Quinoa Cakes

A few days ago I was reading about the nutritional benefits of quinoa. For one, quinoa has an especially high, complete protein content. It is a good source of fiber, magnesium and iron, gluten free and easy to digest. So, I thought I should try to cook more with it. My hubby really doesn't like quinoa, he says he doesn't like the texture, so I knew I had to make something completely different from any quinoa he'd had before. 

Enter the Quinoa Cake! They're really cupcakes, of the savory variety. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa (1/2 cup dry quinoa cooked with 1 cup of water)
1 zucchini, peeled & grated
1 yellow squash, peeled & grated
1japanese eggplant, peeled & grated
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 medium carrot, grated
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup ground, unsalted sunflower seeds (unhulled)
1 heaping tbsp ground flax


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350f and spray muffin pans with oil or liners.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet.  Add celery and carrot and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, the spices and the water. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to be translucent and the water is beginning to soak in.
Grind the sunflower seeds in a blender or coffee grinder until coarse. Put in a large mixing bowl, add the vegetables from the skillet, then add the flax and the quinoa. Stir together until completely mixed. Spoon into muffin pans and bake for about 45 minutes, or until they begin to brown on top. Makes 12 cakes!

My husband actually really liked these.  (Amazing!) I think they're great smothered in ketchup. My little one thought they were so cute she wanted to hug them! As always, please try and let me know how it came out! Feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy!