Quinoa Burgers (sans buns)

I like cooking with quinoa. It’s filling and easy and good for you. All good things. These patties are a great veg substitute for the real thing, and they don’t even need a bun!

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Ok ok fine, when I think about a big, juicy, dripping, cow-filled burger and a side of salty fries, and then I think about these, my mouth salivates just a bit more for the carnivorous variety. But these really are tasty, and won’t leave you with that food-baby feeling that the real burgers often do.

Recipe makes 12 patties

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mascarpone or cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1/2 zucchini, shredded
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar or agave
• Sea salt and cracked pepper
• Olive oil for frying

Method

Start by cooking your quinoa. It takes about 20 minutes, so do this ahead of time. The ratio is generally 2:1, so put 2 cups of water, 1 cup of quinoa, and a pinch of salt in a pot on low with the lid on, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.

When your timer goes off half way through your episode of Buffy (Watching the last season again. It’s a really good show), remove the lid, and loosen up the quinoa with a fork. Put the lid back on and let it sit off the heat for a few minutes.

While that’s cooling, get the rest of your ingredients prepped. Chop the green onions (including the white parts), shred your cheddar, carrots and zucchini.

Because it’s so watery, you’ll want to grab a fist full of shredded zucchini and give it good squeeze to get rid of as much of the liquid as you can.

Once cooled, combine your cooked quinoa with the shredded veggies and cheddar, along with the mascarpone, yogurt, eggs, flour, and spices.

Put a big pan over medium heat with a swig of olive oil. Form your mucky quinoa concoction (it will taste good in the end I promise! Don’t look at me like that burger lovers…) into 1-inch thick patties and pop them in your pan.

You don’t want the heat too high otherwise they’ll burn on the outside but won’t cook all the way through, but it’s nice to get some good colour on the outside. Remember there’s raw egg in this, so you’ll want to cook them for 3-5 minutes on each side.

Once they’ve got a nice, golden brown colour, serve up immediately with a side of sour cream or tzatziki. Garnish with parsley, a crack of salt and pepper, and enjoy.