keen

These Quinoa Patties deserve so much better than this photo. But I ran over my actual camera with an SUV (well, I dropped my purse in parking lot, and then Matty ran over the purse), and all I have is my phone camera now.

Anyway, make these quinoa patties immediately. But use a nonstick pan because otherwise, you'll have a delicious like biryani or something, and not actual patties. So these pretty ones were the ones I put on Matty's plate with some Flash Cooked Salmon, while the less cute ones were not photographed and placed between two wheat mini pitas and topped with a slice of Kumato tomato and a generous dollop of guacamole for the most amazing quinoa burgers ever. I think the key here is the different types of quinoa - lots of layers of nuttiness.

We only ate 5 of them, so I formed the other 7 into patties and froze them for another day. I'm not quite sure what to do with them - bake 'em from frozen, or thaw them out and try to pan-fry them again, but I can't wait to tuck back into them.

Quinoa Patties
adapted from Eating Well...Living Thin
Makes 12 patties

2 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1 c. mix of regular, red and black quinoa
3/4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1 small carrot, finely grated (about 1/4 c.)
3 eggs
3 T. flour
2 green onions (all of it)
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
olive oil for frying

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to boil. Add quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed, and the quinoa is tender. Spread on a baking sheet to cool.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. When the quinoa is cool, add it to the bowl and stir to combine thoroughly.

3. Heat a few T. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.

***EDIT*** If you have leftovers, freeze them separately on a baking sheet. When frozen, you can throw them all in a Ziploc bag and they won't stick together. When you're ready to reheat, throw them on a lined baking sheet in a 450-degree oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. If desired, add a slice of cheese in the last 2 minutes to melt before serving.