From Quinoa Salad to Quinoa Fritter

I love quinoa...who doesn't?  I love it beyond the obvious health aspects (whole grain, complete protein, fibre to boot). Truth is, I mainly enjoy the fact that it is so versatile,  you can eat in soup, salad, as a compliment to any saucy dish (such as curry), or even make it into a burger...or even better...a fritter!

Yes, you heard me right...quinoa fritters. 

I came up with the idea after making one of my favourite quinoa salads, Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Salad (see below).  I was heading out to a potluck, and wanted to bring something delicious. If you know me I always like to have a "wow that's good for you and yummy??" type of reaction,  so I decided to test my salad recipe into a bite-sized finger food. It was a hit! 

Fundamentally, you know what works well together in terms of tastes. We all have an ability to guess if we would like to eat a food by knowing what it contains.  Therefore, coupling that notion with a willingness to experiment, with techniques and ingredients,  will allow you to create some amazing dishes. 

Here is my Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Salad recipe:

-1 cup cooked quinoa
-1/2 cup cooked brown rice (optional)
-1 can of black beans
-1 can of corn
-1 handful of finely chopped cilantro
-1/3 cup chopped red onion
-1/2 cup grated chedder and monterey jack cheese
-juice from half a lime
-salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Mix well, chill and enjoy!

I have made this uber simple recipe a tonne of times and each time trying something new. For example, I have put it in a tortilla with grilled chicken and enjoyed it as a wrap. I have even heated it, added flaxseed,  chunks of avocado and enjoyed it as a rice bowl. So you see, versatility and willingness to play around allows you to take one meal and put several spins on it.

In doing so, I argue getting bored with one dish would take a lot of time... there really shouldn't be a reason to get bored with any food.  It should always be enjoyed,  make it enjoyable; I know you can.

So back to making this bad boy recipe into a fritter...
I simply:
1. added 2 eggs to bind it (yolk only)
2. added a few tablespoons of whole wheat flour (about 4 tablespoons, but I eye balled it to just get in to a workable consistency)
3. I rolled the mixture into semi-flattened balls
4. I then dipped the ball in egg whites (see no waste)
5. I then rolled it in some more flour (breadcrumbs would also work great)
6. I pan-fried it in some canola oil (just to get a crispy exterior,  they don't need to be in the oil long as the ingredients are cooked).

Voila. A salad turned fritter.

For this reason alone I do not get sick of this recipe or any quinoa-based meal idea, it always can be varied. 

Try this...and I urge you to reinvent the wheel with existing recipes in your repitoire. Don't be afraid of messing something up. Be confident that you know what you will enjoy, and push yourself to look at dishes as a meal idea vs. a structured recipe that can only been eaten one way. 

I guarantee your boredom will decrease.