Triple Veggie Quinoa Cakes
These triple veggie quinoa cakes are amazingly versatile and delicious any time of day! They make a great healthy finger food for kids!
Yield: 12 quinoa cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup packed baby spinach, finely chopped
- ½ cup grated carrots (2 small carrots)
- ½ cup grated sweet potato (½ small sweet potato)
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Meanwhile, prep all of the vegetables.
- Once the quinoa is ready and slightly cooled, combine it with the veggies and mix well. Add cheeses, egg and seasonings and mix well again.
- To form into patties, wet your hands and scoop about ¼ cup to ⅓ cup for each quinoa cake. Use your hands to form the mixture into balls, continuing to press the mixture together and flatten it and round it to shape it into a disc. Place each quinoa cake on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Let cool slightly before removing from the pan and serving or storing. (They can be crumbly until they cool off a little.)
- Serve warm or at room temperature. See notes below for more serving ideas.
Notes
Quinoa: I use a white quinoa, but a tricolor quinoa would be fine, too. You could even try these with brown rice.
Cheeses: The recipe uses a combination of ricotta and Parmesan cheeses within the quinoa cakes. These help with flavor as well as texture. You could add a third cheese on top if you like, to melt down while these are baking. Mozzarella would be yummy.
Egg: I usually just need one egg. Sometimes, if my ricotta is especially dry, or my quinoa was leftover and cold from the fridge, I find I can't form these into patties very well because the mixture doesn't have enough moisture. I just add another egg, remix everything and I'm good to go.
Serving ideas: You can serve this quinoa cakes as an appetizer, topped with pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, guacamole or hummus, or pair them with cheese and slider buns. They also are great in the morning with eggs. Or for lunch, by themselves or in a pita pocket or wrap with your favorite fixings. They are a great dinner side dish and wonderful for kids, too!
Leftovers: These quinoa cakes will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also freeze great! Once cooked and cooled, pop the quinoa bites into a freezer bag, label and date it, and keep for up to 5 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. Or enjoy them cold or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 2quinoa cakes | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 505mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g
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