Yesterday a friend from my Rochester days put something on Facebook about quinoa. I was all, “BINGO! That’s what I can make for dinner tonight!”  Thanks, Gretchen! This recipe’s for you.

By the way, I tried baking these then I tried pan frying them. Guess which was better? You already know.

My kids are all up in my _____ right now since Jack & Patsy left and Bea decided to quit napping. Not only that, but I find myself their unwitting hostage every night until around 9:30PM when I can finally make my escape…to a sinkful of dirty dishes. Hooray.

Anyway, trying to cook or blog or even eat properly these days is taking some doing. Or not doing and just baking these beauties in the toaster oven:

Mmmmmm, Costco, where have you been all my life?

Whoops – I digress. While I DID finally break down and get a Costco membership, I only made these once – last Saturday since we had a lot of college basketball to watch. The girls loved them. I actually heard this line come out of his mouth that same day, “Finish your cheese stick so you can have a Thin Mint.” My brother knows what I’m talking about here.

Well, anyway, yesterday I made these quinoa cakes. You know, the subject of this post?

For your NON cheese stick days.

G ate like 6 of them last night. No kidding.

Here’s what you need:

and this:

INGREDIENTS:
2.5 c cooked quinoa
4 large eggs, beaten (I used egg replacer – 0 cholesterol!!!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c finely chopped fresh chives (I used parsley b/c I didn’t have any chives)
1 onion, finely chopped
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c bread crumbs
water, if needed
1 TBSP olive oil
OPTIONAL: 1 handful zucchini, finely chopped (or whatever else you might have!)

1. Make your quinoa first. People: don’t be like me. Read the directions. You need 2.5 c COOKED quinoa. That’s a whole lot less uncooked quinoa. According to the package I used, 1 cup uncooked quinoa makes about 4 cups cooked quinoa. I decided to make that much since it’s easy to measure. Also, I know quinoa makes good leftovers and one of Gretchen’s friends mentioned eating sort of as oatmeal for breakfast.

Here’s what it looks like when it’s cooked:

2. Measure out 2.5 c of the quinoa into a large bowl. Add parsley, onion, zucchini (optional), cheese & garlic.

3. Add the bread crumbs, combine well & let rest for a few minutes.

Btw: I use egg replacer instead of eggs most of the time and it has a ton of benefits:
- NO cholesterol.
- NO chance of salmonella. Especially because you are forming them with your hands.
- NO problem if you thought you had eggs and don’t!

4. Form patties with your *clean* hands. If they’re too wet, add some breadcrumbs. If they’re too dry, add a little water until you get a good malleable patty that is easy to work with but stays together.

5. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet to medium-low. Cook the patties on each side, covered, for about 7-10 minutes, or until browned on both sides. I push down on the patties with a spatula to ensure the cook all the way through.

Look Mom! I cut out a triangle!

I served it with a simple green salad & my favorite hot sauce.

Ever so slightly adapted from Super Natural Every Day