Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

This week I started a new job so I've been overwhelmed with meeting new people, training for this new position, and altering my daily schedule.  I'm really excited about this change in my life, but when I came home from work after a long day of learning a brand-new area of law, I was pretty exhausted!  Luckily before I started this new job, I came up with an idea for a quick and yummy dinner that I was excited to test out.  After day one on the new job, I came home eager to see if my idea actually worked!

I love finding new ways to enjoy my favorite cuisine: Mexican food.  And when a recipe also includes some healthy components and is easy to put together, it's a jackpot.  These little burger patties are chock full of healthy ingredients.  Quinoa is a delicious source of protein and fiber, and I absolutely love to make quinoa into patties and burgers because it develops an amazing, nutty flavor when fried.  So this recipe was perfect for throwing together on a day when I was mentally and physically beat.  Everything goes right into the food processor, making it super simple to whip up.  And the ingredients are extremely healthy, so I felt good about eating more than my fair share of these tasty burgers.  I paired mine with some heart-healthy avocado and fresh salsa.  These Mexican black bean and quinoa burgers were an absolute delight.  I'm sure you and your family will agree!

Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
serves 2

Ingredients
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup regular bread crumbs
1 1/2 tbls chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
4 scallions, diced
1 cup cilantro
Juice from half of a lime
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt & pepper
2 tbls olive oil

Directions

Put the diced carrots into a food processor and pulse until the carrot is finely chopped.  Add the scallion, black beans, quinoa, bread crumbs, chili powder, cumin, garlic, cilantro, and salt and pepper.  Pulse until combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Once the mixture is seasoned to your liking, add the beaten egg and pulse until combined. 

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Form the mixture into 4 patties.  Cook each patty until heated through, about 5-6 minutes per side. 

Serve with avocado slices and fresh salsa. 

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Quinoa Galettes

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  I had all of these grand plans for a Cindo-de-Mayo themed blog post, but things started to go awry as soon as I left work.  I was going to make some vegetarian enchiladas....but then I didn't feel like going to the store to buy the ingredients.  Then I was going to make some margaritas....but I didn't want to buy tequila because I very rarely drink it.  So THEN I decided I'd just buy some Mexican beer!  But I went into the beer cooler at my liquor store and bought this instead:

BAM!  Brooklyn Lager.  Needless to say, my blog post today has nothing to do with Cinco de Mayo! 

Instead I looked for some ways to use what I already had stocked in my fridge.  I had a bunch of leftover quinoa from the muffins I made last week and I did not want to waste it.  Luckily I found the perfect recipe on one of my favorite food blogs La Tartine Gourmande.  Quick side note: this blog is stunning.  I could stare at the photographs all day long....

One recent post included a recipe for "quinoa galettes" or quinoa patties.  The ingredients looked so simple that I was worried that the patties would end up being bland or need some kind of a side sauce to add flavor.  But wow was I surprised!  These little quinoa patties were delicious all on their own.  The inside of the patties had a creamy quality while the outsides were crunchy and nutty.  So simple and SO GOOD.  This simple recipe makes 12 small patties.  Do yourself a huge favor and try them immediately.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped chives
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, Gruyere, or I used Romano
1 onion, finely chopped (the recipe calls for yellow or white but I used purple and it turned out fine)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic.  Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let rest for a few minutes.  Your mixture should be a consistency that allows you to form patties.  If the mixture is too wet, add more bread crumbs.  Too dry, add some water or egg.  It's not going to be a very sticky mixture, but it should stay in a patty form if you mold it together. 

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy pan over medium-low heat.  Add the patties into the pan, about 4 at a time.  Cover your pan (I used foil) and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the patties are a very deep brown.  Carefully turn them and cook another 7-10 minutes until the bottoms are also browned.*

Remove from the skillet and set on a wire rack to cool while you cook the rest of the patties.  Serve them completely plain or with a side salad for a fantastic meal. 

And I haven't forgotten about Taste Thursdays!  I tried making Desert Sand Cookies today from today's paper...not sure how they turned out....stay tuned!

*Food Tip: I had to add more oil in between steps to achieve the desired color in my cast iron skillet.  You might also try increasing the heat.