— by Viviana González De Marco-Schapiro
Quinoa is a rich food, containing all eight amino acids essential for humans. For the same reason, it is easy to digest. When cooked, quinoa has a nut-like flavor.
Roasted quinoa may be eaten as grains, added to a soup, cereals or pasta, ground into flour, boiled, or even fermented for beer. (Quinoa beer is a traditional drink of the Andes.) However, Quinoa also makes a great basis for a meatless summer burger.
Full recipe after the jump.
Qiunoa Burger
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 3 cups water
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 scallions, chopped into cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup steamed kale, chopped
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation:
- Cook the quinoa in a medium saucepan over low heat. Use 1 cup quinoa for 3 cups of water.
- Once the quinoa is tender and has absorbed all of the water (about 20 minutes), cool it to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked quinoa, eggs, Parmesan cheese, chives, garlic, salt, steamed kale, and breadcrumbs.
- Let the mixture stand for a few minutes, and then knead the burgers to the desired shape and size.
- In a large skillet, over a medium-low flame, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, and then cook half of the burgers. (Do not saturate the pan.)
- Leave the burgers on the fire for 7-10 minutes, until toasted on both sides.
- Remove the first group of burgers, and let them stand on a plate with paper towels, to absorb excess oil. Repeat the process with the next group.
- Serve hot.
Optional Toppings: avocado, cilantro, lime juice, green sauce or garlic oil.
Viviana González De Marco-Schapiro is the creator of La Cocina de Viviana, where she teaches Argentinian cooking.