Quinoa Burgers

A couple of weeks ago, I was craving a burger big time. However, I’ve noticed lately that my palate has been changing with regard to meat and I’m simply not enjoying it as much as I used to. So I put together the ingredients below for a quinoa burger that are loaded with veggies, spices and healthy, complete plant protein, from the quinoa and chickpeas.

I tried two versions, one with wild rice, which I had on hand, and another where I substituted cooked turnips–I think I was going for more of a potato pancake feel for that one. Both were equally satisfying and would go perfect with a warm mug of v

egetable soup or a crispy salad. Sitting in the middle of a multi-grain roll with a side of sweet potato fries sounds tempting as well! : )

Quinoa Burgers

2 c cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¼ c wild rice, cooked (optional)

1 c quinoa, rinsed, soaked, then cooked in vegeta

ble broth

1 c onion chopped

½ cup celery chopped

1 c carrots, peeled and shredded

¼ c tahini

1 T oil

2 eggs

1 clove garlic, minced

juice and zest from 1 lemon

1 t sea salt

½ t tumeric

1 t cumin

1/2 t paprika

½ t coriander

½ t cinnamon

½ t ginger

Place the chickpeas and wild rice, if using, into a food processor.

Saute the onion and celery in a pan on medium heat until the onion is transluscent. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes more to heat through.

Add the sautéed veggies to the processor, then add the tahini, oil, eggs, lemon salt, and spices. Pulse until the ingredients are well mixed and the chickpeas are in small chunks.

Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl, then fold in the quinoa. If the mixture is too wet, refrigerate it for about an hour. Spoon ~½ cup of the mixture and shape it into burgers. These can also be refrigerated at this point to be cooked later.

Heat the oven to 375°F. Place the burgers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for ~20 – 25 minutes, or until they start to get crispy. Let them sit for a few minutes to set.

Alternatively, add 1 T grapeseed oil to a frying pan on medium heat and cook the burgers a few minutes on each side until they are crispy and brown.

I’ve also skipped the wild rice, reduced the chickpeas by ~½ cup and added ½ cup of cooked turnips to the mixture and processed in a similar manner.

The Mighty Chickpea in a Twist on Hummus

Hummus. You’ve probably had it as a savory, garlicky dip with veggies or pita bread, or maybe on a sandwich. I recently discovered some different recipes for hummus that put a whole new twist on ground chickpeas. For example, would you ever think of them as a desert food? I never did but I would certainly enjoy the Chocolate Hummus below with fruit as an after dinner treat or snack.

The foundation of traditional hummus is the mighty chickpea. It’s high in fiber, protein, complex carbs and even provides omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. It’s also a good source of folate, thiamin and vitamin B6 and is chock full of minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium. As I’m reading this nutrition data, I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, I need to eat more of these!!” Other great ways to get them into your diet is roasted, in soups, and in salads.

The original recipes called for canned chickpeas and pumpkin. I soaked raw chickpeas in fresh water for several hours, then changed the water and simmered them on the stove for about 30 minutes. While this was going, I roasted a sugar pumpkin in the oven. I describe how to do it here. I also added pumpkin seeds to this recipe, replaced sugar with honey or maple syrup in the first recipe, used chai or hemp milk as liquids, and added dark chocolate to the third recipe. In short, I tried to add to the nutritional value while not sacrificing on taste.

The recipes below are healthy ideas for after-school snacks, lunch, and even appetizers or desert for the upcoming holiday gatherings. They can be paired with fruit, veggies, pita bread or crackers. Apples or banana slices dipped in chocolate hummus would make a great after-school snack. This would also make a great filling for buckwheat crepes. Apple pie or pumpkin hummus would make a nice spread for veggie wraps as well or on whole grain toast. And then of course, there’s always the spoon… : )

Apple Pie Hummus (adapted from this recipe)

1.5 c cooked chickpeas

1 large or two small-med, sweet apples, peeled, seeded and chopped

¼ c fresh lemon juice

¼ c tahini or nut butter

1 T sweetener (honey, maple syrup, etc.)

½ t sea salt

½ t apple pie spice or a combination of spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, etc.)

~3 T water (I actually used chai tea that I had brewing)

Pumpkin Hummus (adapted from this recipe)

1.5 c cooked chickpeas

1 c fresh roasted pumpkin

¼ c hulled pumpkin seeds (soaked and drained beforehand)

¼ c tahini

1 T cumin

¼ c lemon juice

½ t sea salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

water (or juice from the roasted pumpkin!)

Chocolate Hummus (adapted from this recipe)

1.5 c cooked chickpeas

2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 oz dark chocolate, chopped

¼ c honey or other natural sweetener

2 T tahini or nut butter

2 T vanilla

~ 3 T hemp milk or water

For each recipe above, add all ingredients except the liquid (last ingredient) into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add liquid a little at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Adjust the spices, sweetener and/or salt to taste. You may also want more lemon juice in the Pumpkin or Apple Pie recipes. I tend to go for more versus less.

Chocolate Quinoa Muffins

I’ve posted a few recipes for quinoa on my blog, like Vanilla Roobios Quinoa with Coconut Milk, an Orange Spiced Quinoa, a Quick Quinoa Soup, and Tomatoes Stuffed with Quinoa, but I hadn't used it as an ingredient in a baked item. So when a friend posted a recipe for quinoa muffins, I immediately got excited about it. Her recipe is here and she also has a few more great quinoa recipes on her blog as well. As much as her muffin recipe looks and sounds fabulous (and I will try it, as is!), I tweeked it slightly because I had chocolate on my mind. The result is below. These taste rich and are moist and chocolately, but induce none of the guilt that may result from eating a heavy chocolate cake or pastry. I would very happily eat these for breakfast–I did this morning and I was hunger-free and full of energy even following my afternoon yoga class, which went very well, I might add. I've got ideas for several variations that I'll post after they're tested. Three cheers for quinoa!!!

Dry ingredients:

1 ¾ cup whole grain flour, like spelt

¼ c unsweetened cocoa powder

½ c sugar like sucanat or turbinado sugar

1 ½ t baking powder

1 t sea or Himalayan salt

1 t cinnamon

½ t cardamom

Wet ingredients:

¼ c oil, like grapeseed

1 large egg

1 c buttermilk

1 t vanilla

2 c cooked quinoa, cooled

1/3 c dried cherries or cranberries (or whatever dried fruit you like!)

¼ c chopped walnuts, (or again, take your pick of nuts: pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, etc.)

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl (the first 7 above) and mix with a wire whisk.

2. In a separate larger bowl, combine the wet ingredients (including the dried fruit and nuts) and mix well.

3. Gently fold in the dry ingredients and mix just until they are incorporated.

4. Fill lightly buttered muffin tins ¾ full with batter. Bake at 350°F for 25 min, or until cooked through. Let cool slightly before removing from the pan.