I had originally planned to share this lovely meal with you as a post-Thanksgiving suggestion, some lighter fare after days of holiday excess and leftovers. I may be a week behind schedule but I have been chomping at the bit to share this recipe (always the sign of a really good one). If you are not familiar with quinoa (pronounced keen-WA), I highly recommend giving it a try soon. Most quinoa recipes I’ve encountered so far are similar to a stir fry, using the quinoa as a base with whatever you like mixed in. The idea of forming it into patties is genius and a fresh take on this protein-rich grain. As with fried rice, the quinoa should be made in advance and cooled before making this dish. And speaking of fried rice, the flavors of this meal were very reminiscent of fried rice to me…a very good thing in my book. As you might imagine, the patties are fairly delicate but just use a light hand when flipping them and you should be okay.
As a side note, can you believe I’ve never made poached eggs before now? I have always loved over easy eggs and these taste similar, but healthier. I know there are lots of special kitchen gadgets you can find to make a perfect poached egg at home but I’ve already got enough stuff in my kitchen. Thankfully a few seconds of Googling led me to this wonderful explanatory post from Smitten Kitchen. I really have nothing to add to her instructions so I’ll let you refer there for the basic technique. It took me an egg or two to get the hang of it, but even the ugly first tries were very tasty. This meal has already been put into heavy rotation in our home, and I hope you give it a try in yours.
