Quinoa Cakes w/ Spicy Marinara Sauce

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a very restful and enjoyable last weekend of July. We had a wonderful time at John's lake house this weekend, and we were able to spend so much time with his extended family. We only see each other once a year for our lake reunion, so it really is a lovely time.

Now that we're home? I can't believe I go back to school in two weeks! It's crunch time, and I am busy, busy making sure everything is ready for the start of the new year. Today's agenda includes some strength training at the gym, grocery shopping, a target run, and...reorganizing our closets. We'll see how far I get on that...

I stumbled across this recipe one night while jumping from blog to blog, looking for something to stand out. I bookmarked it, and it was perfect for when we got back from vacation because I had all the ingredients on hand. Much like this recipe.

Anyhoo, this is packed with awesome flavor! John went on and on about these, even saying they tasted like breadsticks with the dipping sauce. I was crazy about a filling and tasty meatless meal. Plus, it's a pretty cheap meal, too. Let me know what you think!

Quinoa Cakes with Spicy Marinara Dipping Sauce
Recipe for Quinoa Cakes adapted from Let's Dish, via Kitchen Trial and Error
Recipe for Spicy Marinara Dipping Sauce by Call Me Mrs. Rapp 
Yields about 8 cakes



Ingredients:
*olive oil
*salt and pepper, to taste 

Quinoa Cakes:
*2 cups cooked, cooled quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked will yield 2 cups cooked)
*2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
*1 egg, lightly beaten
*1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used a combination of whole wheat Panko and Italian seasoned) 

Spicy Marinara Sauce:
*1 can fire roasted tomatoes (diced)
*1 can tomato sauce
*1 tsp brown sugar
*1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1-2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
*Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, etc.), to taste

Preparation:

Quinoa Cakes:
*Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture rest while preparing the pan.

*Coat the bottom of a large saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Using your hands, form about 1/4 cup of the mixture into patties. Saute for about five minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve with spicy marinara sauce.

Spicy Marinara Sauce:
*Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.

*Add fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar and Italian seasoning. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low, simmering for about 10-20 minutes. (I usually start the sauce and allow it to simmer while I prepare the quinoa cakes.)

*Serve with atop or to the side of quinoa cakes. Enjoy!

Everything mixed together

quinoa cakes cooking

plain

With the spicy marinara!