Quinoa cakes with kale - a pregnant lady's cravings discover a new good dinner...

I haven't even done a lot of the crazy pregnant lady food cravings, but every once in a while they hit me.  Tonight, I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner and all I kept coming back to was quinoa cakes.  I was trying to figure out what to have with it and my brain kept remembering the queso fresco I bought earlier in the day.  In an attempt to make sure we had some veggies I was running through the list of what we typically have in the fridge: carrots, beets, broccoli, tomatoes, etc.  And then my brain alighted on kale, and I thought "Yes!  What I want for dinner tonight is quinoa cakes with sauteed kale and queso fresco!"  Aleks looked at me a little oddly, but since there was a 99% chance that I was the one who was going to cook, he wisely agreed that while it was weird, it was okay if I made it.  And it turned out really well!  I think Mom especially would enjoy it.

The quinoa cakes recipe is from an old Gourmet recipe that I've probably posted before: quinoa cakes with eggplant ragu.  I've been trying to come up with other toppings for the cakes, since I like them so much.

Cook 1 c quinoa in 1.5 c water with 1/2 t salt.  Cool slightly, then stir in 1 egg, lightly beaten.  Using a dry measuring cup, press about 2/3 of a cup of quinoa into a 1 cup measure, packing well, to make 4 patties.  Chill for 15 min or more.  The chilling part is important for helping the cakes hold together.  Heat some oil in a skillet and carefully add the cakes, cooking on each side lightly browned and crisp.  Don't try to turn them too soon, or they'll fall apart.  Though, the crisp edges are the best part of these, and you get more of those if the cakes fall apart, so...make your own decision.

For the kale, I rinsed it, cut out the stems, then cut cross-wise into thin (1/4" or less) strips.  In a skillet, heat some oil, then add the kale and as much minced garlic as you like.  Sprinkle with salt, and cover.  Cook, turning frequently to prevent browning, until kale is bright green, a bit softened, and slightly reduced in volume.

To serve, pile that garlicky kale on top of a quinoa cake and top liberally with crumbled queso fresco - or whatever your favorite cheese is.  A good cheddar would probably also be good.

Seriously, this comes together into a light, tasty dinner better than you would think!

Maggie