Paired with copious amounts of sprightly, fresh-tasting chopped parsley, these healthful patties couldn’t be more suitable for early spring, when fresh greens are in short supply. In Syria, these little appetizers, called ir’jeh, are cooked in a special skillet with shallow round depressions in it, but you can also cook them very successfully on a griddle, just like pancakes. Syrian cooks don’t add quinoa to their egg patties as far as I know, but it does contribute extra nutrients and more substance. Quinoa’s unique texture blends so perfectly with the herb-scented batter that even people who insist they don’t like quinoa ask for seconds.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup chopped curly leaf parsley
- 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped, squeezed dry in paper towels
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, optional
Directions
Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and stir in the parsley, quinoa, olive oil, onion, oregano, mint, salt, and xanthan gum if using. (It’s not absolutely necessary, but it does help the patties form a neat round shape.) The batter should be thick.
Heat a large non-stick griddle or skillet over moderate heat until a few drops of water flicked onto the surface bounce and disappear. Drop tablespoons of batter onto the griddle, making about four patties at a time and spacing them one inch apart. Cook for a minute or two on each side, until golden brown, and stack on a platter. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Recipes © copyright 2013 by Jacqueline Mallorca.
The author of more than a dozen cookbooks, Gluten-Free Living Food Editor Jackie Mallorca’s most recent titles include The Wheat-Free Cook and Gluten-Free Italian. .
