Quinoa cakes topped with a fried egg
Quinoa was last seen here in my post-Thanksgiving detox effort that lasted for about one day. I might be back on the wagon now that the holidays have finally wrapped up. Although, I say that, but I'm not actually sure if these are healthy. I think I could have a candy bar with quinoa in it and feel like I'm living right, when in reality we all know the truth. But seriously, these are healthy in comparison to most brunches or lunches or dinners, and this meal would satisfy for any one of those. In fact, the first time I ever made a version of these cakes was for dinner, and it was to prove to Jon that he could, in fact, actually like quinoa (pronounced kwi-noah in that stage of my life), and also be fulfilled by it in meal form. He's since become a convert! I mean topping things with fried eggs never hurts. And it's not bad on the eyes, either—I love a good yolky egg pic.
Quinoa Cakes
Makes about 6-8 cakes, depending on size
1¼ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup panko style breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chives
1 T finely chopped parsley
½ tsp salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 oz or so goat cheese, crumbled
1 T lemon juice
2 eggs, beaten
2½ T or so olive oil, divided
Arugula, fried egg, and extra parsley for serving
Begin by making your little quinoa cakes. In a medium bowl, combine and mix together quinoa, panko, garlic, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Sprinkle in cheeses. Add lemon juice, beaten eggs, and 1½ T olive oil. Use your hands to fold and combine mixture. The mixture should be fairly wet and stick together easily. Now heat 1 T of oil in a frying pan over medium to medium-low heat. Form small patties with quinoa mixture, and carefully drop them into the pan. Fry on the first side for a couple of minutes until crisp and golden brown, and then flip over and repeat. I usually test one quinoa cake first to make sure it cooks properly--you want a crisp outside with a moist and tender interior--the goat cheese should be hot and melty. If you feel that the outside is crisping too quickly and the inside needs more, try lowering the temperature a little.
These little guys will stay warm for a bit while you take the time to fry an egg or two. Place two cakes over a little bed of fresh arugula that will wilt perfectly from the heat while you work on the eggs (or if you prefer to dress the arugula with a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice, feel free!) Serve fried egg over quinoa cakes and arugula, with a little sprinkling of parsley if you’d like.