How cute are these? I love making little meatless burgers. They are filled with so much goodness. Quinoa, kale, cannellini beans, garlic….how can you go wrong? I’ve made similar patties in the past, that can be found on my clean eating page. I always love to put these patties on salads, or just eat them as a quick snack, even cold! These particular quinoa cakes I decided to make sliders with, and they’re just so gosh darn adorable. My mom and I decided that we liked them even better plain, with some aioli drizzled over them, sans bun. The bun just overshadowed the flavor and simplicity of these cakes. You really can’t beat them by themselves.
Makes 9-10 2 inch wide, 1/2 in. thick sliders
For the aioli:
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt (I used 0%, but 2% would yield a creamier result)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. chopped roasted red peppers
1 T. olive oil
pinch of cayenne
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
For the sliders:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c. chopped Tuscan kale
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 c. cooked quinoa
1/2 c. plain breadcrumbs
1 (14 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. paprika
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
chopped fresh basil for garnish
slider buns of your choice
Begin by making the aioli. Combine all ingredients for aioli in a food processor and pureé until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside in fridge until ready to use.
Heat a medium skillet over medium/high heat with 2 T. olive oil. Sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then add kale, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until kale is slightly wilted. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Next, add beans and kale to the food processor, and pulse 10-12 times. You don’t want it to become quite a paste. Next, add quinoa, breadcrumbs, eggs, and all the spices for the sliders. Pulse an additional 10-15 times. If the mixture is dry, it might need a little help. Remove mixture from food processor and transfer to a bowl, and work the mixture together with your hands. I found that this method worked best. Form mixture into 2 inch wide, 1/2 inch thick patties, or the size of your choice. I just thought that these were toooo cute! Ok, I’ll stop.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 2 T. olive oil. Cook patties for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden and slightly crispy. Serve on slider buns and top with aioli and chopped basil leaves.
Too cute.
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