Pesto Quinoa Patties

Let’s be completely real with ourselves, healthy food is not exactly “gangsta” or “cool”.
You’re never going to see quinoa served at a gathering of the Russian mob. Probably because you’re never going to be invited to a gathering of the Russian mob. And if you do get invited and things ever get hectic chances are you would not be making out in one piece to recount what food was served. But trust me on this one, quinoa is not going to make it on the menu.
The same goes if you ever go to a rock festival (and I’m talking about badass rock festivals here).
After jumping and dancing your heart out you’re probably going to eat something like a pulled pork sandwich with cheese fries. And wash all that grease down with a pint (more like 3 pints) of beer. Green juice? I really don’t think so.





HOWEVER, I do believe that healthy food can be R-A-D (and “gangsta”). And so do the guys at
ThugKitchen.com It’s a website/blog that uses some real hip-hop type dialogue to talk about healthy food. It’s hilarious (probably not your mom's kind of humor) but very funny. Do check it out. If you ever had the inclination that healthy eating wasn’t “gangster,” (guilty as charged), this might just change your entire perception on it. Trust.




Since we’re always cooking healthy food over here (and we do love our quinoa); today we’re making some awesome pesto quinoa patties.
These little patties are packed with basil, so much fun to cook, and make the perfect meal when paired with a salad. If you’re a “Meatless Monday” follower, they are the perfect item to add to your menu.
The egg and quinoa base is a great source of protein. Basil, garlic and onions are full of health benefits.
Their mild flavor makes them easy to eat; I’m sure even your kids will fall in love with them.
Guaranteed.


Pesto Quinoa Patties                                                                                           Print this recipe!

Note. The pesto used to make these patties is not pesto in the strictest sense, as there are no pinenuts involved. Plus there’s the onion. It’s kind of a milder pesto with a oniony taste that I believe complements quinoa much better than regular pesto.

Ingredients
Makes 35 bite size patties (or 18 larger ones)

2 ½ cups / 12 oz / 340 gr cooked quinoa (you’ll need to cook a little over 1 cup of quinoa)
4 eggs, beaten
1 small onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup fresh basil leaves (about 2 handfuls)
⅓ cup / 0.5 oz / 15 gr grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 gr whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add garlic and onion and boil for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to fish the garlic and onion from the water and transfer them to the bowl of a food processor. Add basil, parmesan, salt and 2 tablespoons of water and process until it reaches a pesto like consistency (it will be a bit watery, that’s what you want).
In a medium bowl combine quinoa and eggs. Add pesto and stir until evenly mixed. Stir in breadcrumbs and let sit for 15 minutes so that breadcrumbs can absorb the moisture.
Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon (or 2 tablespoons for larger patties) of quinoa mixture and with dampened hands form patties.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with a thick bottom. Add patties leaving some room between each. Cover and cook on medium to low heat for around 6 minutes or until the patties are browned.
With the help of a spatula, gently flip the patties and cook on the other side for 7 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.
Serve hot, warm or cold with a tasty sauce (such as Sriracha) on the side.

Nutrition facts

One bite size patty yields 40 calories, 1 gram of fat, 5.2 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein.