Quinoa Veggie Burgers

What? Real burgers!?  ;)

In my never-ending quest for veggie burgers that not only I want to devour, but that will please my family to, I tried out these little beauties.  While I can't say that everyone loved them - mostly due to the fact that they have portobello mushrooms in them and both sisters refuse to eat mushrooms - they were delicious, and my mom and Mark were both big fans.  Particularly, Mom loved them and constantly told me these were the best veggie burgers I ever made.  She especially loved that they actually looked like real burgers: brown and thick and, well, meaty.  She made fun of my other veggie burgers and said she was glad these ones didn't have broccoli florets sticking out :)

But in all seriousness, these guys have a lot of good things going for them besides the fact that they look like hamburgers.  The portobello mushrooms add their color but don't give it an overly mushroomy taste - Mark is not a fan of mushrooms so I managed to forget to tell him that they were in there, and he never suspected a thing.  In addition to the mushrooms, there is zucchini and shallot for veggies, but the bulk of them is quinoa.  That's one of the best parts about the burgers: they are full of protein, and the quinoa also helps them to seem meaty in texture.

The other amazing thing about the quinoa veggie burgers - and this is not something to be skipped - is the yogurt-garlic sauce.  It's light, tangy, and really flavorful with fresh parsley, garlic, and capers mixed in.  It is not optional!

Recipes:

quinoa veggie burgers with yogurt-garlic sauce
from Meatless by Martha Stewart
serves 6

Ingredients:
2 portobello mushrooms (8 ounces), stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small zucchini
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 ounce finely-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 cups cooked quinoa
coarse salt and freshly-ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
yogurt garlic sauce (see below)
6 whole wheat buns, split and toasted
1 cup sprouts
1/2 English cucumber, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Instructions:
1) Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a bowl.  Coarsely grate zucchini; place on paper towels, and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Add to mushrooms.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add shallot and red pepper flakes, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and add cheese and quinoa; season with salt and pepper.  Let cool completely, then stir in egg and bread crumbs.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

3) Heat remaining 2tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Shape mixture into 6 1-inch-thick patties, pressing firmly.  Cook in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.  To serve, spread yogurt sauce onto buns and sandwich with patties, sprouts, and cucumber.

yogurt-garlic sauce

Ingredients:
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed, and cleaned
1 small garlic clove, minced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
Combine yogurt, parsley, capers, and garlic in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.