Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Quinoa Patties

It is Passover.  And while I am not the most kosher keeping person (just how many shrimp recipes do I have on this blog?) I always feel a little bit better when I can stray from my usual glutenous palate and stay wheat free for at least one of these eight days.  I have been meaning to make this particular recipe for a few weeks and when husband left town for a few days, I took advantage of the situation by concentrating on recipes he might be reluctant to try.

I pulled this recipe from a blog called eatingwelllivingthin, which focuses on recipes limiting carbs, calories and fun in general.  While I am never a fan of substituting nonfat anything or fake sugar where the real ingredient will do, this recipe stays true to real food.  I jacked up the spices a bit in the version below, and the salt a lot...but I do love my salt!  So play with it.  I also didn't bother to measure out the two rounded cups..I just mixed everything into however much quinoa comes from one cup uncooked.


The true test was the friend who came by to drop off her daughter so the girls could go to a UCLA softball game.  First she commented on the yummy smell when she walked in, then she split a patty with her daughter and then she gladly took some home for dinner.

Ingredients:



rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)


3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 medium carrot, finely grated 
3 eggs
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 green onions, including white parts
1 /2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Olive oil for frying

To cook quinoa:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
  • In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.  Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.
  • In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, sugar, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.
  • (To help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, I cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning.  Makes them easier to flip, too.)  Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.   Makes approx. 10 burgers.