QUEEN-OA

A good friend of mine and I were at Rhyme Time (if you don't know, you don't want to know...) this morning with our babies. The babies are also good friends, meaning Teddy likes to try and gouge her eyes out more than the next baby. We've resorted to Rhyme Time because Teddy's been expelled from our other class for constantly crawling across the room and using the teacher's phone and sticking his fingers in the speakers. The teacher would end up with selfies of a random baby and no-one could hear over me crawling after him, grabbing him by the ankles and apologetically saying, 'Teddy! Sorry, sorry. Teddy! Sorry..."

So anyway, my friend was saying that her little one loves bread and fruit but she can't get her to eat any protein at the moment. Not home made chicken goujons, fish fingers, anything! So I was wondering about protein and had a go at 'queen of protein' quinoa cakes when we got home. I based it on some Ottolenghi cakes I'd made before, but tailored it to what I had in the kitchen.

I.e. barberries: no. A few dried apricots in the back of the cupboard: yes.

So Teddy's mate, this one is for you, give them a go.

Boil up a fistful of quinoa with a no salt stock cube as per the packet instructions and drain.

Chop up some dried fruit like raisins, apricots or prunes and put them in a bowl with some lemon juice if you have any. (Soaking them is not essential but will make the pieces a bit juicier.)

Add the cooked quinoa, a pinch each of cinnamon, coriander, paprika, or whichever herbs and spices you have to hand. Fresh coriander would be delicious but I didn't have any.

If you have a spring onion and/or some feta knocking about, chop that up and throw that in, too!

Throw in a lightly beaten egg, a spoonful of yoghurt and mix together with a grind of black pepper.

Roll in to balls, fatten and fry for 5 minutes on each side over a medium heat until golden.

(Side note: yeah I know, you always have to have either a really small or really big last cake..?!?!)

Leave to cool a while before serving up with another dollop of yoghurt and some tomatoes/avocado/cucumber.

I had them for lunch too with a pinch of chilli and salt flakes - delicious. All hail the queen of protein. Quinoa. Versatile AF.

#quinoa #protein #fruit #lunch