meatless monday

quinoa burger created for moi by dear friend eden

when i returned from my two burlesque classes last monday night, dear eden had this lovely, colorful, tasty meal whipped up for moi and my oh-so-sore abs (merci chair workout!). my plate looked like a work of art so i snapped this photo before even realizing how incredibly yummy the quinoa burgers would be. truly a treat - especially with fresh avocado slices on the side.

wondering why quinoa? according to mother nature network, "eat one cup of quinoa (a single serving size), and you’ll consume:

• 220 calories (70 percent carbs, 15 percent fat, 15 percent protein)
• 40 grams of carbohydrates (13 percent daily value)
• 8 grams of protein (16 percent of daily value)
• 3.5 grams of fat (5 percent daily value with no saturated fat)
• A glycemic load (blood sugar spike) of only 18 out of 250
• 5 grams of fiber (20 percent of daily value)
• 20 percent of daily value of folate (various forms of Vitamin B)
• 30 percent of magnesium daily value (beneficial for people with migraine headaches); 28 percent daily value of phosphorous; iron (15 percent); copper (18 percent); and manganese (almost 60 percent)"

convinced of the goodness? here's who to make it . . .

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!
* recipe from the vegan project as found in the vegan diner.

here are a few informative websites on veg living out there:

chooseveg.com

tryveg.com

goveg.com

5 vegan staples

 meatfree mondays

meatless mondays

yay for our health, the environment, and the animals! bisous. x