Do you have an investment piece? ย Wait… do you even know what an investment piece is?
Don’t feel bad… I’m just figuring this out myself. ย An investment piece is a bonkers awesome, typically super expensive, designer dress that one (say… you!) might wear to a gala, ball, or um… red carpet event (because people totally do that). ย Can you wear it to a wedding? ย Only if you don’t look better than the bride.
Do you own an investment piece? ย ….anytime a dress is called a ‘piece’, I know I can’t afford it… let’s just be real.
I don’t own a piece.
I do, however, own one Le Creuset pot in a dusty purple. ย I have yet to figure out how to wear this to a gala… but luckily I haven’t been invited to any galas.
I don’t anticipate owning a piece. ย I do anticipate a lot of blazers, summer shorts, and loose tank tops in my warm weather future.
While I may not have the luxury of investment pieces… I do have the luxury of just enough time to make these special little quinoa cakes. ย They have kale in them! ย They’re divine and sophisticated! ย Just like galas.. but without the control top hose (…yea, that’s totally still a thing).
These little gems might remind you of the Lemon, Olive, and Parsley Quinoa Cakes I made last year. ย They were a good idea. ย Kale is totally a good idea too!
Start with quinoa. ย I found a lovely rainbow quinoa… but you can use whatever you have on hand. ย Fresh Dino Kale is dark, leafy, and full of health. ย Sun dried tomatoes are a powerhouse of flavor.
Parsley and cheese too! ย I love the bright herby-ness that parsley adds to these cakes.
I also sauteed up some onions and garlic, along with the kale. ย Flavor on flavor on flavor when it comes to quinoa.
I found that a little cookie scoop was the best way to manipulate these little cakes from dough, to ball, to patty form.
If you don’t have a cookie scoop, clean slightly damp hands will do.
These quinoa cakes take some time in the kitchen. ย There’s a lot of little things going on. ย Cooking the quinoa. ย Cleaning the kale. ย Chopping. ย Sauteing. ย Cooling. ย Chopping a bit more. ย Fixing. ย Shaping. ย Frying.
Please don’t let all these little steps keep you from this dish! ย They’re great! ย Healthy, hearty, and filling…. and can totally be made for any meal of the day! ย Feel free to add green olives and lemon zest… these patties can happily take on additional flavors.
The best part about this recipe is that is makes a generous amount of cakes. ย Fry them off for a party, or save some of the uncooked quinoaย mixture and fry them off for a few days. ย They make great veggie patties (although they’re not firm enough to withstand a grill). ย They make great breakfast snacks. ย They’re good warm or cold.
I served mine at lunch with a squeeze of fresh lemon, some capers to snack on, fresh spinach (to simulate a salad), and thick balsamic vinegar.
Sure, they take a bit of time… but these cakes are totally my new investment piece. Time… not money. ย Kale… not clothes.
I just love them!
Kale and Quinoa Cakes
makes about 2 dozen small cakes
recipe adapted from Super Natural Every Day
1 1/2 cups rawย quinoa
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 bunch (about 3 cups) chopped dino kale
splash of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon olive oil for frying, add a bit more as necessary
lemon wedges, olives or capers, spicy mustard, and greens for serving
Place dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. ย Wash under cool water for a few minutes. ย Quinoa needs to be rinsed or it tastes dirty.
In a medium saucepan place rinsed quinoa, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. ย Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. ย Cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for about 25 t0 30 minutes, until the quinoa is tender. ย Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. ย Weโll need about 3 cups of cooked quinoa for the recipe.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs and set aside.
In a medium sautรฉ man, heat olive oil over medium heat. ย Add onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. ย Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. ย Add kale and toss until just slightly wilted, about 1 minutes. ย Remove from heat and add a splash of vinegar. ย Place kale mixture in a large bowl with prepared quinoa. ย Allow to cool to room temperature. ย You can speed up this process in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Add cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, break crumbs, salt, and pepper. ย Add beaten eggs and stir until all of the quinoa mixture is moistened. ย Add water to thoroughly moisten mixture. ย Quinoa should be slightly wet so it doesnโt dry out during cooking.
Scoop out mixture by the 2 tablespoonful. ย (I used a small ice cream scoop to scoop the mixture right into the hot pan.) ย Use clean, moist fingers to form into a patty. ย Create as many patties as youโd like. ย (Rinse your hands after every few patties… it makes making patties easier.)
In a large skillet over medium low heat, heat olive oil. ย If you pan is large enough, add four to six patties to the hot pan. ย Youโll need a bit of room to successfully flip them.
Cook on each side until beautifully browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. ย Low heat helps the quinoa cakes cook slowly. Brown on each side then remove to a paper towel lined plate.
Serve warm with a lemon wedge, mustard, fresh spinach, and salty capers. ย It’s like a deconstructed salad. ย Serve them any way youโd like.
Also, the quinoa mixture can be left, uncooked in the fridge for a few days. ย Cook as necessary. ย Fresh quinoa cakes with fried eggs are delicious!
135 Responses
Has anyone frozen these after making the little patties?