Name: Black Bean and Quinoa Cakes with Shrimp and Spinach Chimichurri
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: For the black bean cakes:; 3/4 cup of the black bean and quinoa mix; 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs; For the shrimp:; 3 ounces shrimp; salt and pepper; For the chimichurri sauce:; 1 cup cilantro (I used leaves and stems); 6 cloves roasted garlic; 1 tablespoon Italian dressing; 1 chipotle pepper; 3 tablespoons vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 2/3 cup grapeseed oil; 1 cup spinach

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I know the recipe title black bean and quinoa cakes with shrimp and spinach chimichurri is long – but holy balls – this recipe is so good!

The base of this recipe is again my friend Nicole’s black bean and quinoa burger mix. Her recipe makes 6 burgers, but I use the filling for so many things.

Yesterday for lunch I had some cilantro that was about to go bad, so I decided to make black bean and quinoa cakes out of the filling, top it with shrimp and this spinach chimichurri.

Since I added chipotle pepper to the chimichurri, I lost a bit of the vibrance that the sauce typically has. So I decided to add fresh baby spinach and that was the best idea evah! Promise you won’t taste it. This sauce is bright, slightly spicy, herby and I literally want to put it on everything.

I recently bought a bag of this Oishii shrimp from Marinano’s and am in love with this shrimp. It’s U-12, which means they are big – 12 shrimp per pound. The bag costs $10, so it’s only $2.50 a serving, and seriously tastes like lobster.

Black Bean and Quinoa Cakes with Shrimp and Spinach Chimichurri

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

My friend Nicole's black bean and quinoa burger mix (link in notes) morphed into these black bean and quinoa cakes with shrimp and spinach chimichurri - this sauce is so good I want to put it on everything!

Ingredients

For the black bean cakes:
3/4 cup of the black bean and quinoa mix
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
For the shrimp:
3 ounces shrimp
salt and pepper
For the chimichurri sauce:
1 cup cilantro (I used leaves and stems)
6 cloves roasted garlic
1 tablespoon Italian dressing
1 chipotle pepper
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 cup spinach

Instructions

Mix the black bean mixture with the panko bread crumbs. Shape into three patties and freeze for 15 minutes.
Salt and pepper the shrimp, and pan fry in avocado oil spray until just cooked through - about 4 to 4 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp.
In a food processor or blender, blend the chimichurri sauce until completely smooth - this may take a couple minutes with the cilantro stems and spinach.
Heat skillet with avocado oil spray over medium heat. Put the frozen patties in the skillet and cook for 5 minutes a side - do not flip before the 5 minutes otherwise they will fall apart.
To plate: place cooked patties on the plate, top with shrimp and drizzle with the spinach chimichurri sauce.

Notes

To track this directly to your WW app or check the points for your plan, please click HERE for the cake recipe and HERE for the chimichurri!

The link to Nicole's black bean quinoa burger can be found here.

Side note: make sure not to skip the part about freezing the patties before cooking – that way they will stick together and you’ll get this amazing crust. So good!

Another sauce that I haven’t made in a while that I want to put over everything? This butternut squash queso – it’s a lighter version of my friend Jessica’s recipe.

Are you a fan of chimichurri? Let me know if you try this!