Meatless Monday Quinoa Burgers ♥

So for meatless monday I decided to do something totally healthy, here is my recipe for veggie quinoa burgers, trust me you won't miss the meat on this one. Quinoa is loaded with lean protein, when you mix it with seasonings, these tiny little seeds transform into a flavor packed burger!   ♥ 

Ingredients ♥ 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
1 whole avocado sliced 

1/4 cup each minced carrot, celery, bell pepper, eggplant

1 small onion, minced

1/2 cup diced baby bella mushrooms, minced (about 6 – 8 mushrooms)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup black quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

2 teaspoons potato starch

1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley

1 egg white

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions ♥

In a medium saute pan, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery and half the onion; cook three minutes. Add bell pepper, eggplant, mushrooms, salt, cayenne and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, six minutes or until vegetables are caramelized. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute. Remove from heat.

In a small saucepan, heat two teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add remaining onion; cook until softened, about three minutes. Add quinoa and toast until fragrant, about three minutes. Add water and a pinch of kosher salt; bring to boiling, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until quinoa is tender, about seven minutes.

Transfer quinoa to a large bowl; add vegetable mixture. Sprinkle potato starch over quinoa and gently stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in parsley. Beat egg white until foamy and fold into the vegetable mixture. Mixture will be moist and sticky. Mold into four large patties by hand, or using a ring mold (such as a round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter) and set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes or refrigerate one hour to set.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly dust both sides of patties with cornstarch. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick, oven-safe skillet, over medium heat. Add the patties and brown on first side. Gently flip patties and place the skillet in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven; serve warm and top with an avocado, tomato, onion, or any topping of your choice! enjoy! ♥