leek + bacon quinoa patties

Our new bed arrived (finally) this morning and I could not be more excited. I have had the same bed since my early teens, it was beyond time to replace. We went with a white down comforter from ​Hotel Collection Bedding and because I am a little nervous of the white with two kids, a dog and cat, we also got a grey and white stripe duvet cover. New mattress, new frame, new bedding, hello spring!

With the weather getting warmer the markets are starting to carry a lot more of seasonal vegetables and fruit. This weekend I saw rhubarb, swiss chard, spinach, kale, radishes and asparagus. These quinoa patties give you a great base to being able to add in whatever seasonal vegetable you have at the time. They are easy to make and hold up quite well in the fridge. Play around with the ingredients, tossing in different meat, vegetables, and cheeses. The toppings are also endless. My favorite is to smother avocado on top with a little hot sauce. My go to hot sauces are Sriracha and Portland based Secret Aardvark, which is a habanero hot sauce that has heat but also great flavor.

adapted from: Super Natural Every Day​

*original recipe calls for 1 yellow onion, which is excellent. Since Lola can be picky about onions but likes leeks I replaced the onion with leeks. If using onion, you could leave out the scallions. Bacon can be left out and anything can be substituted in. Ham, crab, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, asparagus, anything really.

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
2 leeks, washed and sliced 1/2 inch thick 
2 scallions, chopped
2-3 slices of bacon, crisp and crumbled
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup whole grain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
fresh ground pepper

Prepare Quinoa:
Rinse 2 cups of uncooked quinoa. Place in medium saucepan with 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt. Bring to boil, cover, lower heat, simmer for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Leek + Bacon Quinoa Patties:
In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, eggs and salt. Add in the chives, leek, scallions, cheese, garlic and bacon. Stir in the breadcrumbs and let sit for a few minutes. Using your hands, make twelve 1 inch thick patties. If too dry, add a tablespoon of water. Too moist, add a tablespoon of bread crumbs.
In a large skillet over medium-low heat the oil. Add patties to the skillet, I could fit around 5, making sure there is enough room to flip. Cover the skillet and cook 8-10 minutes until bottoms are browned. Carefully flip the patties and cook additional 7 minutes, until golden. Remove patties and cool on wire rack or place in oven on warm. Cook remaining patties.

Serving options:
smother with avocado, goat cheese, brie cheese, or hot sauce. Serve with vegetables on the side or on top of arugula salad.

These patties hold up well in the fridge in a sealed container for several days.