Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes (Gluten-free)

If you asked me to name the number one tool in my mama toolbox I’d answer you without hesitation: Healthy Homemade Finger Foods.  Honestly I can’t survive without them.  I feel like I am constantly battling with myself to stay away from easy-to-find processed options–you know, the finger foods that come out of a box in the form of a simple carb.  Kula Baby is rarely satisfied by processed snacks because they don’t have enough protein or healthy fat to sustain his rapidly growing brain.   But I’m not always prepared enough to whip up something homemade in a pinch.  As a result I am trying find and make snacks I can freeze or keep in the refridgerator for those last minute snack attacks.

At this point I’d like to call myself a snack master work-in-progress.  I do the best I can to come up with new and tasty homemade finger foods, while at the same time admitting that I’m human and my child will indeed survive if I throw 2 (or 5) Plum Organics Fiddlesticks his way when I’m in a snack jam.

Below you will find my recipe for Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes.  I love the idea of a quinoa pancake because quinoa is such a nutrient dense food.  Known as the “Grain of the Incas” quinoa touts high protein as one of its many benefits, due to the fact that it is a seed used as a grain.  Quinoa is a great source of vitamin B6, vitamin E, fiber, phosporous, iron, copper, zinc and magnesium.  Best of all?  It tastes great.  The sweet potato and maple syrup make these cakes very kid-friendly.  They are portable and healthy—a Kula Mama snack success (I hope).

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes

1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 medium sweet potato (cooked)

1 egg or egg replacer (we use Ener-G egg replacer OR 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds plus 3 tablespoons warm water)

3 tablespoons gluten free flour (we use Pamela’s pancake and baking mix)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon coconut oil (unrefined, organic)

1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries or dried cherries depending on how fruity you like things!

Directions:

Yield: 4 big cakes or 6 small cakes.

Scoop out the inside of the sweet potato into a food processor or bowl (processor will make this easier) and add all ingredients except the raisins and quinoa.  After you have mixed up the sweet potato, egg, spices, flour, maple syrup, salt and coconut oil, transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the quinoa and dried fruit by hand.  Form into 2 inch pancakes and cook on a pancake griddle or small frying pan (use a little more coconut oil as your cooking oil if needed).  Grill 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.  Enjoy!