How do you make healthy recipes even healthier? Its easier than you think. Join Niki Boileau as she takes us on recipe re-adventures in her column Tweak & Eat.
Adapted from spoonforkbacon.com by Teri and Jenny.
Cheesy quinoa cakes with savoury, spicy sauce are a no-brainer. Who doesn’t love a crunchy, cheesy, homemade treat? Eat ‘em straight out of the oven, dipped in aioli for a warm snack, and save any leftovers (if there are any) as the foundation for your next batch of sautéed veggies.
The test kitchen revealed that baking the cakes turned out to be even easier than frying, and less oil was needed. Less effort and less oil? Win-win for everyone.
Makes 10 to 12 small, round cakes
Ingredients
Cakes
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup grated fontina cheese
3 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour (regular flour is fine too - if you can have it)
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
sea salt to taste
Aioli
½ cup plain yogurt
1 head of garlic, roasted
1 lemon, zested and juiced
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients (everything except for the salt and oil), into a mixing bowl and stir together until well combined. Season with salt and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
3. Form ¼ cup quinoa patties and place them in rows on a greased baking sheet. Use your coconut oil to grease the pan.
4. Bake quinoa cakes for about 10 minutes, then remove from the oven, flip the cakes over and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cakes should be browned, crispy and hold together well.
5. While your cakes are in the oven, place all aioli ingredients into a food processor, season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Serve the aioli dolloped on top of each quinoa cake, or on the side.
spoon fork bacon is put together by a team of two very talented food photographer/food stylist/recipe writer extraordinaires! Although not always THE most health-conscious of recipes, their creations are so beautiful and irresistible you aren’t likely to care.
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Niki Boileau is a Vancouver-based RHN who loves spending time outdoors and dreaming up as many healthy porridge recipes as possible. Get in touch with her to talk all things food and health.