Don't let them fool you. These little "burgers" are DEEEEE-LISH, and aren't really burgers at all. They're quinoa, brown rice, sweet potato, and zucchini. And I promise you, one bite and you'll be sold. They really do pack a punch to the ole' taste buds, and they leave you feeling well nourished and lacking for nothing. They've quickly become a staple around our house, and since they freeze well and reheat well, they can be found in my freezer stored separately in single serving portions, for those days when you need a quick bite that'll hold you over so you don't look like a living Snickers commercial.
Since we have pretty much stopped eating any and all meats Monday through Friday, these little patties help us get our much needed protein.
And they're versatile. Feeling a bit spicy? Add some cayenne and jalapeno. Feeling sweet? Add red and yellow peppers and a handful of fresh shaved sweet corn for a sweet little pop! Feeling Italian? Add Oregano...
For this particular batch, here's what I did:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 med zucchini shredded
1 small sweet potato shredded
1/2 bunch kale, chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
a couple of splashes of Worcestershire
chia seeds
flax seed meal
salt
pepper
season with any herbs/spices that you like
Just throw everything into a large mixing bowl, and mash it all up until you have an almost dough like consistency. Too wet? Add some rolled oats and a pinch of flour. Too crumbly? Add a splash of Worcestershire or even another egg. You want the mix to be somewhat wet, but tacky enough to form patties, just think of the same texture you aimed for back when you used ground beef...
You can cook these over medium-high heat in a skillet, either sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, or in a small amount of EVOO. You can also cook them in the oven on a sprayed cooking sheet, I'd probably do 350 for 1/2 hr or so. Once cooked, they can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or even the toaster.
Other variations I have made included adding some cooked, drained and mashed black beans, using corn meal instead of flour, spinach instead of kale, and using red potato instead of sweet potato. They can be made with mashed white beans, chick peas, pinto beans, couscous, or even some crumbled firm tofu.
The Wifester's favorite topping for these has definitely been a good size dollop of guacamole, and since avocado is actually quite good for you, we have been embracing the liberal use of it as often as possible. And for those times when I really wish I had some barbecue, I cook these up, slap some Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce on them, then throw them on the grill. Mmmmm-Mmmmm! Talk about hitting the spot!
Also, I have taken left over patties and crumbled them, added taco seasoning, and stuffed them into taco shells- Mmmm! Seriously, give it a try!
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