Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Well, it happened to us; I didn't think it was possible. We eat a well balanced diet in our family, I make sure of that. But, husband confessed the results of his physical on Monday.

That skinny guy has the blood of a fat person:
My terrifically fit, tall and slender husband has borderline high blood pressure and hypertension. I didn't think we ate a lot of red meat, but after taking inventory, I realized it's one of our main proteins. I had to find another low-in-saturated-fat protein alternative, in addition to pork and chicken, pronto!

Beans are out of the question in our family -- I'm highly allergic to legumes, and I couldn't see us filling the void of red meat with multiple nights of chicken and pork. I need more variety than that.

Divine intervention:
I opened the pantry, poked around a bit on my tippy toes, and a package of quinoa nearly fell on my head. It took me a few minutes to realize the divine intervention happening in my kitchen.

Quinoa is a lean, healthy protein, and it was literally hitting me right over the head. As nutritionally packed as quinoa is, I admit, it hasn't been on our top ten list of favorite things to eat. I had to find a way to transform this bland grain-like seed into something our entire family felt was worthy of a diet change.

I tested white, black and red quinoa recipes, following the directions on the packages. Each variety tasted similarly bland, with slightly different textures ranging from crunchy to chewy. My second quinoa test incorporated aromatics (onion, garlic, celery, carrot and additional veggies -- pepper, eggplant and mushrooms), which helped, but still left the quinoa with a flat, underwhelming flavor.

I didn't want to give up on the quinoa just yet; it seemed my only hope for a good, lean protein.

Keeping in mind that quinoa is a seed, I decided to toast the quinoa before cooking it, similar to the way you would toast other seeds or rice. The white variety was still somewhat bland, but both oil and butter versions of the black and red quinoa produced a nutty, sweet flavor that infused itself into the cooking liquid.

This made a great side dish, but could I turn it into a meat alternative?

I had the makings of a veggie burger in my pan, but the mixture was too loose and needed a binder. Egg white was an easy out, but made the mixture too moist and difficult to form into patties. I needed something sticky.

Beans, of course, came to mind, but weren't an option. I've had great luck with potato starch in the past, for thickening soups and stews and decided to give that a try. I added a tablespoon and watched the mixture transform into something with structure. One more tablespoon of potato starch, along with the egg white, did the trick and I was able to mold perfect patties.

I popped the patties into the freezer for a few minutes to help them keep their shape before cooking and then lightly pan fried each for crunch. I set the table and waited impatiently for my husband to arrive home from work. AB and I couldn't wait and ate our burgers before his car even hit the driveway. He ate alone that night, but there wasn't a crumb left on anyone's plate.



Red and Black Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Yield: 4 Servings
Method: Saute
Allergy Info: Soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free

For the veggie burgers:
2 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil, plus 2 teaspoons
1 small carrot, diced 1/8” (about 1/4 cup)
1 small celery rib, diced 1/8” (about 1/4 cup)
1 small onion, minced, divided in half
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper, 1/8”
1/4 cup diced eggplant, 1/8”
1/2 cup diced crimini mushrooms, 1/8” (about 6 – 8 mushrooms)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup black quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons potato starch
1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup thick coat rolled oats, toasted
1 egg white
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For pan frying:
Cornstarch for dusting
1 tablespoon olive or sunflower oil

Directions:
In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium. Add carrot, celery and half the onion, cook for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, eggplant, crimini mushrooms, salt, cayenne, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until moisture in pan has evaporated and vegetables have caramelized (about 7 minutes). Add garlic and cook until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

In a small sauce pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium. Add remainder of onion and cook until softened. Add rinsed quinoa and toast until dark and fragrant (about 3 minutes). Add water and a pinch of Kosher salt, bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until al dente and the water has been absorbed (about 7 minutes).

Place cooked quinoa in the sauté pan with the vegetables and cook over medium heat until any additional liquid has evaporated. Place mixture in a bowl and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle potato starch over mixture and gently stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir in parsley and oats. Beat egg white until slightly foamy and fold into the vegetable mixture.

Mixture will be moist and sticky. Mold into 4 large patties by hand, or with a ring mold (such as a round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter) and set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour to set.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly dust both sides of patties with cornstarch. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick, oven-safe skillet, over medium heat. Add the patties and brown on first side. Gently flip patties and place the skillet in the oven for 12 minutes.

Baked option:
You can skip the cornstarch and skillet, and place the patties directly in the oven to bake at 325 for 25 minutes.

Make it totally vegan:
Omit the egg white and add 2 additional tablespoons of potato starch to make this recipe completely vegan.

Add your favorite veggies:
Any vegetable can be substituted for the eggplant, peppers and mushrooms, in the same quantities – about 1/4 cup each.

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