Quinoa Burgers From the Vegan Project

Recipe from: The Vegan Project
Inspired by: Vegan Diner

Ingredients:
(Makes about 6 burgers)
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
12 ounces chickpeas (about 1 1/2 cups), canned or homemade, drained
1/2 cup quick oats (not instant)
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or favourite spice blend
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
2 tablespoons chickpea flour (I used coconut flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Brown rice flour or wholewheat/all purpose flour, for dusting
Olive oil, for cooking
Buns, condiments (lettuce, tomato, mustard, avocado)
Sauteed maple onions:
saute half an onion in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon maple syrup until slightly caramelized and golden

Method:
In a food processor, add the onion and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and oats and pulse until well mixed.  Don’t puree the mixture. Remove the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the quinoa, parsley, poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, Bragg Liquid Aminos, and chickpea flour.  Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed to help the burger mixture stick together, although you don’t want to make the mixture too moist.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Thoroughly mix the ingredients, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Form the burger mixture into 6 balls, and press into 3 1/2 to 4-inch patties.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and lightly coat or spray with olive oil.  Place the brown rice flour on a small plate and dust the burgers on all sides with the rice flour.  Add the burgers to the hot skillet.  Cook the patties for about 5 minutes, or until nicely browned and crispy.  Reduce the heat to medium, if necessary, to continue cooking without burning.  Add more olive oil as necessary, to keep the burgers from sticking.  Flip the burgers over and cook on other side.

Remove the burgers from the skillet and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Letting them rest will give them a better texture.  Serve the burgers on a fresh, whole grain bun with all the fixings: lettuce, tomato, sauteed maple onions – and don’t forget the mustard!

Balpreet's Indian Chick Peas!

This authentic recipe is from my dear classmate, roommate, and friend, Balpreet, she is from Punjab, India and is quite a good cook! I had the pleasure of living with her in Portugal, where I not only got to taste her dishes but also learned how to cook a few of them...

Ingredients:
1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
4 tomatoes or can of diced tomatoes
diced onion
2 tablespoons saffron
1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon Bombay Biryani Masala spice (depending on how spicy you like it)
diced red chili pepper (if you like it HOT)
fresh, sliced cilantro/coriander

1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional...good for digestion, according to Balpreet!)

Directions:
Fry up onions, add diced tomatoes and mash the tomatoes while it simmers, until it turns into a puree. Add 1/4 c. water. Add spices. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add chick peas and more water (if needed). Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add cilantro/coriander and more spices, if needed. Enjoy on top of hot basmati rice! This will feed about 3 people, double the recipe if you have more stomachs to satiate.