It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s quinoa...superfood!

My daughter, Sarah, has been a vegetarian for almost 8 years and my best friend, Fran, has celiac disease so when Fran found this recipe for quinoa burgers, we were both elated... a recipe that we can both prepare which also offers an infinite number of options including different herbs and spices for flavouring from cilantro to chili flakes to olives (yes, olives!), different shapes and sizes for variety from burgers to bites to loaves or stuffing options such as feta cheese (and olives!). Now for all of you carnivores, don’t give up on me yet, you could always add meat to this recipe (mmmmm...bacon) or you could stuff the quinoa burger with swiss cheese and ham....mmmmm! Although I do cook vegetarian meals at home, I do crave a little meat sometimes :)

For Christmas, I received two Chapters gift cards so I ordered books online and have received a few of those books including a new cookbook: Quinoa 365 – The Everyday Superfood. So today I thought I’d try out a recipe from my new cookbook but ended up going with the tried and true (how idiomatic of me!) quinoa burger recipe since the burgers can be eaten as a meal while the bites can be eaten as a snack (has that been used as a jingle?). I usually make a double-batch so the quinoa bites are in the fridge for Sarah to eat whenever she wants to snack (they keep in the fridge for 4 – 5 days). Before sharing the recipe, I thought it was important to provide a few fun facts (redundant...aren’t all facts fun?) about quinoa....the superfood!

According to my new cookbook, here are some of the amazing qualities of quinoa (KEEN-wah) and some interesting facts:

· Contrary to popular belief, quinoa is not a grain. It is cultivated and used similarly to a grain but it is actually the fruit of a broadleaf plant (from the same family as spinach and beets!), hence, quinoa is a seed.

· Most grains are limited in the amino acid lysine while legumes are limited in the amino acids cysteine and methionine. Since these foods are considered to be incomplete, it’s necessary to eat a variety of them to ensure adequate protein. Quinoa, however, is classified as a complete protein. As a result, quinoa has been identified as one of the world’s healthiest foods.

· Quinoa is gluten-free, is hypoallergenic and contains substantial amounts of the amino acid histidine which is essential for infants and young children.

· Quinoa is rich in vitamins E, B2, B6, folic acid, biotin, calcium, potassium, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese and chloride.

· Quinoa seeds are available in red, black, white or golden colour.

· Processed quinoa flour has the same fine texture as regular all-purpose flour (quinoa pasta is available in stores!).

· Quinoa flakes have the same texture as rolled oats and are prepared similarly.

· Quinoa is easily prepared – if you’ve got 10 to 15 minutes, you have time to cook quinoa...just simmer and set!

· Cooked quinoa lasts in the refrigerator for up to one week.

· The light, nutty and sometimes slightly bitter flavour of quinoa is a result of the protective coating, called saponin, on the outside of the seed. Most of it is washed off during commercial processing but some insist that the taste of cooked quninoa is further improved if it is rinsed before cooking.

· The saponin seed coating provides an all-natural safe pesticide for protection of the crop without the use of chemicals (LOVE THIS FACT!!!).

· Quinoa cultivation is thought to have many advantages over other crops. Extremely hardy, the 1.5 to 1.8 m (5- to 6-foot) quinoa plant’s ability to germinate in cool temperatures and grow at high elevations in droughtlike conditions makes it an extremely dependable crop.  Also worth noting is that it only takes 4 cups of quinoa seeds to grow an entire acre of crop!

I know, I know, how cool is quinoa?  VERY!!!

Okay, now onto the recipe!  Well I just spent 10 minutes searching Fran’s Facebook page to find the original recipe (too bad there wasn't a search function on individual Facebook pages which reminds me that I should add the search function to my blog!).  I have tweaked the recipe along the way but I wanted to reference the original recipe so I neurotically kept clicking "older posts" on Fran's Facebook and I finally found it so here’s the link to the original recipe: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-burgers.php

The basic ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup mashed cooked chickpeas + 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 egg (the egg wasn’t in the original recipe but I like it!)
1 Tbsp soy sauce OR Bragg's Liquid Aminos
4 Tbsp corn starch OR wheat flour

Add-ins for flavour (this is my go-to recipe for flavouring):
1/2 tsp ground cumin seed
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp paprika
Fresh garlic (I usually add 2 or 3 cloves)
Fresh basil (I usually add a leaf or two)
Fresh cilantro (this is my favourite flavour in the burger so add as much as you like!)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. If you’re using dry chickpeas as I do (allegedly, dry chickpeas are “safer” than canned chickpeas...now there’s a post for another day!), make sure to soak your chickpeas the night before you make this recipe. You can boil your chickpeas prior to combining the burger mix.
2. Once your chickpeas are ready (or your opener is easily accessible for opening the can of chickpeas), heat a non-stick frying pan on medium low to dry roast the cumin, coriander and paprika. Stir for approximately 3 - 4 minutes (dry roasting brings out the flavours of the spices but you can add whatever spices you want...you’ll know when the dry roast is ready because it becomes very fragrant).
3. Blend all of the ingredients except the cooked quinoa in a food processor (I prefer the texture of the burger/bites when the cooked quinoa is hand-mixed with the food processor mixture).
4. Add food processor mixture to a bowl with cooked quinoa and combine (you can get crazy and use your hands to combine...don’t forget to wash your hands first!)
5. If you have time, chill the mixture for an hour or so before forming into patties, for a firmer patty (I’ve always chilled the mix before forming so I’m not able to say with 100% certainty whether the chilling is essential or not).
6. Divide burger mix into 8 equal portions and form into 3 inch patties (or you can turn them into quinoa bites or a loaf or whatever other shape or size you want!)
7. Fry in a little oil on medium heat, 5 - 10 minutes each side, until browned and firm.
8. To freeze uncooked, place the patties between sheets of wax paper on a baking sheet and freeze. Store in a freezer bag or plastic container and cook as needed (thaw before frying).

ENJOY!!!

Here's a photo of the quinoa burgers and bites after frying (you could get them darker if you wanted them a little crispier).

Here's a photo of Sarah's quinoa burger with mayo, relish, ketchup and grated cheddar cheese (she prefers havarti cheese on her burger but hermit life hasn't permitted me to do the groceries!):

Well I'm really hungry now so I'll end this post with a teaser...you will definitely see more quinoa recipes from me very soon (how's that for a tease?).  The next recipe might possibly be my yummy quinoa beet salad even though it's not very popular with my friends and family but I love it and sometimes that's all that matters :)