Baked Quinoa Patties with Tzatziki sauce

Category: Main Dish, Small Plates, Vegetarian

Total Time: 35 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa ((at room temperature))
  • 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1 cup finely chopped kale
  • 1 finely chopped yellow or white onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup whole grain or gluten-free bread crumbs, plus more if needed
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For Tzatziki Sauce

  • 1 32 oz plain greek yogurt
  • 1 cucumber (deseeded, finely diced)
  • 1 clove garlic (pressed or minced)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (good quality)
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp salt (taste to adjust)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Make Tzatziki Sauce by mixing all ingredients. May blend for a smoother texture.
  3. Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, dill, kale, onion, garlic, and cumin. Stir well.
  4. Add the baking powder and bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture.
  5. Gently stir in the feta.
  6. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch thick patties. Err on the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, but you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if needed. It should make about 12-15 patties.
  7. Oil a baking sheet, and arrange the patties with a bit of space between each. Bake for ~20 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown. Flip and bake for another 5 minutes.
  8. Enjoy hot, or allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack. Freeze well.