Author Notes
Inspired by Heidi Swanson’s baked quinoa cakes, these pack in a 1/2 pound of raw mustard greens.
Any quinoa will do here, though I find the red visually appealing. Kale, broccoli rabe, or chard could be substituted for the mustard greens. The original recipe calls for feta, which would be really nice, too, as would many cheeses.
If you wish to bake these, which will yield a slightly dryer, eggier-tasting patty (almost frittata-like), preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a Silpat, or grease it lightly with oil. Place as many ball as you wish to bake on the prepared pan. Flatten gently with your hand to form a patty. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through.
The mixture can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for days. It's best not to form the patties ahead of time, however, because the juices from the greens begin to seep out.
I like to serve these with a slightly sweet, tahini-yogurt sauce. You could also simply stir together greek yogurt and sriracha and season to taste with salt. —Alexandra Stafford
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Ingredients
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3/4 cup
dried quinoa
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kosher salt
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1/2 pound
mustard greens, rough ends trimmed and discarded
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2 teaspoons
cumin seed or ground cumin
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1 cup
diced red onion
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freshly cracked pepper to taste
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1 cup
fresh bread crumbs
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1/2 cup
grated Parmigiano Reggiano, see notes above
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4
eggs
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grapeseed or other neutral oil, for frying
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lemons, cilantro, naan, tahini-yogurt sauce for serving, optional, see notes above
Directions
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Fill a large pot with water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Add the quinoa and 1 tablespoon kosher salt and simmer for 9 minutes, just until the quinoa begins to unfurl. Drain through a fine-meshed strainer.
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Meanwhile, pulse the greens in a food processor. It’s best to do this in two batches: fill the processor with greens. Pulse until the greens fall to the bottom. The pieces should be small but not puréed or mushy. Transfer them to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining greens.
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In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds or powder until fragrant and slightly darker in color. If using seeds, crush them gently with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Transfer to the bowl with the greens. Add the drained quinoa, onion, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper to taste, bread crumbs, cheese and eggs. Mix with your hands or a spatula until everything is well blended.
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Test the mixture for seasoning and structure: Place a small skillet over high heat. Add a small amount of oil — just enough to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Cup a small amount (less than ¼ cup) of the mixture with your hands. Mixture will feel wet and will loosely hold together. Form into a ball, packing and cupping with your hands. When the oil shimmers, immediately lower the heat to medium and gently place the ball into the pan. Flatten with your hand or spatula to form a patty. Season with a pinch of salt. Let cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until evenly golden. Flip, and brown the other side for another 2 minutes or until evenly golden. Remove patty from pan and let cool briefly. Taste. If necessary, adjust mixture with more salt and pepper to taste. If the patty fell apart in the pan, crack in another egg to the bowl of quinoa/greens and mix to combine. When the mixture is tasting and holding together to your liking, use a 1/4-cup measure to portion out the remaining mixture into balls — you should get 10 to 12.
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Place a large skillet over high heat. When it simmers. Add balls to pan—they should sizzle when they hit the oil—then turn the heat down to medium or medium-low. Flatten balls gently with a spatula. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Use a spatula to flip the patties and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden. Pile onto a platter and serve with lemon, cilantro, naan, and sauce, if you wish.
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