A healthier alternative to your weekly hamburger patty.

Somewhere in between burgers and falafel you get quinoa cakes. The benefits? These ones are gluten-free, vegan and packed with protein, but you’d never guess it. Serve instead of a veggie burger, or throw on top of a salad and drizzle with tahini.

Whatever you do, you should probably make a double batch.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup finely chopped kale
• 1/2 cup Cannellini or Great Northern beans
• 1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts
• 3 cloves of pressed garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons buckwheat flour
• Oil for frying

Directions

• Combine 1 cup water, a dash of salt and quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until water has boiled off, about 15 minutes.
• In a food processor, combine kale, beans, hazelnuts, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix until a pureed consistency and pour into a separate bowl.
• Add in cooked quinoa and buckwheat flour and mix together until well-blended.
• Place bowl in refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. Note: you don’t have to do this, but when the mixture is colder it is easier to form into patties. If you want to fry them up directly, make them a little smaller.
• Form mixture into patties and fry for 2-4 minutes on each side, until they are crisp.

Yields about 6 medium sized cakes depending on the size you make them.

Every month on Sunday Recipe, we bring you a new theme of recipes, perfect for whipping up on a Sunday. For March it’s all about revamping classics into healthier versions. Enjoy!

The post Sunday Recipe: Kale and Hazelnut Quinoa Cakes appeared first on EcoSalon.

The ancient grain quinoa has an intriguing crunchy texture and is super tasty and healthy. Great for vegetarians and vegans due to its high protein content, it’s a healthy whole grain that is versatile in the kitchen. In this pilaf-like dish, you’ll encounter nutty, crunchy, sweet, and tart flavors in every bite.

Serve as a side dish or as a stuffing for peppers or baked squash. Add a green salad and you have a light meal. Leftovers travel well the next day. If you’ve ever tried quinoa and found it unpleasantly bitter, the soaking and rinsing step should take care of that problem.

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds

Serves 6-8

1 cup quinoa, soaked in several changes of water, rinsed well and drained
2 thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup dried cranberries, or other local, dried fruit of your choice, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
4-5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the quinoa, lower heat, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender and moist, without excess water (about 30 minutes). You may open the lid occasionally to check its progress. If the quinoa is done, but there is still too much water, drain in a fine mesh sieve. Cool slightly.

While the quinoa cooks, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil.

Place the cooled quinoa in a medium bowl with the onions, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and parsley. Add the dressing and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately. The picture shown above features a little shredded parmesan as garnish, which could be nice, too.

Recipe copyright 2010 Vanessa Barrington

Don’t forget to go for organic and local ingredients whenever possible!

Image: tombothetominator

The post Ecosalon Recipes: Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds appeared first on EcoSalon.