Have some leftover quinoa you say? Here you go. These fill you up, taste incredible, they can be portable and they are healthy.  Works for me, does that work for you?

I love them on top of a salad or just plain with a nice dipping sauce to go with.  Like Salsa Verde or Hot sauce.  I make these when I have a lot of leftover quinoa and instead of being bored with that sometimes bland quinoa,  this really jazz’s it up.  Think eggy-quinoa cakes with delicious flavor going on in the middle.

This is a very loose as you can add any veggies you like.  I make it different from time to time by either using shallots vs onions or Parmesan cheese vs goat cheese.  But this is the basic version. I like to season mine with crushed red pepper and I add a diced up anaheim chile pepper for some added flavor there too.  Also you can leave the mixture in the fridge for 1-2 days and cook them up fresh as you please, you got to love that. 

NOTE: If the batter is too dry, add some water. If it is too wet (which is usually the case, add some more bread crumbs or Panko.)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 1/2 tsp salt
• a few grinds of pepper
• 1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, less if you don’t want heat
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese or Goat or Gruyere work great too
• 1/2 cup diced onion, shallots are also fantastic
• 1/3 cup chives, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of diced up Anaheim Chile, or could use a red or green bell pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup of gluten free bread crumbs or Panko
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the 1/2 tbsp of oil to a pan over medium heat.  Add the onion or shallots, anaheim chile, and garlic; Cook maybe 3-7  mins,  until cooked through.
2. Add this mixture to a bowl along with cooked quinoa, eggs, egg whites,  chives, bread crumbs, cheese of choice, and seasonings; crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Mix well until combined. Form into patties (makes about 4-6.)
3. Now in the same pan add the one remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over med. heat and cook the patties.  NOTE: Or once the patties are made – you could cook them off in a grill. Takes about 2-3 minutes on both sides.
4. Serve with a salsa verde sauce, hot sauce, or sauce of your choice. Enjoy!