Southwest Quinoa Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Saute 3 sliced scallions and 1 minced jalapeno in olive oil until softened. Stir in 2 teaspoons tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin, ancho chile powder and kosher salt. Add 1 1/4 cups water and 3/4 cup each rinsed quinoa and frozen fire-roasted corn. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in 1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed); season with salt.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with cooking spray. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in quinoa. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the grains are tender and reveal their spiraled germ, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes. Add eggs, beans, cottage cheese, scallions, flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the quinoa and stir until well combined. Divide the mixture among the muffin cups (about 1/4 cup each). Top each quinoa cake with about 1 tablespoon cheese. Bake the cakes until puffed and a little brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Gently loosen and remove with a paring knife. Meanwhile, place tomatoes, garlic, chipotle pepper and a pinch of salt in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in cilantro. Serve the cakes with the salsa and avocado. Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the salsa (Step 5) for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving. Chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful, spicy sauce. Look for the small cans with Mexican foods at large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.