Garlic And Thyme Quinoa Patties

January 12, 2012 | 48 Comments

Cooking quinoa is one of the easiest, most rewarding exercise you can indulge in your kitchen. It practically cooks itself and freezes well. Not to mention, it is healthy hip and really tasty. When I cooked a big pot of quinoa earlier this week from Heidi’s Super Natural Every Day cookbook, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with it. The Little Quinoa Patties recipe in the book was inspiring and I adapted it to make a delicious snack that was devoured by Nick and Rivs. The little one needed coaxing but that didn’t work either. So I can safely proclaim this recipe certifiably good for adults, young adults and adventurous eight year olds.

The marriage of garlic and thyme is a happy one as The Flavor Thesaurus suggests but when you add chives and paprika to the mix, the party really begins. The flavours in this patties start out soft on your palate but slowly grow and delight you. Rounded at first and then sharp and peppery all at once. The tomato ketchup and salad greens work really well and I can see these little bites being casual enough to please a crowd at a picnic yet sophisticated enough for your special dinner for two topped with a soft-centered egg and a spicy relish.

Food Styling And Prop Alert – SMH Good Living newspaper page for serving. Maxwell And Williams Newspaper Ceramic Sauce Dish – ($9.95 for sauce dish & chips cone). Wooden tapas fork – ($2 for 10 at the Dollar Shop). White wood serving platter – ($1 cutting board from the Thrift Shop painted in Antique White).

GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

Author: Sneh
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 20
Category: Lunch, Lunchbox
Cuisine: Vegetarian

Description

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

5 organic eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 whole meal bread slices, processed into breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon mild paprika

sea salt flakes to taste

olive oil to pan fry

Instructions

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a large wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Scoop some mixture in the palm of your hands to shape a patties approximately 5cm in diameter and 1cm thick. This size will yield approximately 20 patties with the mixture you have. (You can make them smaller and thicker or large and flatter as per your preference.)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Gently place 4-5 patties in the pan and shallow fry, cooking each side for 2 minutes before gently flipping over with a small spatula to cook the other side. Repeat till all patties are cooked. Use a tablespoon of oil each time you start cooking a new batch of patties.

Serve hot or cold with ketchup and salad greens.

Notes

These are delicate patties and a tad tricky to shape as they may stick to your hands or fall apart in the pan. Gently handling will prevent them from falling apart. once one side is cooked, they become easier to manage and even flatten nicely for even browning.

If you find it impossible to work with them or shape them, try adding 1 tablespoon of plain flour to make them hold their shape.

January 2012 Spotlight – Heidi Swanson

Every month on Cook Republic a food hero will be featured. It could be a celebrity chef, food blogger, cookbook author, a cuisine, an ingredient or a trend. In January 2012 the spotlight is on food blogger and writer Heidi Swanson of the 101 Cookbooks fame. With one of the oldest and most original voices in the ever burgeoning world of food blogs and photography, Heidi is a much celebrated cookbook author. Join me as I explore Heidi’s food philosophy to the fullest and cook from her most recent offering, Super Natural Every Day which is published by Hardie Grant in Australia.