Recipe of the week for my vegetarian loves: Quinoa + Black bean patties

I've had a thing for quinoa ever since I ate a quinoa salad at Cultures last Fall....and also because I always find it on sale at Winners (Yes. They sell quinoa at Winners. I know...I know...). There are tons of things that you can do with this healthy grain: Cookies, soup, salad and the list goes on! I saw a recipe of quinoa burgers recently and although it looked pretty good, I still had to remix it Sassou style. My mom had no idea what she was eating but she LOVED IT! It soon became a favorite at home and now I have to make it every other week. And since I've had a few requests for vegetarian recipes, it's a pleasure to share this recipe!

The recipe is super easy! Make sure you follow it specifically in order for your burgers to actually hold (Trust me!)

YOU WILL NEED

1.5 cups of cooked quinoa 

3 tbsp of
low fat mayonnaise

1 egg

1 can of cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small red onion chopped in teeny tiny pieces

1/2 green zucchini chopped in teeny tiny pieces

1 garlic clove, chopped

1.5 cup of Italian bread crumbs

Canola oil for frying

Spices of your choice: I used salt, pepper and oregano.

SO!

-Cook your quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.

-In a separate pan, add 1 tbsp of oil, heat up the stove and cook your onion and zucchini together until the onion is transluscent (About 4-5 minutes). Add the garlic at the end, cook for about a minute and turn off the stove. Drain the oil and set your vegetables apart.

-In a large bowl, use a spatula to mix mix your quinoa, mayo, egg, black beans, onion-zucchini mixture, 1 cup of bread crumbs and spices. Look at the texture: If it is a bit too gooey, add some bread crumbs and if it is too dry, add a bit of mayonnaise. 

-With your hands, form patties that are 1/2 inch thick. 

-Add some oil to a large skillet and heat up the stove between medium and maximum.

-Before frying the patties, dip each one of them the rest of the Italian bread crumbs. Make sure that both sides are well coated! I forgot to do this step last time and my patties had a bit of trouble holding together.

-Fry each patty until they are well browned, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

-Make sure you get rid of all the oil on your cooked quinoa patties! Put them on a plate that is covered with a paper towel before serving them!

Serve alone with a side or in a hamburger bun with your favorite toppings!

Last time I served it on a flat bread burger bun and topped it with smoked salmon, avocado and a drizzle of olive oil and lime juice... YUMMY!

Enjoy!