these qunioa cakes made it on our meal plan for the week because they a) are fairly healthy b) seemed easy enough for a weeknight c) didn’t require a trip to the store d) looked good. however, when it was their night on the menu, we weren’t overly excited about them. you know? those nights when what you have planned doesn’t sound good, but you can’t think of anything better?

it was one of those, so we just went ahead with it.

the recipe ended up making about 16 cakes, so it took a couple shifts to get them all cooked. so, we started snacking on some of the finished ones & Y’ALL, they’re amazing. i mean, i thought they’d be good, but we were seriously not expecting to be blown away.

& that’s what happened.

we were going to call them faux crab cakes, but didn’t want you to get the wrong idea. i mean, we weren’t even intending to make a meatless version, but the texture of these is everything that a perfect crab cake wishes it could be. plus? no sneak attack shells.

there is so much good flavor packed in to each one of these cakes, they don’t even need a dipping sauce. just throw together a salad & call it a day.

QUINOA CAKES
makes 16 cakes, enough for about 6-8 people

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (we used red, but any kind should work)
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 white onion, very finely chopped, or chopped in a food processor
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup breadcrumbs, plus more, if necessary
about 2 tablespoons olive oil

in a medium bowl, stir together the quinoa, eggs & salt, being careful to get the quinoa well coated. add the basil, onion, cheese & garlic & mix.

add the breadcrumbs & let sit for a few minutes to allow them to soak up some of the moisture. when it’s ready, you should be able to easily form the mixture into balls without having them fall apart. add more breadcrumbs, if necessary. roll into 16 balls & flatten to form patties about 1/2 inch thick.

heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet, about 2 tablespoons, over medium. add patties & cook for about 10 minutes on each side, or until they’re a deep golden brown. transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. repeat until all the cakes are cooked. serve warm.

from cate’s world kitchen