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Peas + Pesto Quinoa Patties

Food, Grains, Healthy, Meal Ideas, Savory, Small Bites, Weekday Approved
By Emma Chapman

Pesto and pea quinoa pattiesA few months ago Trey and I (along with a few friends who met us from Nashville) spent the weekend at my SIL, Kat’s, lake cabin. You remember Kat, right? She’s the wine lady. And in true Kat form, she had planned a five-course wine pairing dinner for us that weekend. 

I know, I have the best in-laws for many reasons. You don’t even know.

One of the dishes she served was broccoli quinoa patties. She made quite a few, so we ended up snacking on the leftovers the next day too. And it just reminded me how much I love these, even though I hadn’t made any for at least a whole year. Boo!

Pesto and pea quinoa patties My first encounter with quinoa patties was in Heidi Swanson’s book, Super Natural Everday. Awesome cookbook, and I love her blog as well. 

These are a fun and flavorful variation filled with peas, pesto, and garnished with fresh squeezed lemon juice. They make a great (and light) dinner next to a salad, you could top them with a fried egg for a savory breakfast option, or you can eat them cold for an afternoon snack. That last option, the lazy choice, is probably the one I do the most. Go figure. 🙂

Best quinoa pattie recipePeas + Pesto Quinoa Patties, makes 20 small patties.

1 cup uncooked quinoa (about 2 1/2 cups once cooked)
2 slices whole wheat toast
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup peas (if frozen, thaw first)
2 tablespoons pesto
1-2 eggs (There’s one in the photo, but I ended up using two—chaos!)
1/4 cup flour
salt + pepper to taste
lemon for garnish

Cook the quinoa and allow to cool. You can also use day old quinoa for these. 

Toast the bread, then turn into bread crumbs either in a blender or food processor.

How to make quinoa pattiesIn a large bowl combine the quinoa, bread crumbs, chopped onion, peas, pesto, and eggs. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Then stir in the flour. You’ll also want some extra flour set to the side so you can flour your hands as you work on forming the patties.

You want each patty to be just slightly larger than the palm of your hand. Place them on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper as you work. Once you form all the patties, pop the whole sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so they can firm and dry out just a little.

If you’re not going to eat all of these within a day or two, then you could also wrap a few of these up and freeze them until you’re ready to eat them.

How to cook quinoa patties so they don't fall apart or stickAdd a few teaspoons oil or butter (I used olive oil) to a pan. Cook the patties over medium heat. Once you add the patty to the pan, lightly press flat with a spatula. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip and press the other side flat. You want to only flip once or twice, as this helps the patties not fall apart as you cook. So be sure to use a little patience and wait 2-3 minutes so each side can cook. If they get too crispy during that time, adjust your heat.

Once cooked, remove to a plate lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil before serving.

Pesto and pea quinoa patties Serve warm with a lemon wedge. You’ve got to add the fresh lemon juice to these, makes them totally out of this world. I just love peas and lemon together. Yum! xo. Emma

Note: If you’re enjoying this as part of the Weekday Weekend Challenge be sure to use a non-dairy pesto (see our cookbook for a recipe).

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.

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Peas and Pesto Quinoa Patties

Servings 20

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa about 2 1/2 cups once cooked
  • 2 slices whole wheat toast
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cup peas if frozen, thaw first
  • 2 tablespoons pesto
  • 1-2 eggs There's one in the photo, but I ended up using two—chaos!
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • salt + pepper to taste
  • lemon for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the quinoa and allow to cool. You can also use day old quinoa for these.
  2. Toast the bread, then turn into bread crumbs either in a blender or food processor.
  3. In a large bowl combine the quinoa, bread crumbs, chopped onion, peas, pesto, and eggs. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Then stir in the flour. You'll also want some extra flour set to the side so you can flour your hands as you work on forming the patties.
  4. You want each patty to be just slightly larger than the palm of your hand. Place them on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper as you work. Once you form all the patties, pop the whole sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so they can firm and dry out just a little.
  5. If you're not going to eat all of these within a day or two, then you could also wrap a few of these up and freeze them until you're ready to eat them.
  6. Add a few teaspoons oil or butter (I used olive oil) to a pan. Cook the patties over medium heat. Once you add the patty to the pan, lightly press flat with a spatula. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip and press the other side flat. You want to only flip once or twice, as this helps the patties not fall apart as you cook. So be sure to use a little patience and wait 2-3 minutes so each side can cook. If they get too crispy during that time, adjust your heat.

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