venerable veggie burgers

well, dudes, i broke my right thumb this weekend, so posts for the next few weeks are going to be a bit shorter than usual (or, at least take a LOT longer than usual), since i only have use of my left hand. (i guess this is when i'll find out if my nursery school teachers forced me to be right handed - i've been suspicious i was supposed to be a lefty for years.)

anyhoo, i'm making the effort to post tonight because i promised jsk i would share the veggie burger recipe i used this weekend for my contribution to the fultzes 4th of july bbq. i dunno about you, but most veggie burgers are pretty gross: discs of disgustingness, if you will. hence why i wasn't interested in buying any prepackaged ones for the shindig. there happened to be a very interesting quinoa burger recipe in the july issue of martha stewart magazine, so i knew this was my opportunity to try it out. i luv quinoa with as much passion as a person can feel towards a grain product without feeling deep shame, so any excuse to cook with it works for me.

well, it turns out that not only did the adults who tried them like them (vadim, katie, jsk, p, and mwah), but they were a hit with the little kiddies, too. both cammy and jaden ate them like they were candy. frankly, when a toddler loves your cooking, it doesn't get much better than that. ultimate compliment, 'cuz kiddies don't choke something down to be polite; they'll just spit it back out and scream. (hunh, what's that? cammy and jaden will eat anything? oh... [awkward, crushed pause])

well ah, moving on, the recipe (changed to my tastes) is very simple. the one thing i would say is these burgers are relatively fragile, so be careful as you flip them. enjoy!


Quinoa Burgers

8 oz portobello mushrooms, stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 small summer squash
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps unsalted butter

In a food processor, pulse mushrooms until they resemble a coarse paste, and transfer to a bowl. Using fine shredding disk, shred zucchini, then using paper towels, squeeze several times to remove as much water as possible. Add zucchini to mushrooms.

Heat 2 tbsps olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and red pepper flakes, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini, and cook until tender, another 2 minutes. Place mixture in a medium bowl, add Parmesan, quinoa, and salt and pepper to taste. Let mixture cool slightly, then stir in breadcrumbs and then egg. Cover, and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour.

Firmly shape quinoa mixture into 6 patties. Using a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt butter with 2 tbsps olive oil. Cook patties until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side. Serves 6.