Quinoa & Black Bean Fritters: Monday Meal

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When life gives you lemons, what do you do? You make lemonade. So, when life gives me a recipe that was only so-so, I turn it into something new. That’s exactly what happened the other night when I opened the fridge to figure out what to make for dinner and saw a container of a quinoa and vegetable salad I had made the night before. The salad was not one of my tastier creations so I searched through the rest of the fridge and pantry for inspiration.

And here’s what grabbed my attention:

  • -blanched broccoli
  • -a can of black beans
  • -carrots
  • -eggs
  • -a red onion
  • -parsley
  • -a block of cheddar cheese

 

Hmm…Fritters?

 

Quinoa fritters popped into my head. So off I went to play around in the kitchen.

Below I present the recipe for Quinoa & Black Bean Fritters. The result? So much more tasty and exciting than my original dish! And if you don’t happen to have a “blah” quinoa salad lying around in your fridge, just use 1 cup of cooked quinoa and add around ⅛ cup of extra vegetables.

 

Quinoa & Black Bean Fritters

 

Ingredients:

  • -1 cup leftover quinoa and vegetable salad (Or, 1 cup of cooked quinoa and ⅛ cup of extra vegetables).
  • -2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • -2 tablespoons oats
  • -1 tablespoon wheat germ
  • -½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
  • -¼ red onion, finely diced
  • -2 broccoli florets, blanched and finely chopped (Click here for how to blanch broccoli)
  • -¼ raw carrot, grated
  • -1-2 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
  • -2 teaspoons bread crumbs
  • -1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
  • -½ teaspoon salt
  • -¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • -⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • -¼ teaspoon pepper
  • -Around 3 tablespoons oil, using a mix of olive oil and vegetable oil, plus a bit more for sautéing the onions

 

 

 

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Preparation:

In a large non-stick sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions with a sprinkle of salt for around 4-5 minutes or until they turn translucent. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate to cool slightly.

Return the pan to the burner, add the rest of the oil and heat the pan over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, mix together the rest of the vegetables, cheese, spices, wheat germ, oats, parsley, cheese, beans, quinoa and eggs. Scoop a generously rounded tablespoon into your hand, press gently to and flatten and shape it into ½ inch thick disk.

Fry fritters in the oil for 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Yields around 10 fritters

 

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I served this with a few different sauces for dipping: the Mango Sauce I had leftover from when I served it with Grilled Swordfish, a Spicy Cheesy Red Sauce I put together for the fritters and Guacamole that I had made for a snack the day before.

Did Eliana like the fritters? Eliana was not as excited about the fritters as I thought she would be. She loves quinoa and black beans so I figured they were a sure thing. But, instead, she picked out the black beans to eat them alone and scooped up the sauces with her fingers. Usually, I will offer her a dish more than once before deciding that she does or does not like something. In my experience, the taste buds of a toddler are pretty fickle. But, my husband and I loved these fritters so much that we gobbled them up before Eliana got the chance to try them again. OOPS! There’s always next time, I guess!

 

What is this thing you call "fritter?"

What is this thing you call “fritter?”

 

Hmph, I don't know about all that so I'm going to stick to the guacamole for now.

Hmph, I don’t know about all that so I’m going to stick to the guacamole for now.

 

And the fresas (strawberries).

And the fresas (strawberries).

 

Well, the guacamole and fresas were good. So were the beans I picked out of those fritter things.

Well, the guacamole and fresas were good. So were the beans I picked out of those fritter things.

 

Maybe if I giggle a lot she won't notice that I didn't eat the fritters.

Maybe if I giggle a lot she won’t notice that I didn’t eat the fritters.

 

Happy Cooking!

 

 

 

 

 

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