Do you have an investment piece? Wait… do you even know what an investment piece is?
Don’t feel bad… I’m just figuring this out myself. 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). Can you wear it to a wedding? Only if you don’t look better than the bride.
Do you own an investment piece? ….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. 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. 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. They have kale in them! They’re divine and sophisticated! 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. They were a good idea. Kale is totally a good idea too!
Start with quinoa. I found a lovely rainbow quinoa… but you can use whatever you have on hand. Fresh Dino Kale is dark, leafy, and full of health. Sun dried tomatoes are a powerhouse of flavor.
Parsley and cheese too! I love the bright herby-ness that parsley adds to these cakes.
I also sauteed up some onions and garlic, along with the kale. 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. There’s a lot of little things going on. Cooking the quinoa. Cleaning the kale. Chopping. Sauteing. Cooling. Chopping a bit more. Fixing. Shaping. Frying.
Please don’t let all these little steps keep you from this dish! They’re great! Healthy, hearty, and filling…. and can totally be made for any meal of the day! 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. Fry them off for a party, or save some of the uncooked quinoa mixture and fry them off for a few days. They make great veggie patties (although they’re not firm enough to withstand a grill). They make great breakfast snacks. 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. 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 raw 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. Wash under cool water for a few minutes. Quinoa needs to be rinsed or it tastes dirty.
In a medium saucepan place rinsed quinoa, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for about 25 t0 30 minutes, until the quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. We’ll need about 3 cups of cooked quinoa for the recipe.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs and set aside.
In a medium sauté man, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add kale and toss until just slightly wilted, about 1 minutes. Remove from heat and add a splash of vinegar. Place kale mixture in a large bowl with prepared quinoa. Allow to cool to room temperature. You can speed up this process in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Add cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, break crumbs, salt, and pepper. Add beaten eggs and stir until all of the quinoa mixture is moistened. Add water to thoroughly moisten mixture. Quinoa should be slightly wet so it doesn’t dry out during cooking.
Scoop out mixture by the 2 tablespoonful. (I used a small ice cream scoop to scoop the mixture right into the hot pan.) Use clean, moist fingers to form into a patty. Create as many patties as you’d like. (Rinse your hands after every few patties… it makes making patties easier.)
In a large skillet over medium low heat, heat olive oil. If you pan is large enough, add four to six patties to the hot pan. You’ll need a bit of room to successfully flip them.
Cook on each side until beautifully browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. 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. It’s like a deconstructed salad. Serve them any way you’d like.
Also, the quinoa mixture can be left, uncooked in the fridge for a few days. Cook as necessary. Fresh quinoa cakes with fried eggs are delicious!
Kate Donovan
Hi Joy, just wanted to tell you these were a big hit tonight, even with my two fussy affirmed meat-eaters. Thanks for the recipe. Oh, and for people who are having trouble keeping them in patty shape while they’re cooking, try to form them in fairly firm patties, set them in the pre-heated oiled pan, and then let them be for 2 to 3 minutes. If I tried to flip, check, whatever with them sooner, they fell apart.
FreeFlowFoodie
Sounds and looks very yum!!. Anything quinoa is gold on my plate!. Thanks for sharing.
k. harvey
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. They are delicious and easily adaptable to whatever you have in the kitchen. I plan on making a patch tonight!
Vika Peters
Hello, Joy! I was very happy to find your site. What a JOY it is to read and look at this beautiful blog. I just wanted to say that I made these kale and quinoa cakes and I have to say that they were a HUGE hit with my family. My 6 year old daughter wanted them for school lunches for the next 3 days. They’ve been a life saver for me as a busy mother or 2 school children who only want to eat the same thing every day. Now I know that with these cakes they will have healthy and yummy lunches every time. Keep up the good work. I look forward to trying many of your recipes. Cheers
Cindy
Has anyone tried freezing these, either uncooked or cooked?
Wendy Brunson
I froze some after cooking–flash froze in a single layer so they wouldn’t stick to each other, then in a freezer ziploc. I just reheated some of them (after only about a week) in a 325 degree oven, and they came out great. I’ve still got some more in the freezer, so we’ll see how they hold up after a little more time, but so far, so good!
Elizabeth
I made these a couple of days ago and they were absolutely delicious!
Ann P.
These look delicious and healthy! :D It’s great to be back in the states, catching up on all your recipes! It’s been a long three months, and i really miss your blog, and enjoying the hilarity of these posts :)
muddledmom
We made these for dinner tonight and they were awesome. I loved the toasty flavor of the quinoa. Thanks for a great recipe!
Tara
Investment piece? My caramel fitted leather jacket! Not only does it protect me while I’m on my vespa, but I wear it alllll the time, and it adds a cool vibe (to a decidedly nerdy girl). Plus it’s warm. Skin protecting & warm + cool looking = great investment.
Katie
My husband and I made these for dinner this week – they were soooo tasty! We made them a little larger in size and added some bonus kale and sun dried tomatoes. They made a great left over lunch, heated them in the toaster oven instead of the microwave to keep the crisp outside. Thanks Joy :)