Black Sesame and Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Did I mention that I love veggie burgers?  Well I do.  I have been in a creativity slump when it comes to cooking for the past few days.  Its probably because we are moving in JUST 2 WEEKS and so I feel unsettled.  Which is weird.  But something about uprooting your family, your kitchen, your stuff, your home... its enough to throw me off my routine. 

I did, however, have enough creative juices to come up with this bad boy - black sesame and ginger veggie burgers.  They are Asian-inspired and packed with flavour.  Hopefully this kick-starts my creativity or it's toast with hummus for the next two weeks!

Black Sesame and Ginger Veggie Burgers
Makes 4

1/2 c red quinoa, uncooked, rinsed and drained
1/2 block of extra firm tofu
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water, let stand 5 min)
1/2 yellow onion, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp rough chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp sracha
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp nama shoyu (soy sauce)
2 tbsp vegetarian hoisin sauce
1/4 c black sesame seeds
1/2 - 3/4 c panko bread crumbs

4 burger buns
condiments for burgers


Cook quinoa in small saucepan with 1c water.  Bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 10 min.

Meanwhile, rinse and pat dry tofu, and crumble into the bowl of your food processor.  Add flax egg, onion, garlic, ginger, miso paste, sracha, dijon, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  Puree until smooth.

Transfer tofu mixture into a medium mixing bowl and stir in sesame seeds and cooked quinoa.  Add bread crumbs slowly, stirring, until mixture holds together but isn't too mushy.  You should be able to roll it into a ball and it still holds its shape.

Roll into 4 equal balls and flatten into patties.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before grilling.

Grill on an indoor electric grill that has been sprayed with non-stick spray for 10 minutes.  Transfer to burger buns and top with fixings of your choice. Pin It Now!

Recipe: Black Bean and Red Quinoa Veggie Sliders

I love red quinoa.  It has a bit more crunch than regular quinoa.  Red quinoa adds nice texture and colour to these sliders, and its super healthy too.  As for veggie burgers, I really can't stand it when they are crumbly.  These sliders are perfect - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and full of flavour.  They can be made into full size burgers also. I bake them before grilling so they are nice and crispy on the outside and maintain their form.

Combine all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well mixed.

Form into palm-sized patties.  Bake for 10 minutes then cool on a cooling rack.  Once cooled, brush both sides with olive oil and grill on an indoor electric grill or a bbq (we used an inside grill press and grilled them for about 10 minutes total). 

Black Bean and Red Quinoa Sliders
Makes 8 sliders

1/2 cup uncooked red quinoa
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup water
2 flax eggs (made by combining 2 tbsp flax powder with 6 tbsp warm water, let stand 5 min)
1 can black beans
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 c salsa
1/3-1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil for brushing
8 whole wheat dinner rolls, cut in half and warmed

Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Rinse quinoa and transfer to small lidded pot with vegetable stock and water.  Bring to a boil uncovered then cover and simmer for 12 minutes on medium low heat.  Meanwhile, prepare flax eggs. 

Once quinoa is done cooking, transfer to food processor.  Add beans, garlic, onion, salsa, chilli powder, flax eggs, salt and pepper.  Pulse until well combined and onion and garlic have been incorporated. 

Transfer to mixing bowl and add bread crumbs, mixing with your hands until desired consistency is reached.  You want the mixture to stick together when pressed but not too mushy.  For a firmer burger add 1/2 c bread crumbs.  For a softer burger add 1/3 c. 

Form mixture into 8 palm-sized patties. Place burgers on lined sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely (so that they do not break apart). 

Once cooled, brush with olive oil and grill on indoor grill for approximately 10 minutes or on barbeque.  Serve sandwiched in dinner rolls with condiments of choice.


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