6.22.2009

greek quinoa burgers

Kelly over at my happy life is working on a goal to eat healthier (shouldn’t we all?) and she requested a few recipes to help her get inspired. One of my favorite healthy recipes is for Greek Quinoa Burgers. They are so good they shouldn’t count as “healthy”. I don’t care if you don’t like quinoa because you’ve never had it like this before. It is super good for you since it’s a complete protein filled with iron, zinc, magnesium and other vitamins. Plus, it’s super easy to cook. It’s a super food! So, without further ado, here’s the recipe:

Greek Quinoa Burgers

1/2 cup rinsed quinoa
1 medium carrot, cut in chunks
6 scallions, thinly sliced
15 ounces great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 pitas (each 6 inches)
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced diagonally

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil; add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes; set aside.

In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, half the scallions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; pulse until combined but still slightly chunky.

Form mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties (dip hands in water to prevent sticking). If too soft, refrigerate 10 minutes to firm. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium; cook burgers until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, and the remaining scallions; season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers in pita topped with cucumber and yogurt sauce.

8 comments:

We Choose Joy said...

yippee! another great recipie! Thanks :)

Emster said...

Just found your blog. Recipes look great. Marked a tone to try. Thanks!

whitneyingram said...

I have this grand dream that you have your baby and then you blog again. I need more food stuff from you lady.

BTW, hung out with M the other night. Her little belly is adorable. And so is she.

Maria said...

We LOVE quinoa! I'm so going to try this recipe...

Annje said...

If you want another good recipe for quinoa, there is one with black beans on allrecipes.com that is fabulous as a filling for a flour tortilla topped with avocado and shredded cabbage. Quick, healthy, and delicious.

I found you off nienie or cjane ages ago, but haven't commented much.

btw: you are beatuful pregnant!

kanishk said...

I need more food stuff from you lady.


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Emily said...

I've just made these for the third (or fourth) time and absolutely love them. Thanks for the great recipes!

Jessica said...

Found your blog via pinterest and the Korean Beef (loved!) and tried this out tonight too. It was my first attempt at a veggie burger and while delish it didn't hold together well. Any tips?