Week 33: Recipe #1--Cheesy Quinoa Cakes with a Roasted Garlic and Lemon Aioli

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this recipe (most likely via Pinterest), but it is from a site called Spoon Fork Bacon (see link below).  I had never cooked with quinoa before, and wasn't really sure what to expect.  These cakes (along with the aioli) were really good!  I will definitely make them again.  I followed both recipes exactly--no changes.  Will do the same next time, they were so tasty!  Took a little bit longer than I had planned because I had to roast the garlic first, but it was worth it.  I served these with a green salad and grapes.  Yum!  Makes 10 to 12 cakes.

Photo from spoonforkbacon.com

You'll Need:

For the cakes:

• 2 c. cooked quinoa
• 2/3 c. grated fontina cheese (Okay, I did add a little more cheese here, so I guess I changed the recipe just a bit)
• 3 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt, to taste

For the aioli:

• 1/2 c. light mayonnaise
• 1 head of garlic, roasted
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. For the cakes:  Place all ingredients, except for the oil, into a mixing bowl and stir together until well combined.  Season with salt and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Pour oil into a large saute pan and place over medium heat.
3. Form 1/4 cup patties with the quinoa mixture and place in the heated saute pan. This will be have to be done in batches.
4. Cook quinoa cakes for about 5 minutes on each side.  Repeat with the remaining patties until all of the cakes have been cooked.  Set aside.
5. For the aioli:  Place all ingredients into a food processor, season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.  Pour into a small bowl and serve alongside the warm quinoa cakes.

Recipe and link:  http://spoonforkbacon.com/2011/11/cheesy-quinoa-cakes/