These are amazing. I made them Friday morning to take to the cabin and as soon as I came back Sunday night I made another batch. Approximate cost per slider = 41 Cents and that generously giving all the teaspoon of this and that like sugar and salt a value. Of course you may want to have a bun with it (I recommend the thin buns) and some mayo or other condiment of choice. But this point is these are delicious, cheap and easy to make.
So the recipe I used can be found here:
http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/love-my-quinoa-burger/ but of course as everyone does I tweaked it a little. Namely, I used much more green onion and I made many more burgers as a result of doing them mini sized (aka Sliders), making my outcome 22 where that recipe says its more like 10.
Also, the first time I made them my quinoa was a little runny so I had to add A LOT more flour. When you're at that point, just add one tablespoon at a time until it's no longer runny, similar to a thick pancake.
Recipe below but first a word on
Quinoa. One of the new biggest trends in world foods with all essential amino acids (aka is a "complete protein").
This site also boasts that "Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis." Other ailments that site boasts quinoa as an aid for include: heart failure, antioxidant protection, breast cancer, childhood asthma, gallstone prevention, ischemic stoke, insulin resistance, obesity and premature death (though the whole time they say these are the benefits of quinoa as a grain and at the very end they admit quinoa is a seed). Hence it's title as a super-food.
While that shit's awesome, what concerns me about quinoa is actually it's effects as an international food product. It's regularly called "the gold of the incas", incas being the pacific ocean side of South America basically. The issue is when the Global North decides that Quinoa is a super food, and decides it's worth a higher price, the people who cultivate it can no longer afford it. We pay for it to be shipped to different hemispheres yet sometimes we neglect to pay the farmer. As a super food, this seed has been a staple in the diets of a whole society before we understood what amino acids even were. When we rip that staple food and source of nutrient out of that society, people die from not having the money to buy the seed they planted and thus not having those nutrients in their diet in a society where nutrients are scarce. It's more complicated then this paragraph obviously and perhaps I'll post a whole entry of the politics of food (or maybe a series of posts).
The best option of you love these burgers /love quinoa /are sold on the benfits of quinoa is to grow it yourself. Google it, it's really not that hard and is a very adaptable plant. I'm currently trying to grow it, I'll let you know how that turns out in the fall.
Next best option, be aware of how you buy it. From who, where it's produced, etc. Fair trade symbols are key. Living in Newfoundland, I haven't yet found fair trade quinoa. However, I bought Bob's Red Mill brand, as depicted.
Bob's Red Mill is a co-operative in America, producing all whole grain, gluten free and organic foods (all non-GMO). Most of their products are grown in Canada and America however the quinoa is grown in Ecuador. I've actually just e-mailed them to ask if it is fair trade by stroke of luck. If i find out it isn't, I'll be re-emailing them the benefits of fair trade and also searching harder for fair trade quinoa elsewhere.
I'll repost the recipe below in case the link becomes corrupt or some other non-sense. (Bolded words and pictures are are mine, the rest below is from the link above).
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes. (I first went by the recipe on the bag of Quinoa but this one worked a lot better. Picture depicts cooked quinoa.)
OR 2 rounded cups cooked, leftover quinoa
.
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 medium carrot, finely grated
3 eggs
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 green onions, including white parts (I used a lot more, basically just cut off what needed to be cut off regardless -you do know to keep your green onions in a glass of water on the window sill right?)
1 /2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (I used a teaspoon of minced garlic)
Olive oil for frying
.
In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder. (Combine everything but olive oil, if runny continue adding a tablespoon of flour at a time until similar to thick pancakes).
Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Measure 1/4 cup and form into patties about 1/2 inch thick - mixture will be slightly sticky. Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Makes approx. 10 burgers. (I made them about a tablespoon and a half each to make sliders and had 22 total as an outcome)
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A note from a friend of mine:
An important note - the brand you buy seems to be pre-rinsed/soaked which is awesome, but make sure for those who are trying it with a different brand, that if they don't know whether it's been pre-soaked, may need to rinse + soak for a couple of hours for the bitter coating to wash away from the grains. Quinoa is a unique grain in that respect for preparation! But well worth it.
