In celebration of the Memorial Day holiday – although a week late, I have a burger recipe for you! Since I don’t eat beef, naturally it is a veggie burger and this time a quinoa veggie burger. And because I’ve been living in New Mexico for almost 4 years now, I thought it was high time to incorporate some green chiles into more of my recipes.
The quinoa burger is a revamp of a burger I first started making 5 years ago and although I call it a burger, it could be just as easily called a fritter or sorts because I hardly ever eat it on a bun – if it’s not a good bun, it just gets in the way of the deliciousness. Life is too short to waste it on anything less than quality food. (Forget the mass processed foods!)
Green Chile Quinoa Burger
Makes about 8-10 large burgers
Ingredients
2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (cooking instructions below)
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 c low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 c roasted, drained, diced green chiles
3 eggs
3 T all purpose flour
2 green onions, including white parts
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Non-stick spray or olive oil
Directions
To cook quinoa:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes. I also regularly use a rice cooker for any whole grain such as quinoa, farro, or barley. Mine cost probably less than $20 and works great!
In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, green chile, eggs, flour, green onions, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.
Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.
*They really tend to fall apart, so don’t try to “form” them. To help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning. Makes them easier to flip, too.
For serving, I like to slice up a few tomatoes and avocado and match with your favorite burger spread.
Enjoy!
Less Sugar, More Spice 