I was on a quest recently to find a patty that combined a couple of my sons favorite ingredients, beans and quinoa.While researching recipes I quickly learned that everything out there seemed to be vegan or vegetarian or meant to be some form of meat replacement, which is fine and dandy but that's not what I wanted to use it for. I just wanted a delicious, healthy side that incorporated these ingredients. That's how these patties were born. While I didn't stick to the traditional vegan route with these, they can be adjusted to accommodate your preferences.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups precooked quinoa ( Rinse your quinoa well before cooking for best flavor. I also cook mine in broth instead of water)
15 Ounce black beans, drained
1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell pepper, chopped
5-6 Cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño seeded and minced ( optional)
Handful of spinach, chopped
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Teaspoon paprika
Dash of cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1/2 Cup all purpose flour ( or sub oat flour for extra nutrition which can be made by simply blending whole oats until they are a flour consistency.
Directions:
In a large bowl mash beans well and set aside.
Over a medium heat, sauté chopped veggies in a little bit of oil until softened.
Add cooked veggies and quinoa to mashed beans.
Add egg, seasonings and flour
Mix everything together and form into 8 patties
You can pan fry these over a medium heat in a lightly oil pan for about 2 minutes on each side, or if you prefer, you can bake them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. I cooked them stove-top and it's what I prefer and definitely recommend. Either way be cautious not to overcook the patties because beans and quinoa both dry out easily. You want these crip on the outside and moist on the inside.
I love serving these with a fresh cucumber salsa, greek yogurt sauce, or a spicy aioli, but they are great on their own as well.
Enjoy!
