Lemon, Olive, Parsley Quinoa Cake Salad
It's official, I'm obsessed with putting Quinoa into everything. I came late to the bandwagon and have only started cooking with it about a couple years ago. I like to add it into hearty dishes and transform the dish into something some what healthier, like Quinoa Beef Tacos or my Quinoa Stuffed Bell Pepper. Hmmm I wonder if I could make Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies? Ok okay, I admit the cookie idea is a little crazy!
I recently found this amazing Quinoa Cake recipe on one of my favorite food blogs with lemon, olives, parsley and cheese in it. I usually have all of those ingredients in my kitchen so naturally I had to test this puppy out! This my friends is a light salad dish with beautifully fried quinoa cakes, the perfect dish for summer!
LEMON, OLIVE & PARSLEY QUINOA CAKE SALAD
4 servings, makes about 16 - 18 small cakes. Adapted from a Joy The Baker recipe.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cups raw quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese, plus a little extra for serving
1/4 cup coarsely chopped green olives
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 cups of salad mix
toppings (whatever your heart desires): tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, avocado
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse quinoa in a strainer for a few minutes to clean out any dirt.
2. In a medium saucepan place rinsed quinoa, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place over med-high heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat, simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, add the red onion, cheese, olives, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, lemon zest, salt, red pepper flakes, cooled quinoa and toss together. Add the beaten eggs and stir until all the quinoa mixture is moistened. Add the water to thoroughly moisten the mixture. The quinoa should be slightly wet so it does not dry out during cooking.
5. Make sure your hands are clean and slightly wet. Then scoop out 2 Tablespoonful of the mixture and form into a patty. Create as many patties until the mixture is all used up.
6. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. I can fit about 6 patties in one pan. Make sure you leave a bit of room so you have space to flip them.
7. Cook on each side for about 4 - 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Make sure the heat is on the lower side so the quinoa cakes cook slowly. Once they are cooked on both sides you can transfer them to a paper towel lined plate.
8. Dress your plate with 2 cups of salad greens and top it with tomatoes etc. Then pour your favorite salad dressing on top. I like freshly made balsamic vinaigrette (see note below) on mine. Next top about 4 Quinoa Cakes on the salad and sprinkle some extra parmesan cheese on top. Now you're ready to dig in :)!!
NOTES: The quinoa mixture will last for a few days if you don't want to cook all of it at once. For a simple dressing, add the following: 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon good balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to a jam jar. Then shake it up and it will emulsify and turn into a beautiful dressing! If you're feeling fancy, add some dried or fresh herbs to jazz it up. This makes about 2 servings, which will keep in the fridge. Just make sure to return to room temperature before using because the oil will separate and turn into sad looking solid green circles :(.
I recently found this amazing Quinoa Cake recipe on one of my favorite food blogs with lemon, olives, parsley and cheese in it. I usually have all of those ingredients in my kitchen so naturally I had to test this puppy out! This my friends is a light salad dish with beautifully fried quinoa cakes, the perfect dish for summer!
LEMON, OLIVE & PARSLEY QUINOA CAKE SALAD
4 servings, makes about 16 - 18 small cakes. Adapted from a Joy The Baker recipe.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cups raw quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese, plus a little extra for serving
1/4 cup coarsely chopped green olives
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 cups of salad mix
toppings (whatever your heart desires): tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, avocado
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse quinoa in a strainer for a few minutes to clean out any dirt.
2. In a medium saucepan place rinsed quinoa, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place over med-high heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat, simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, add the red onion, cheese, olives, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, lemon zest, salt, red pepper flakes, cooled quinoa and toss together. Add the beaten eggs and stir until all the quinoa mixture is moistened. Add the water to thoroughly moisten the mixture. The quinoa should be slightly wet so it does not dry out during cooking.
5. Make sure your hands are clean and slightly wet. Then scoop out 2 Tablespoonful of the mixture and form into a patty. Create as many patties until the mixture is all used up.
6. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. I can fit about 6 patties in one pan. Make sure you leave a bit of room so you have space to flip them.
7. Cook on each side for about 4 - 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Make sure the heat is on the lower side so the quinoa cakes cook slowly. Once they are cooked on both sides you can transfer them to a paper towel lined plate.
8. Dress your plate with 2 cups of salad greens and top it with tomatoes etc. Then pour your favorite salad dressing on top. I like freshly made balsamic vinaigrette (see note below) on mine. Next top about 4 Quinoa Cakes on the salad and sprinkle some extra parmesan cheese on top. Now you're ready to dig in :)!!
NOTES: The quinoa mixture will last for a few days if you don't want to cook all of it at once. For a simple dressing, add the following: 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon good balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to a jam jar. Then shake it up and it will emulsify and turn into a beautiful dressing! If you're feeling fancy, add some dried or fresh herbs to jazz it up. This makes about 2 servings, which will keep in the fridge. Just make sure to return to room temperature before using because the oil will separate and turn into sad looking solid green circles :(.
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