Quinoa Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I got this recipe from an older issue of Vegetarian Times magazine. I’ve always cooked quinoa as a healthy side dish, but came across this recipe as I was looking for something a little more substantial than just quinoa salad. These cakes are crispy, filling, delicious, and a super healthy (not to mention speedy) dinner that works well during the week!

Quinoa Cakes w/Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

For the cakes:

1 large egg

2 T all purpose flour

1 1/2 T tahini (or other nut butter)

1 1/2 t red (or white) wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup grated sweet potato

1/2  10 oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 chopped sundried tomatoes

1/4 chopped nuts (I love pine nuts, but any nut is fine)

2 oz crumbled feta cheese

2 T finely diced onion

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 t salt

For the sauce:

1 1/2 cups roasted red bell peppers

1/2 cup toasted almonds

1 garlic clove

2 t red (or white) wine vinegar

Instrucions:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine egg, flour, tahini, and vinegar in a bowl. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and mash together until firm enough to make into cakes. Shape mixture into 1/4 cup patties with wet hands (to prevent sticking). Bake on prepared baking sheet for 25 minutes (or until brown), turning once. (serves 6)

To make the sauce: Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Serve as a dipping sauce or pour right over the cakes. (makes 2 1/2 cups)

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