Zucchini Quinoa Cakes with Cucumber Salad

These Zucchini Quinoa Cakes are super easy to make, super tasty, and super trendy. These cakes are topped with a refreshing Cucumber Salad that is also great alone as a summer snack. Get the recipes after the break.


Zucchini Quinoa Cakes

Ingredients:
1 Zucchini, thinly sliced (use a mandolin for best results)
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 can chickpeas
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 fresh dill sprig, chopped 
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
 juice from one lemon
cooking oil
salt and pepper


Directions:
Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic and onion. Cook on medium heat until garlic starts to brown and the onions become translucent. Add zucchini. Cook for an addtional 5 minutes. Set aside. In a food processor with a steel blade pulse drained chickpeas, lemon juice, Worcester sauce, dill, red pepper flakes, cumin, and paprika. Pulse until chickpeas are broken up. Add quinoa, bread crumbs, and zucchini mixture, pulse 3 more times until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Form mixture into approximately 2" wide by a 1/2" tall cakes. Heat oil in a skillet. Cook cakes on medium-high heat until brown. Flipping cakes to brown them on each side. You may choose to refrigerate the mixture over night if you find it difficult to form the cakes without them falling apart. Plate and top cakes with a spoon full of Cucumber Salad (recipe below).

Makes about 12 cakes.  


Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1/4 cup sour cream (homemade or store bought)
1 small shallot, thinly sliced (use a mandolin for best results)
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
 juice from one lemon
salt 

Directions:
Cut cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a mandolin thinly slice cucumber halves crosswise. Place slices in a strainer with in a bowl. Heavily salt cucumbers and let sit for about an hour until liquid collects in the bowl. Pat Cucumber slices and add to a bowl. Mix with addtional ingredients. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or more. Serve.  

Makes about a cup and a half.