Inside Out Quinoa Burger

TRUE FOOD KITCHEN’S INSIDE OUT QUINOA BURGER

Makes 5 burgers

QUINOA PATTIES

1 1/3 cups red quinoa

2 2/3 cups water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon red chile flakes

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch ground black pepper

¼ cup gluten-free bread crumbs

1. Cook the quinoa: Rinse the quinoa under cold running water. In a saucepan, combine the quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. This should make about 4 cups quinoa; reserve any extra for another use.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, chile flakes and eggs.

3. In a separate large bowl, combine the quinoa, cumin, mint, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in the bread crumbs.

4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

5. To form the patties, divide the mixture into 10 equal amounts. Press the mixture into ring molds or large cookie cutters to form the patties. Bake the patties until they are firm to the touch and dry, 14 to 16 minutes (timing will vary depending on the size and thickness of the patties). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Rewarm in a warm oven before using.

INSIDE OUT BURGER

10 slices tomato

10 slices cucumber

5 leaves butter lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

15 red onion rings

5 teaspoons crumbled feta cheese

2 ½ teaspoons olive oil

Generous 1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice

10 prepared quinoa patties, warmed

5 tablespoons hummus

5 teaspoons tzatziki sauce

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss the tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, onions and feta cheese with the olive oil, salt and lemon juice.

2. To assemble each burger, spread 1 tablespoon on one side (the “bottom”) of a quinoa patty. Top the patty with 1/5 of the tossed vegetable mixture. Dollop the top of the vegetables with 1 tablespoon hummus and 1 teaspoon of tzatziki sauce and top with a second patty. Repeat to form 5 quinoa burgers. Serve immediately.

Note: Adapted from True Food Kitchen.

Broken out separately:

Ingredients for the Quinoa Burgers:

1 (15 oz,) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups cooked* multi-colored quinoa, divided into 2 cups and 1 cup

1 egg (or substitute 1/4 cup almond milk)

1/4 cup flour (rice or garbanzo bean flour can be substituted)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon of light soy sauce (Maggi or Bragg’s sauce can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

*The quinoa is a lot more flavorful if cooked in broth (vegetable or chicken).

In the “burger”:

Lettuce

Avocado slices

Red onion slices

Tomato slices

Feta cheese (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Using a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, 2 cups quinoa, egg, flour, cilantro, tahini, soy sauce, thyme, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, salt, and pepper. Place the mixture in a bowl and stir in 1 cup of quinoa. Cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour. (This step can be skipped, it just makes it a bit easier to handle.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use about a 1/2 cup of the “dough” to form 6 patties or about 1/3 of a cup for 8 smaller ones.  Place each patty on the baking sheet. To give them an even more uniform shape, put a ball jar lid ring over the top of each patty and using a rubber spatula, smooth out the top. Then, carefully remove the ring. Use the pint sized for the larger patties and the 8 oz. cup ones if making smaller patties.   Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, gently turning once at 15 minutes.

While they are baking make the hummus and tzatziki sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 medium cucumber

2 garlic gloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons dried dill

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Put the Greek yogurt in a mixing bowl. Slice the end off the cucumber, cut into fourths lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Grate the cucumber pieces, skin and all, and add them to the yogurt. Put the peel the garlic cloves and put them through a press. Then add the garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Combine well, transfer to a serving bowl, and refrigerate until serving time.

Ingredients for the Hummus from True Food by Andrew Weil, MD:

2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 large garlic clove, put through a press

1 small jalapeno chile, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 scant teaspoon agave nectar syrup (optional)

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

Combine the beans, garlic, jalapeno, chili, tahini, lemon juice, lime juice, agave nectar, cilantro, cumin, cayenne, and salt in a food processor and blend well. Slowly pour in the olive oil as the mixture is processing until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with the hummus, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, avocado slices, tomato slices, red onion and crumbled feta cheese. These can be eaten just like a burger with a bun, or presented as the top and bottom buns with the lettuce, avocado, and red onion in the middle as True Food Kitchen does. Just put 2 tablespoons hummus on the bottom patty, then veggies in the middle, cover with 2 tablespoons tzatziki sauce, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons crumbled feta, and top with a second patty.