Meatless Monday! Quinoa & Potato Croquettes

Salsa is one of my favorite condiments ever! I'm calling it a condiment because it's not healthy to call it a side dish but that's how I like it :). I picked up a jar of Renfro's salsa at the grocery store and was so excited I was absentmindedly talking to the salsa about how good it was going to be in everything I put it on. Yup,  love it. So, I made these pretty little croquettes then happily topped them with some sour cream and salsa. Want to know how I made them?

These take some time but they are totally worth it in my opinion because I'm already working on when I can make them again. They're soft inside and crunchy outside and a little bit spicy but not to much. But, I did top them with habanero salsa so, yeah, they had a little kick :). Of course, as you noticed I'm sure, there is a little sour cream on there too so that the flavor is a little more even. So in a recap we have soft, crunchy, spicy, creamy. Yum! Happy Cooking!

Quinoa & Potato Croquettes
Makes 8 - 3 ½” patties

Ingredients
- 1 small (5-ounce) baking potato
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese, drained
- 1 ½ tablespoons grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ - 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Directions:
1. Pierce potato with a fork; place on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave at high 5 minutes or until fork pierces potato easily, turning potato after 3 minutes. Wrap in a towel; let stand 5 minutes. Peel and mash potato.
2. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan; add quinoa and salt. Cook 8-10 minutes until almost all of the water has been absorbed; drain.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and  cilantro; sauté 1 minute. Add cumin, oregano, black pepper, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Combine potato, quinoa, onion mixture, cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese in a bowl, stirring well. Let stand 5 minutes; stir in egg.

4. Shape potato mixture into 8 patties. Carefully dredge each patty in panko. Place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill 10 minutes.
5. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and patties.

Printable recipe


Adapted from Myrecipes