A favourite vegetarian meal in my house, these delicious croquettes are well worth the effort. Child friendly, they are perfect for dipping in tomato ketchup or a salsa of your choice. If you aren’t a fan of fresh coriander, this can be replaced with fresh parsley, dill, chives or even chervil. Cooked croquettes can be kept in the fridge for two days, and also freeze well.
Spicy Quinoa Cauliflower Croquette
makes approximately 20
Ingredients
135g uncooked quinoa
1 large head cauliflower
3 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 tsp spicy seasoning, such as Cajun or taco – or a mixture of cumin, chili powder, and cayenne
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp pickled jalapeño or Pepperocini, chopped
20g fresh coriander, chopped
110g breadcrumbs or ground almonds (depending if you want it gluten free or not)
120g shredded Bagnes cheese, Gruyère or even pizza cheese is fine
3 eggs
2 tsp salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cook the quinoa according to package directions but only using 2.5dl of broth or water to keep it from getting too plump. Once all the liquid is absorbed, allow to cool. Flake with a fork. Cut the cauliflower into florets, transfer to a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with the spicy seasoning to taste. Place the garlic in some foil and drizzle with a little oil. Wrap it up and place on baking tray with the cauliflower. Roast for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let it all cool. Remove the garlic from the foil and, along with the cauliflower, pulse it through a food processor to form small pieces that resemble large couscous. However, you don’t want a puree, so pulse slowly until you reach enough mushiness that it all sticks together but isn’t smooth. Next, in a large bowl, mix together the pulsed cauliflower and garlic, the quinoa, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, chopped jalapeño, coriander, eggs and salt. Using a tablespoon, take a heaped scoop of the mixture and gently shape into a ball, being sure to press it well so that it sticks together. Continue with the rest of the mix. It should make approximately 20 croquettes. Put a nonstick pan over a medium heat, cover the bottom with the remaining olive oil and cook the croquettes in batches until golden brown on each side, flipping them very carefully to avoid breaking them. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan! Set them aside on a paper towel lined plate. These can be made in advance and reheated in the oven for a few minutes before serving. Best served with a yoghurt-style dip and some crunchy lemony salad greens. Happy eating!
