Warm Herbed Quinoa Cake, Kalamata Aioli
Arugula Salad with Heirloom Black Garbanzos,
Kalamata Olive, Walnut, Feta, Red Onion
The other day I noticed Quinoa Cakes in the Prepared Foods section at Whole Foods Market and thought those could be great if they were freshly cooked and warm, served with some sort of salad…so I took a photo of the ingredients, added a bag of quinoa to my cart, and went home to experiment.
For the salad wild arugula is tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Add black garbanzos, sliced kalamata olives, walnut pieces, crumbled feta and super-thin sliced red onion.
Herbed Quinoa Cake Recipe
- 1 c. cooked quinoa, at room temperature
- 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
- 1 T. chopped fresh dill
- 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 T. fresh thyme
- 1/4 t. sea salt
- several grinds of pepper
- 1 T. tahini
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 T. canola oil
Mix quinoa with breadcrumbs, herbs, salt and pepper. Add tahini and eggs and mix again.
Let quinoa mixture sit 10 – 15 minutes to absorb liquids. Heat canola oil in a small sauté pan (not non-stick). Form quinoa into two patties. Cook patties over medium to medium-low heat until browned on both sides and heated all the way through, about 5 minutes per side, flipping once.
Serve cooked cake atop arugula salad.
Kalamata Aioli
- 1/2 c. pitted kalamata olives, drained
- 2 t. capers, rinsed
- 1/4 t. dried oregano
- 1/4 t. fresh thyme leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 t. red wine vinegar
- 3 t. olive oil
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
Blend all ingredients except mayonnaise in the small bowl of a food processor to make a coarse paste. Fold kalamata paste into mayonnaise.
Heart Healthy Recipe: My heart healthy version of this dish simply substitutes egg whites for whole eggs, Vegenaise for mayonnaise, uses fat-free feta.
These quinoa cakes were surprisingly delicious. Lots of herbs gave the “ancient-super-grain” quinoa a fresh bright taste. Tahini added depth to the nutty flavors. The crispy exterior contrasted the fluffy interior texture. While the patties were quite tasty on their own, the dish called for a creamy sauce, and kalamata aioli was the perfect complement.
Love the idea of Kalamata Aioli with this. Sounds wonderful!
What tasty recipe! Cooking more often with quinoa is my aim, but finding good recipes is not so easy, thank you for this one!
Cheers,
Merisi
Oh.
Your buzz is growing fast with this one.
Awesome job!
I love using quinoa in different ways. This is great! thanks.
Wow–I need to make this aioli pronto. This could be a dinner for this weekend to use the greens in my CSA box. Thanks for the idea!
This all sounds wonderful! From the quinoa cakes to the kalamata aioli! And what a great (and sneaky) idea to capture a picture of the ingredients!
I love quinoa cakes!! I normally do one with mozzarella stuffed in the middle with marinara over it. I love this takes on it!
LL – this is really a beautiful take on an ancient grain – love the presentation too
Everything about this dish sounds so wonderful! I am obsessed with quinoa and I am definitely going to try this one night! Bookmarked!
I love doing that… putting things together from descriptions. And look how beautifully it turned out. Looks mighty healthy too. The olive aioli is a great idea. How could you call this kind of vegetarian boring??
Beautifully plated and garnished. So appetizing, I couldn’t imagine anyone not gobbling this down in a hurry! You have remarkable photographic documentation as well.
Looks both delicious and nutritious ~ I love the way you create gourmet recipes that are so healthy and lovely on the plate! Have a beautiful weekend, Lori Lynn.
So elegant! I recently made ‘jazzed up’ grits cakes (post coming soon). I love the way you plated your quinoa cake!
What a gorgeous quinoa cake! Love that you were inspired by the visual and then recreated your own fresh version. The entire dish looks delicious 🙂
This is fabulous! I have finally found some quinoa (on-line) and I’ve got some coming soon! I can’t wait to start experimenting with it! I haven’t been to my local Whole Foods in a while…it’s time for a road trip (I live far enough away that it IS a road trip).
Well these already look way better than the ones you found in store! 🙂
And the salad also makes a great combination of colours.
Cheers,
Tobias
I have 2 grains (seeds) in my pantry that have been there a while and I haven’t used them because I’ve never worked with them and I’m certain I’ll screw it up. Quinoa is one, Millet is the other. I just need to do it. I think I’ll put this on the menu.
Fantastic idea and beautiful execution 🙂
Great recreation – and I bet this was 100x better than the pre-prepared one at Whole Foods! Love the presentation over the greens as well =)
I’ve seen the Quinoa Cakes at WF – yours looks so much more appetizing! Presented so beautifully, who wouldn’t want to devour them. I have to be ultra vigilant about sodium for my husband so would have to skip the olives, capers, and feta but I’m always inspired when I come here, LL.
What a fantastic recipe! love the photos and love the components-well done!
I love the flavors of this recipe. I’ve never tried a quinoa cake before. For some reason, quinoa makes me think of Fall and Winter and I haven’t touched it in months. I’m hoping as the seasons are getting colder I’ll be more inclined to cook with it.
What a great way to enjoy quinoa! And with all of those fresh herbs, this sounds so delicious! Thanks for the great idea!
What a lovely cake. You were so clever to make your own instead of bringing one home from the market. All of the herbs in this must give it an incredible flavor and I bet it’s much, much better than the store-bought one. I can’t get over how beautifully you’ve presented it. Wow.
Sam
Love quinoa. Your photos are always amazing.
I’ve never tried making anything that had quinoa. I definitely want to try it because I have no idea what it tastes like. However, with your plating and meal it looks absolutely fantastic and delicious! I am going to try making this soon. Hopefully sometime this weekend
Oh, Abby, try quinoa!! It’s my favorite grain (actually a seed from a plant in the beet family!)
It cooks in only 15-20 minutes, so it’s the PERFECT fast food! Gloriously gluten free, & a great blend of amino acids (a ‘complete’ protein) … you can use it like couscous in salads, or season like rice – the possibilities are endless!
I also like the idea of taking a photo of the ingredients list, then making your own!
I’d make mine gluten free & vegan – so GF bread crumbs (if I used any, maybe shredded coconut instead) & flax blended w/coconut milk for the ‘eggs’ (1 Tbsp ground flax, 2 Tbsp liquid = 1 egg)
I cook w/ coconut oil for those wonderful immune & brain boosting Medium Chain Fats!
I like the idea of taking a photo to get the list of ingredients. Have you tried toasting quinoa before cooking it? I recommend it. Lovely dish, as usual.
I will try that Simona – thanks for the recommendation!
LL
These look AMAZING! I am definitely going to have to try this ASAP. Seems like such a blank canvas as far as flavors go. I’m such a quinoa junkie – you may have just given me my new favorite staple recipe!
Lovely post! In fact I loved most of your posts! 🙂
I am 100% sure your version is waaay better than the Whole Foods cake, and I could slurp up that aioli with a spoon!
Amazing.. I make Quinoa patties, yours just look much more presentable 🙂 Now following you via google connect.
Hi Cook! Great! Thank you and welcome.
LL