especially in their lunch box with something to dip them in.  They taste great drizzled with fresh lemon juice or with a dollop of salsa.  (I have since found other similar recipes, which requires baking them in a mini muffin pan. I will eventually test those out as well.)  If you happen to already have leftover cooked grains on hand, this recipe calls for 2 ½ cups. Otherwise, whip up some quinoa from scratch. If you don't have kale, try spinach.

1 cup quinoa (uncooked) and 2 cups water or 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa

4 large eggs, whisked

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 scallions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup steamed kale or spinach, chopped

1 cup breadcrumbs (If you are on a gluten-free diet, use gluten free breadcrumbs.)

1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil

To prepare the quinoa, rinse 1 cup of quinoa very thoroughly and place the grains in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water. Allow quinoa to soak for 15 minutes. Then, with the lid on the pan, bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until quinoa is tender and has absorbed the liquid - about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temp.  (You can do this a few days in advance.)

In a large bowl, mix together 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa, eggs, Parmesan cheese, scallions, garlic, salt, steamed kale, and breadcrumbs.

Let everything sit for about 15 minutes for the dry ingredients to absorb the liquid. You want the batter to be moist, but not runny. Form patties and get your pan ready for cooking.  You may need to add a bit of water or a bit more egg to make the patties come together.

Heat 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook up to 6 patties at time. (Don't overcrowd the pan). Cover the pan and cook for 6 minutes or so until the underbellies are a deep rich brown. Flip and cook the other side for another 6 minutes until both sides are nice and brown. Let patties rest on a cooling rack while you finish the next batch.

Note: If you don't want to eat all the patties right away, refrigerate the batter and cook patties up to order at a later moment.  (I found that the patties came together even better the next day.)