Caprese Quinoa Cakes
Hi! Remember me? I’d like to blame the weather for not posting for over a week but I really can’t. I have barely had any time to cook dinner, let alone photograph it and write about it. But this weekend I squeezed in some kitchen time between running, friends, church, etc.
If you don’t live in the Midwest, let me fill you in on our weather lately – it’s been unseasonably rainy and unseasonably pleasant. It rained literally every day last week! I took part in a trail race on Saturday night and after the sun went down, I actaully had goose bumps. I have zero complaints because we could be experiencing close-to 100 degree temperatures if this were a normal summer.
And I believe I have the mild temps and extra rain to thank for the fact that my basil plant is going crazy! I thought I had lost it earlier in the summer but it has come back and it is growing like a weed! So with a plethora of basil, I had to squeeze a little bit more summer out of August with these Caprese Quinoa Cakes.
Tomato, basil and mozzarella seems to be a favorite summer flavor combination for most foodies and these quinoa cakes are so simple. Perfect for a quick after-school dinner that will still leave time to enjoy what is left of summer!
Caprese Quinoa Cakes
Yield: 12 cakes
Total Time: 45 min
Simple and flavorful recipe for quinoa cakes full of summer caprese flavor. These cakes are packed with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups broth/water
8 ouces fresh mozzarella cheese pearls
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper1/2-3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
2-3 tsp. olive oilDirections:
cook the quinoa:
Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat and add the quinoa and sea salt to the pan and stir until the quinoa is well-coated. Toast for a few minutes, until the quinoa just starts to brown. Slowly add in the water or broth. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, stir and continue to cook until the water is absorbed and the germ of the quinoa is exposed. Remove from heat and set aside.Combine the cooked quinoa with the cheese, basil, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper and stir until combined. Add the egg and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs and stir well until all of the breadcrumbs are incorporated. Try forming a small patty. The mixture will be moist but should easily hold together as a patty is formed. If it's crumbly, add another 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and stir to incorporate. Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to portion the mixture, form into round cakes and set aside on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.
Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add four patties and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until the outside of the quinoa cake is golden brown. Flip and repeat. Add more olive oil to the pan to cook the remaining quinoa cakes, if needed.
Print Recipe
Looks really yum! Would definitely try it out.
Wow! I’m obsessed with caprese lately! These look amazing!!
Its been raining a ridiculous amount here this Summer too..I think its what made Summer go by even faster than usual! I love all things Caprese..these sound perfect!
I have been loving this midWest weather! I love the rain! We turned off our air conditioner last week! In July! Crazy, right?! 🙂
Great idea! My garden is full of basil and tomatoes. I’ll give this one a try
These sound AMAZING, Cassie! I’ll take a dozen, thankyouverymuch.
I think I speak for everyone when I say – we missed you last week! But totally understandable – life sometimes gets crazy. This is a great welcome back recipe 🙂
xo Jackie
I have no problem waiting a week if it means we get something like this!! LOOK at that melty cheese!
What an awesome flavor combination!! Glad you are keeping busy and out enjoying life… 🙂
Good job on your trail race. I’ll bet you were loving those cooler temperatures!
These quinoa cakes look like the perfect way to celebrate the amazing tomatoes that I’m finding at the farm stands right now.
I love those caprese flavours and these quinoa cakes look so tasty!
Oh yeah– I’m loving these!
Um yes. Same here. Rainy, cool, gloomy, I LOVE IT.
And hi, I want these cakies.
these look amazing! the tomatoes have been sooo good lately!
I love that it’s been rainy here in Denver too. Makes me wish fall was here right now! So glad you had fun on your trail run! I am so excited for you to run your half! And these caprese quinoa cakes, love!
You’re my hero. Also, these look like they would make killer veggie burgers.
Oh delicious, Quinoa is my new found healthy love and I’m a massive Italian food lover too…….these are definitely being made the weekend 🙂
These look delicious. I love the rain 🙂
Caprese and quinoa? Sounds like a winner. Glad your basil plant came back!
I love anything caprese, especially these! Totally need to try this!
these three ingredients rule my life in summer. I made a salad but turning them into patties – yum!
So much ooey, gooey cheese I can hardly contain myself! Pass the plate, please!
Mmm these sound fabulous!!
I love anything caprese!
Love these! Thought I lost my basil plant too but it seems to be doing much better, now if only my tomatoes would cooperate. And I am glad I’m not the only one that actually enjoys the cooler summer days. I feel like people look at me like I’m a crazy woman when I say I’m happy its a little cloudy and a little cool. Plus it gets me excited for fall and I cannot wait for that!
My basil plant is struggling this summer but I still have enough to make these quinoa cakes, and I’m definitely going to! They sound amazing!!
These look incredible!!! It’s funny, it’s been unseasonably cool here too but it’s actually bad for our tomatoes and basil. We need warmer days. 🙁 Send the heat our way!! xo
These look insane!! I love them!
It has been super rainy and cold here… makes me excited for fall and pumpkin!
Glad you squeezed in a little time in the kitchen, this looks so wonderful!!
Well I certainly am glad you found the time to make these quinoa cakes! They are summer perfect.
Amazing. You had me at caprese! And that melted mozzarella pearls?! Sold!
I’ve been getting constant reports from my family in KC about the strange weather, but it sure is nice to have a cooler August than the norm! I love the flavors of caprese – so perfect for this time of year. These look great and I bet they’d make a delicious dinner served with a poached egg on top!
I was just having a conversation with my sister about quinoa cakes about how I’ve never tried them, but if I had a good recipe, I’d be all over them! Here’s the recipe I’ve been waiting for! I’m so excited to try these Cassie!
I’ve been loving the cooler weather, too! This is a perfect meal that allows maximum time outdoors!
OH wow I love the idea of mixing anything with caprese salads! They are my favorite!
Woah yum. Those look absolutely amazing! I’m glad your basil plant is thriving and that you’re happy with the rain- we’ve been having more mild temps on the East Coast too!
Love the love the cheese oozing out! We enjoyed the cooler temps while visiting WI last week! Wish we could get them here!
Did you know caprese is my middle name? Okay it’s not… but it would be because I love urrrverything Caprese. These are genius Cassie!
When did life get so busy??
Anyway – we are learning to love quinoa in this house and let me just say – OMG these cakes look awesome. I love the idea of basil and mozzarella in cake form.
These taste great but I had a lot of trouble keeping them together. I ended up browning them on one side and then putting them in the oven to finish.
Oh my gosh, I LOVE these. I need to make them before summer is over because I am swimming in basil and tomatoes right now!
Oh wow, this is fantastic 🙂 I just love caprese! I can not wait to try these cakes!!