Recipe of the Moment: Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

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Because I prefer not to eat meat from factory farms, it can be difficult to eat at cook-outs and some restaurants. Of course, most now offer veggie burgers, but have you tried them? Many of them taste terrible and they're certainly not healthy when made up of chemicals and additives.

I've noticed a few restaurants are now starting to make their veggie burgers out of actual vegetables, and they do taste amazing, but this is something totally different. This is a black bean and quinoa burger, so technically, there are no veggies at all. But because it's made up of black beans and quinoa, you get the same amount of protein as you would from a regular burger. Plus, you get all the benefits from black beans.

Did you notice the spread? It's avocado, tomato, and spices. So yes, this is completely delicious and should even satisfy your meat eating friends.

Ingredients
hamburger buns/rolls (about 6)
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups black beans (or 1 15oz can - drained and rinsed)
1.5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 eggs
1 avocado
1 tomato
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt
pepper
olive oil

Preparation
Cook quinoa. I usually put the uncooked quinoa in boiling water at a ration of 2:1. It's finished when the quinoa has absorbed all the water.

While the quinoa is cooking, mix the black beans, water, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and simmer for 25 minutes. Drain the beans if necessary.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, garlic, egg, and a pinch of salt and pepper. When the ingredients are well mashed, add in the quinoa. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add another egg if the batch still isn't binding together.

Form the mixture into patties. I had about 6 very large patties. You can freeze or refrigerate until ready to use.

For the avocado spread, mash the avocado in a bowl until smooth. Add the tomato, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, and crushed red pepper, as well as any salt and pepper.

In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until brown. Toast the buns in the oven or broiler for a few minutes to make it nice and crispy. Add the avocado spread and some goat cheese, and enjoy!