Quinoa Burger

I LOVE Quinoa!!! I liked it from the first taste a few years ago, but didn't quite know what to do with it. Then I finally figured out you could basically sub it out for lettuce in a salad and toss with French Vinaigrette, and that power salad sustained me through a year of breastfeeding my son. Fast forward a year and I sign up for Pintrest, and the first thing I see is a recipe for Quinoa burgers. Oh yum.

These versatile 'burgers' are so easy to make, and you can sub out ingredients fairly easily, to use whatever you have on hand. They are so flavorful and healthful, and a fun alternative to your run of the mill burger. Even my husband loved them (I assume he wasn't just humoring me).

Try them!

What's in it
1 C uncooked quinoa (I use red), rinsed
2 C chicken or veggie stock, or water
1 C cooked chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), chopped
1/2 C grated cheese, I recommend smoked Gouda or Parmesan
1/4 C panko bread crumbs
1/2 C (or 1 medium) carrot, grated
2 green onions, thinly sliced
minced garlic
1 egg + 1 egg white, lightly beaten
salt & pepper
slider buns or rolls, or standard hamburger buns
avocado, cheese and other yummy toppings

How it's made
Cook quinoa and stock (bring to boil then simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed, fluff with fork). Set aside to cool, can be done in advance.

In a large bowl, mix together cooked quinoa, chickpeas, cheese, panko crumbs, carrot, onion and garlic. Mix until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then mix in egg. Form into patties appropriate to the size of your bun, and be sure to squeeze them into a firm patty.

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large nonstick pan or cast iron skillet (or 2 to be twice as fast). Add patties and cook on one side until crispy, then carefully flip. If they come apart when flipped you are not packing them enough! Cook other side until crispy. Repeat for remaining patties.

Enjoy!

Easy Garbanzo and Sausage Stew

     It may be warm and sunny where you are, but it is--surprise-- cold and rainy here in Portland. A hearty stew still sounded good a few nights ago.

     I had garbanzo beans and I wanted to use them. I searched, I googled, and most of the recipes I found called for lemon. Well, I didn't have a lemon and I didn't feel like going out into  the cold, rainy dusk to get some. So I kept on searching.

     What I ended up finding is the inspiration for this stew. It reminds me quite a bit of gumbo, with chickpeas instead of rice. It has the roux, it has the sausage. It is delicious. Velvety, hot and savory. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, you might give this a try soon. If you happen to be in a very strange heatwave (like a lot of the country), maybe save this recipe for next fall or winter. You will be glad you did.

Garbanzo and Sausage Stew

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon, plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 links andouille sausage, chopped
• 1 whole white onion, chopped
• 1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced, fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried basil, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. or to taste,
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cans of garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup orzo, or other pasta
• 2 cups baby spinach, torn

1.  Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown. Remove sausage, draining any oil back into the pot. Set aside.
2. Add remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Turn heat to medium. Add onions and bell pepper to oil and cook until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook a couple of minutes more.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour all over and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and a light golden brown. Gradually add the tomatoes, stirring to combine. Add the chicken stock and stir. Turn heat up to medium, bringing the stew to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
4. Stir in the basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir in sausage. Cook over low heat for an hour or two, until the flavors have a chance to combine. Add garbanzo beans and stir. 
5. About 10 minutes before you plan to eat, return stew to a simmer and stir in orzo. 5 minutes before eating, add torn spinach leaves. Adjust seasonings, stir well and enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Garbanzo, Herb and Spinach Salad

Day off + reading food magazines + sunny weather (finally!) + impromptu barbecue = garbanzo, herb and spinach salad. You know, sometimes these things just come together. I'm glad these confluent factors led to this dish!

This salad is easy, slightly exotic, and combines really powerful flavors in an absolutely perfect balance. The garlic, basil, parsley, Parmesan and lemon juice combine fantastically complementary notes, and the toothsome garbanzo beans add texture, protein and heft. This salad has flavors reminiscent of a good pesto, but at a much lower cost. (Especially if you pick up a whole basil plant at Trader Joe's for only $2.99 instead of buying the cut herb at the store.) This salad could be easily adapted to include whatever else you happen to have in your fridge.

I found this recipe in Molly Weizenberg's (aka Orangette)  Bon Appetit column. I wanted to make it more of a salad salad, so I added a bed of spinach tossed with an easy olive oil and lemon juice salad dressing. The result was perfect for pairing with barbecue, or serving at a picnic, or eating whenever and wherever on a lovely spring or summer day.

P.S. It was possibly even better the next day.

Garbanzo, Herb and Spinach Salad

~Print Recipe~

• 2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 gloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 2/3 cup packed freshly grated Parmesan and/or Romano cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound or more baby spinach
• Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing, to taste

1. Combine chickpeas, basil, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic in a medium bowl. Add cheese and toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Toss spinach with dressing. Top spinach with garbanzo mixture to serve, pass remaining dressing if anyone wants more!