Quinoa Patties with Feta Cheese & Spinach

Quinoa is nutritious, easy to make, and so versatile. I usually add it to my salads to add more texture, or eat it as a side in place of rice. This was my first time making it like this, and I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to discover these scrumptious patties. 

                                        

They came out so yummy! They're crispy and browned on the outside, delicate and full of flavor on the inside. Best of all, the possibilities are endless. I added fresh spinach and feta into my patties, and I can't wait to try other variations using different cheeses and veggies. You could play around with the spices, or add in other components like olives, zucchini, peas, corn, and black beans.

You'll need:

4 eggs

1 cup of uncooked quinoa

1 cup of fresh spinach, chopped

3/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped and sautéed

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of thyme

1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil, butter, or ghee for cooking (your healthy fat of choice ;)) 

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa. Let it cool. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add the quinoa, chopped spinach, feta cheese, sautéed red onion, & spices.
3. Mix all the ingredients together well. Let the mixture set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. Form the patties. 
5. Heat a non-stick pan with olive oil, butter or ghee. Cook the patties for 6-8 minutes or until the patties are golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the other side has browned.

Makes 9-12 patties depending on the size you make them.

 

Yogurt mint sauce

 

You could serve them over greens, in pita bread with yogurt sauce, with a warm tomato sauce, next to a soft boiled egg (because everything tastes better with eggs), with beans, with fish/chicken/beef, or on their own. Like I said, the possibilities are endless! Enjoy :)