Quinoa-Mushroom Burgers

Back a few years ago, my husband and I went on a low cal diet to lose weight for a caribbean vacation.  It was at that point that I first discovered Boca Burgers – about 100 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving.  They taste good, they’re filling, and there’s a ton of things you can do with them.  Needless to say, they became a staple in our lunch and dinner rotations.  Now, don’t get me wrong – I love a good *real* burger – heard of Milo’s by chance?  If you aren’t in Alabama probably not, but it’s the epitome of burger heaven.  Google it.

I still buy them every now and then, but I decided to try to make my own veggie burgers to see how close I could get to a smoky beef flavor without the beef.  And because I like to play in the kitchen.

Quinoa-Mushroom Burgers

1 lb mushrooms

1 cup beef broth

1 tbsp ground flax seed

2 tbsp hot water

1 cup quinoa, cooked

3/4 cup hummus (chickpea dip)

1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp sea salt

2 tbsp coarse ground pepper

Heard of flax seed? 

It’s apparently huge in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, which may lower cholesterol and help in fighting certain cancers.  I started buying it several years ago after I was diagnosed with IBS.  I didn’t take the prescribed IBS med very long (it did absolutely nothing), but I have continued to use this now and then.  The flax used in this recipe is GROUND flax, and when mixed with hot water can be used as a substitute for an egg in most recipes…..good little tidbit, right 😉  I’ve had to do this several times when I discover I’m out of eggs, and you can’t tell the difference. 

Anyway, onto the recipe.

Wash and dry the mushrooms. 

Bring the cup of beef broth to a boil, then add mushrooms and turn the heat down to medium. 

Boil for about 10 minutes, remove from heat and drain.   Combine the flax meal with 2 tbsp of hot water with a spoon.

Set aside.

In a food processor, add the hummus, mushrooms, flax meal mixture, and rest of the ingredients.  Pulse a few times, then scrape the sides with a spatula.

Put mixture in the fridge for at least an hour.

Remove the burger mix from fridge, and form into patties.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Place 3 patties at a time (do not crowd them), cooking about 8 minutes, then flip and cook another 8 minutes.  They will be nice and brown on the bottom.  The key is cooking them SLOW.  These are not beef burgers; you can’t rush them.  They are sensitive and need your time and attention.  Needy little things, aren’t they?

Remove from heat and let them rest for about 5 minutes.  Then serve them up like you want them-

This one had Muenster cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo mixed with tabasco and pepper.  You can do whatever you want.  Obviously I chose the heat road.

It’s your burger.

~Enjoy~

Dixie Chik