Greek Style Quinoa Patties With Tzatziki Sauce

I was waiting for the right time to experiment a new version of my “award-winning” quinoa patties. The NBA All-Star game provided the right excuse. I invited some of my friends over Sunday night to watch it and served these Greek style quinoa patties as finger-food. By the time the dunk-contest was on, there were none left.
If you think that game night is all about chicken wings, ribs and pizza you might want to think again.
The patties were epic. The tzatziki sauce the perfect companion.
Solid entertainment and good food is always a recipe for success.






I like to call them “Greek style” because of the feta and spinach. Also, pairing them with tzatziki sauce enhances the Mediterranean flavor of this dish. I guess that a tomato sauce could work as well!


Greek Style Quinoa Patties with Tzatziki                                                            Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Makes 14 patties

Patties

½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 large handfuls / 5 oz / 150 gr baby spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¼ cup / 6 oz / 170 gr cooked quinoa (you’ll need about ¾ cup uncooked quinoa)
4 egg whites (or 2 large eggs, lightly beaten)
½ cup / 2 oz / 55 gr crumbled feta
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
⅛ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
½ cup / 1.8 oz / 50 gr whole wheat bread crumbs
black pepper to taste

Tzatziki

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
½ teaspoon salt
1 container Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
½ tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet with a thick bottom. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until all of the moisture from the spinach has boiled off. You’ll know you’re done when the spinach begins to stick to the pan. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add egg whites (or eggs), quinoa, feta, parsley, lemon zest, salt, black pepper and mix well. Finally, stir in the bread crumbs and let mixture sit for a couple of minutes to absorb the moisture.
Scoop one heaping tablespoon of the mixture and form 1-inch size patties.
Deglaze the pan you used for the spinach with ¼ cup of water, scraping any brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add patties leaving some room between each. Cover and cook for around 4 minutes or until the patties are browned.
With the help of a spatula, flip the patties and cook on the other side for 4 minutes. If there’s no browning, turn the heat up and cook until golden.
Remove from the skillet, cool on a wire while you cook the other patties.
In the meantime make the tzatziki. In a colander, toss together cucumbers and 1 teaspoon salt. Place colander in sink, press cucumbers to extract excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl; mix in yogurt, garlic, dill, mint, oil, lemon juice, and remaining teaspoon salt. Refrigerate before serving.
Serve patties warm with tzatziki sauce on the side.