Quinoa Breakfast Patties with Thyme & Garlic

Last weekend we took a road trip down the coast to a little town named Fingal. We spent a beautiful sunny morning at the beach, Nathan surfing and me running along the sand. After working up an appetite, we decided to hit up one of the charming little beach side cafe's on main street. I ordered an amazing meal of corn fritters and poached eggs. They were delicious... and when I saw quinoa patties on Pinterest the next day, I decided that I had to try them.

The base of these is quinoa, cauliflower, egg and almond flour. But you can substitute lots of different things in and they will still taste great! We had them with fried eggs and some drizzled balsamic vinaigrette. Let me know if you have any good additions to the recipe! Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa
• 1 cup of cooked cauliflower (chopped small)
• 1/2 cup of almond flour (or breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup of parmesean cheese
• 1/2 cup green onions 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 eggs (I used 2 egg whites and 1 full egg)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• Optional: serve with spinach, eggs, sprig of thyme and balsamic vinaigrette (see pic below)

Combine everything in large bowl. Add more almond flour/breadcrumbs if they aren't staying together properly. 

Heat non stick frying pan to med heat. Add 1 tsp of coconut oil. Add in patties and cook each side until golden brown. 

Coconut Cauliflower (Fake) Rice

We have been experimenting with different vegetables that can be substituted for rice, pasta, etc. Last night we decided to have curry for dinner but wanted to try something other than rice. I came across a few recipes and decided to adjust them slightly and it worked out really well. Since we were having Thai Curry, I added coconut to the pan about halfway though and in worked out perfectly since the coconut lightly toasted  as it was cooking. 

The original recipe called for the cauliflower to be cut up in a food processor. Since we don't have one of these, Nathan did it by hand and it worked just fine. If you are making this as a meal and not a side dish, you could add any chopped up veggies that you like. I might try one with carrots, zucchini, garlic, chili, etc.... I'll let you know if that happens.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 head cauliflower, chopped finely

1/4 cup coconut

salt/pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat

2. Saute onion over medium heat for 10 minutes, until lightly browned 

3. Add cauliflower to skillet, stirring often to prevent burning

4. Add coconut if desired after about 10 minutes

5. Add salt/pepper to taste

Original recipe can be found here:  http://www.elanaspantry.com/cauliflower-rice/