Quinoa Cakes

This one is for you, Losaunne, and any other vegetarians out there. Actually, my family is about as far from being vegetarians as you can get, and we absolutely love this. We ate these as a main dish with the poached egg on top, like Annie does in her recipe, but I had a leftover patty for lunch the next day and just melted some cheese on it - delicious! It would make a great veggie burger with a bun or on a piece of toast with some cheese and cucumber and/or tomato. Plus, you can spread the preparation time out for those with busy school schedules (again, that's you, Losaunne). Truly, quinoa is a great grain, very versatile and high in protein, so break out of your ordinary and try these. (Original from Annie's Eats)

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Ingredients

2 C cooked quinoa, at room temp (I like to cook mine in broth)

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 C minced fresh chives

1 shallot, finely chopped (original said 2, but that was a bit much I think)

1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 - 3/4 C bread crumbs

Olive oil for frying

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Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, chives, shallots, Parmesan and garlic. Stir to blend. Mix in the bread crumbs and stir gently until evenly incorporated. Form the mixture into six evenly sized patties, about 3 - 4 inches in diameter.

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Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and swirl to coat. Add the patties to the pan so that they are not touching. Let cook about 4 minutes or until the first side is lightly browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and let the second side cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining patties, using additional olive oil if needed.

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Optional serving suggestion: Top each patty with a bit of shaved Parmesan, a poached egg, and season with salt and pepper.