It’s Monday! How’d everyone’s Super Bowl weekend go? Were you guys happy or depressed that the Giants won? Here’s an even better question–what’d you guys think of Madonna?! Incredible, right? Um, can she teach me how to dance and sing like that at age 53??? WOW. She rocks.
So usually, I despise Mondays, but this Monday is a little different for me. Whether you hate Mondays or love them (who really loves Mondays anyway…anyone?!) these little quinoa patties will be a great start to the week! I found the recipe on Joy the Baker’s blog (she’s the BEST!) and modified it slightly. This recipe’s a keeper, folks!
Packed full of nutrients and protein, these taste amazing with a poached egg or scrambled eggs (especially if you cut up the patties and put them in a breakfast burrito!). They have a slight kick from the olives and bright bursts of fresh lemon in each bite.
These will wake you up in the morning and have you ready to take on the week ahead of you! You can freeze the patties too and reheat them when you want to eat them. They also go great on top of a salad or as a side dish for dinner.
So let’s get in the habit of loving quinoa…it’s so beneficial for you! And then for Valentine’s Day we can throw all the healthy food out the window and eat sweets ALL DAY LONGGG! Seriously.
It’s simple and fun to make! Let’s get our hands dirty…
Just chop up and mix all the ingredients into a large bowl.
Add some egg to bind everything. Then spoon two heaping tablespoons of mix together and shape into a patty with your clean hands. When I say “heaping”, this is what I mean…
Look how nice these patties look…just waiting to be pan-fried with a little bit of olive oil…
Done and done. You may eat now!
Lemon, Kalamata Olive, and Parsley Quinoa Patties (adapted from Joy the Baker)
To make the quinoa:
- 1 1/2 cups raw quinoa
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Rinse the quinoa well under cool water in a fine mesh strainer to clean it. In a medium saucepan, add the quinoa, water and salt. Mix the ingredients together over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts to boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and tender. Remove from heat and cool the quinoa to room temperature. Set aside 3 cups for the patties.
For the patties:
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 cup Gruyere or parmesan cheese (I used a gruyere/white cheddar combo)
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest – about a whole medium lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
1. In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, onion, cheese, chopped olives, lemon zest, lemon juice, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, red pepper flakes, and quinoa together. Add the beaten eggs and incorporate well until everything is moistened. Add the water to bind the mixture even more. Everything should be slightly wet so it doesn’t dry out while cooking.
2. Scooping the mixture by 2 heaping tablespoons at a time, use your hands and form a small patty. Repeat and make as many patties as you’d like. (You can keep the uncooked mix in the fridge for a few days or fry up the patties and freeze them.)
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add as many patties that will fit in the pan with enough room around them to flip (I fit about three patties each time). Cook on each side until the outside it browned and the inside is cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Once cooked and browned, remove patties to a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve warm.
