Once I'd decided to make myself some homemade tartar sauce, then came the task of thinking of something vegetarian to serve alongside it. I've only ever seen it served with fish and seafood, but it goes so well with plenty of other things that I knew I'd be able to come up with a vegetarian alternative. I was thinking along the lines of some sort of vegetarian fishcake, and since my love for quinoa hasn't yet begun to wane, I decided to go for little cheesy quinoa cakes.
This recipe is a bit of an adaptation of the leek and feta bulgur wheat patty recipe I posted last year. I find that a lot of recipes for veggie burgers (which is sort of what these are) end up with a mixture that's far too dry, so you end up with a crumbly mess that just won't stick together. My solution is to make quite a loose, wet mixture with egg, and then bake rather than fry. The mixture is wet enough that it holds together well, and is easy to shape, but as the egg cooks, it firms up and holds everything together into the perfect little quinoa cake.
The inside of these quinoa cakes is fluffy, but satisfyingly dense and filling - they make a great dinner alongside some salad (and a big dollop of homemade tartar sauce, of course). The flavour is awesome, too - cheese and chives is one of my favourite combinations.
By the way, if you don't want to begin these from scratch each time, they'd be a great way to use up leftover quinoa. It would take no time at all to add your last few ingredients and pop them in the oven!
Cheesy quinoa cakes
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 100 g quinoa
- 75 g cheddar cheese grated
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
- Boil the quinoa, and then drain it and remove from the heat. Add the cheddar and chives, and season to taste. Add the egg, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Line a baking sheet with baking paper, and form the quinoa mixture into around three or four round patties. I used a baking ring to help me shape mine, but you can do them freeform too. Depending on how tall you make them, they may spread a little as they cook, so leave an inch or so in between them.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Serve hot or cold, with a good dollop of homemade tartar sauce!
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
If you fancy a different quinoa recipe, try my warm quinoa salad with grilled halloumi and parsley dressing:
Stacey Johnson says
Love! Love! Love your site! You are absolutely a life saver. I have been subscribing to Oh She GLows and the Vegan Cookie Fairy for a few years now and I am delighted to find your recipes! My daughter has been a vegetarian since kinder because she doesn't want to eat anything with a soul. :) I am looking forward to making some of you yummy looking food! (She had your enchilada eggs for diner tonight.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Hi Stacey, thanks so much for your lovely message! I'm glad you like my recipes! Hope to see you back here again soon :)
Rebecca says
Stop please! I love tartare sauce and these look oh so delish. You're amazing!
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Lynne Gill says
Brilliant! And timely - I've been on the look-out for something else to do with quinoa. Re your other recipe - I have never had too much success with haloumi - it always has a rather rubbery texture whatever I do with it, much more so than mozzarella; when you get that squeaky sound on your teeth you know it isn't going to be a good mouth experience!!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Haha I love the squeakiness!!!
LittleMonsterx14 says
these look so easy to make, and so delicious!
[email protected] says
I love that you created a recipe to go with the tartar sauce! Baking is always a safer bet for me than frying :-)
annie @ chase that i love says
Super! The tarter sauce makes me think of crab cakes. I love that they only have a handful of ingredients...so easy to make. And I would be elbow keep in that tartar sauce.
Corina says
I haven't put quinoa in a little cake like this before. They sound lovely.
Maria Tadic says
These look so good! Almost like a fun twist on falafel! These would be great to make and freeze some too for a quick dinner! Will definitely try these!!!
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
I've been looking for something exactly like this! I've been dying to take quinoa cakes to work for lunch but couldn't picture eating them without a poached egg on top. This makes an excellent change. Can't wait to try them!