Taste: Black Bean Quinoa Lettuce Burgers

Black Bean Quinoa Lettuce Burgers.
This recipe was solely inspired by my sister and bro-in-law. Over Christmas break, Lauren mentioned to me that her hubby makes quinoa burgers by adding an egg and some spices to leftover quinoa and they're "so delicious." I figured I would experiment a little and give it a try. I'm delighted at how easy these are to make and how deliciously they turned out! Many thanks to Lauren and the ALWAYS creative-in-the-kitchen Brent. You two inspired this radical meal. Stevie is already asking for it again.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1 medium carrot, or 5-6 baby carrots
- Cheese slices (I used mozzarella, because its my fave)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 dash of red chili pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- A dash of paprika
- 2 tbsp. Veganaise
- Lettuce (in place of buns)

*Note: I've started using Nayonaise, a vegan verson of mayonnaise per the sort of strict cookbook It's All Good. I don't have any kind of issue with mayonnaise, other than it is fattening, and this is an easy way to deliver flavor without the same amount of calories. You can easily sub another topping (like hummus or salsa) if you don't have any in your fridge, but it's worth trying out! I've been pleased.

Method:
1. Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat, and continue to simmer for 10-15 mins., until all the liquid is absorbed.

2. Add cilantro, black beans, avocado, diced tomatoes, eggs, panko bread crumbs, cumin, red chili pepper and a generous dash of salt and pepper to the quinoa and mix well. This mixture should be vibrantly colorful by now! Set aside.

3. Place the carrot(s) in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chopped carrots to the quinoa mixture. Mix well.

4. Form 3/4 lb. patties with the quinoa mixture. Yes, your hands will get messy, but its kind of therapeutic, too!

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium and drizzle with olive oil. Wait for the pan to get hot, then place patties on the skillet. Cook until browned, about 8 minutes on each side (16 minutes per patty.) Once you flip the patty to the second side, place a slice of cheese on top to melt nicely. Mmm.

6. Serve the patties smeared with veganaise, topped with a dash of paprika and wrapped in
lettuce. So healthy and SO ADDICTIVE.

Burgerlicious.
Seriously, these are GREAT. A little bit spicy and a little bit savory. The fun part is that you can even make this with leftover quinoa from a previous meal. Add in all kinds of spices and just have fun with it - you can't go wrong with a burger! Let me know if you give it a try!
Bon Appetit!