Crispy Quinoa Beet Cakes

Ingredients

1 large beet (about 6 oz/170 g), scrubbed

Kosher salt

⅔ cup (120 g) uncooked quinoa

1¼ cups (300 ml) water

2 cups (100 g) panko breadcrumbs (use whole wheat, if you like)

½ cup (75 g) finely chopped onion

¼ cup (40 g) roughly chopped drained capers

1garlic clove, finely minced or grated on a rasp-style grater

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

3 ounces (85 g) fresh goat cheese

3 large eggs, beaten

Extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Put the beet in a small saucepan with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) water and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer until the beet is completely tender when you poke it with a knife, 35 minutes to 1 hour, depending on whether your beet has a stubborn personality (check the water level during cooking and add more if needed). Cool until you can handle it, then slip off the skin and grate the beet on the large holes of a box grater.

Meanwhile, put the quinoa in a small saucepan with a lid, along with the water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook at a simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. If the quinoa is tender but there's liquid left, just drain it off; if the water has been absorbed but the quinoa isn't fully tender, add a few tablespoons more water and keep cooking until tender. Cool completely.

Put the grated beet, cooked quinoa, panko, onion, capers, garlic, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Toss to mingle the ingredients. Break up the goat cheese into bits, add them, and work them into the mixture.

When everything is nicely blended, add the eggs and toss once more to blend.

Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes so the panko can fully hydrate. If it seems very wet and soggy, add a few more breadcrumbs, but the wetter the mixture is, the lighter and more tender the patties will be. Test for seasoning by frying a mini-patty in a little olive oil. Taste the patty, and if it's underseasoned, add pepper or more salt.

Shape the mixture into patties. These can be whatever size you like, just be sure they're all about the same size so that they cook evenly. Heat a healthy glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, carefully place as many patties as will fit without crowding, and cook until nicely browned and heated through, about 5 minutes per side. Serve hot or warm.

Leftover patties will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat them in a dry skillet for a few minutes. You can freeze the uncooked patties, individually wrapped well, for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before cooking.

Notes

These savory little patties can play a number of roles in your meal plan. A large size on a lovely brioche roll with some tender greens makes a fine sandwich, while "silver dollar"-size patties are perfect stuffed into a Whole Wheat Pita (page 245) as you would falafel, with some Turmeric Mayo (page 315) and Tzatziki (page 318). The quinoa adds substance to the grated beets, along with a nice portion of complete protein. Makes 12 little patties