Staple Corner: Quinoa-Oat Croquettes

Cooking quinoa and oats together combines the best of both of these astonishingly healthy foods for a high-protein, high-fat meal rich in calcium, iron, B-vitamins, vitamin E, phosphorus for nerve tissues, and silicon for bones and connective tissues. And frying the cooled porridge really brings out the unbeatable nutty flavour and crunchy texture of quinoa in little croquettes that are deliciously satisfying and wholesome just on their own or with a dash of tamari sauce added. But they're also so simple to make that you'll have time to cook up some Best-ever Mushroom Sauce to pour over them for one of my all-time favourite combinations of flavours.

Quinoa-oat croquettes

1 cup quinoa
1 cup rolled or steel-cut oats
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
sesame seeds

Scrub the quinoa with your hands in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water for a minute or two to rinse the bitter saponin from its surface. Soak overnight with the oats overnight in a medium stainless-steel or pyrex saucepan in 3 cups of water.

Stir in the sea salt and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent the oats from sticking to the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, still stirring frequently, until it has the consistency of a thick porridge.

Pour the cooked quinoa and oats into a square 9x9 baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer to let the mixture cool, then cut into slices.

Lightly oil a frying pan over medium heat and fry the slices on both sides until golden-brown and crispy.

Serves 4.