Quinoa Burgers

Once upon a time, we attempted to make bean burgers. Those sloppy-joe-like patties were not making the cut. Then we evolved to mushroom burgers. These were great, but did not offer the variety we sought. Finally, we have settled on the quinoa burger. This tasty item is the perfect blend of for any diet. They are easy to make. Best of all, they freeze better than most foods and are reheated to perfection in less than a minute.

So, without delay, I give you the quinoa burger...or at least the steps for you to make them.

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes (unless you use more pans)
Makes 24 burgers

Ingredients:

1 Pound Quinoa
2 Cups Water
1 Onion
5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Carrot Shredded
1 Zucchini Shredded
1/2 Pound of Mushrooms
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Paprika
2 Eggs
1 to 2 Cups Bread Crumbs
Veggie Oil for Frying

Note that all items should be diced into very small cubes for easier burger shaping. You can also substitute other veggies as long as they do not get too wet while cooking.

Step 1:
Start boiling the quinoa in the water.
Fry the onion until brown.
Add the garlic.

 Step 2:
Add shredded carrot and cook for a few minutes.
Then add shredded zucchini.
These items help to bind the burgers.

Step 3:
Finely dice your mushrooms.

 Step 4:
Check that your quinoa is cooked and has very little liquid (about 20 minutes).
Then transfer your cooked veggies from the frying pan to quinoa.
Fry your mushrooms. Drain excess liquid if needed.

Step 5:
Add the mushrooms, eggs, salt, and spices to the mix. Stir this together.

Slowly add the bread crumbs until the mixture is dry enough to handle but still holds together. When making burgers, you hands will get some of the mixture on, but it should not be too sticky.

Step 6:
Patty up the burgers (to the size of your anticipated buns) and fry in oil on medium heat. Fry each side for 3-5 minutes.

Step 7:
Flip your burgers.

Step 8:
Cook both sides until they are dark brown.

Step 9:
Stack up burgers on a plate to cool.
We like to top our burgers with tomato, rucola, cheese, ketchup, and mustard. I usually consider this one of my traditional American meals.

If you are feeling like making this an all home cooked meal, then I suggest making a focaccia while you cook. You can use the dough from my next post, stove top pizza, for the focaccia.

Remember to freeze all of those extras for quick lunches. Enjoy!