Lately, I've been on a crazy quinoa kick. I mentioned in a previous posting about baking with quinoa into cranberry almond cookies, but what about making quinoa patties for the Fourth of July instead of grilling the traditional hamburger? Quinoa is so versatile! So let's backtrack on what exactly is quinoa and why everyone should try this little ancient grain at least once before dismissing it.
Quinoa is a favorite source of nutrition among vegetarians and vegans because of its high protein and mineral content (source: FAO.org). Quinoa, chicken and other meats, contains all the essential amino acids necessary for us to produce our body's source of protein - these food items are called complete proteins. Other sources of protein can come from grains or nuts, but they don't contain all the essential amino acids we need and are called incomplete proteins. Our body builds up muscle using 8 amino acids (basic unit for muscle production). While meat contains all the essential amino acids for protein production, there are some good sources of complete proteins such as tofu, eggs, and quinoa!
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| Eggs are a great source of protein - great boiled, fried, or poached (photo courtesy of Julian Berry) |
When I first saw quinoa, I figured it would taste just like rice. Quinoa though tastes kind of springy. It sits in your mouth like rice, but when you munch on it, it's got some bite to it. The texture on quinoa is really unique and goes great with everything from salad toppings, substitute "rice" sides, hot cereal (mixed with oatmeal - try it with dried or fresh fruit!), and as I just recently found out, great as a burger patty substitute!
For Fourth of July this year, I really wanted to try something new. For the past year I've stopped eating meat for personal reasons, but every so often I'll get a whiff of something meaty and my most basic carnal urges will rise to the surface. It can be something as subtle as the MOH snacking away on fried chicken wings, or like this week, the aromatic smell of BBQ ribs, burgers, and hot dogs grilling on a warm summer day. But I figured, why mope around and wish I was eating meat when there are so many great ways to make veggie burgers that are not only tastier, but healthier too! So when I came across a great recipe for quinoa based burger patties, I was sold. SOLD. So I was excited, but I wasn't sure how MOH or my baby sister would react to eating vegetarian patties..?
3 cups quinoa cooked in water or chicken broth (can be done the night before, should soak quinoa in water for a bit before use - overnight can even be done if you want)
1 cup cooked chickpeas coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mixture of cheese of your choice (for a sharp bite, do cheddar or manchego; for a soft cheesy taste, do toma, mozarella or provolone)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. Mix ingredients together in a large bowl, mixing until mixture sticks together as one unit, thick and sticky enough to be balled up into patties. If mixture doesn't stick, add another egg. If mixture turns out too wet, try adding in some oats.
2. Ball up individual patties and line in plate, pressing down on patty so that patties are flattened.
3. Take frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil - when ready, plate patties onto pan and press down to flatten patty. Fry each side of patty for 2 minutes (or until crisp) - when both sides fried, place onto plate on top of napkin.
4. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy! Some toppings that I enjoy are avocados, romaine, sprouts, tomatoes, and jalapenos! Burgers also go great with either mustard and spicy mustard or BBQ sauce, hickory!
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So the poll results from my study of n=3 participants. I made these burgers for myself, MOH and my visiting baby sister. The results were great! If you pan fry the patties, the quinoa tastes really crisp and had a great bite to it, especially with the carrots. I think for next time, I'm going to add some black beans instead and corn to make the filling more substantial. The patty tasted amazing and MOH and my sister weren't missing the meat aspect of a typical Fourth of July, so all ended well! We scarfed down all the burgers, and snacked on curried chickpeas - great meal to end the holidays!
Happy eating!
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