Quinoa Cakes

Last week I found myself home after a long day, hungry, and scowering the kitchen for something tasty for dinner.  My eyes went to a blue box of mac and cheese.  Quick, easy, and delicious.  However, as I'm trying to make healthier choices lately, I searched around for a healthier alternative to whip up.  This is often a challenge of mine.  Figuring out how to combine what I have left in the house into a meal.  After taking inventory I decided on quinoa cakes!  Im a big fan of the quinoa cakes from whole foods.  But they are a but pricey, so why not try homemade?

Here's what you need:
- about 1/2 cup dry quinoa, cooked
- 1 c. shredded carrot
- 2 c. spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp flax seed (optional)
- curry powder to taste (optional, but i liked it!)
- 1 egg, or flax egg if you're going the vegan route
- 1/4 c. bread crumbs

Cook quinoa and combine in large mixing bowl with other ingredients.  Grab a handful of the mixture and form into a ball.  The egg or flax egg is what helps everything stick together.  I've found cooking the spinach before hand make the mixture a little easier to handle.
Pour a bit of olive oil into a non stick pan on medium heat.  Place ball into pan and press down with spatula to form a patty.  Cook on each side for several minutes until each side is browned.
A few of mine fell apart but they still tasted great and I felt better about having this healthy dinner in the place of box mac and cheese.