Quinoa Burgers

I always have such a hard time coming up with lunch ideas. Usually I will just make myself a sandwich or some sort of wrap and pair it with some pretzels. 

That can get pretty boring after a while though..

On top of that Shamblin is starting to eat solid foods! Well he has been eating purees for a while but I'm talking about little bits of food that he can feed himself with. 

Its like the dawn of a new era.. I can watch him feed himself and do the dishes! Or I can peruse Pinterest. Or I can eat myself! Talk about some freedom.

The problem is I can have a lack of imagination when it comes to toddler finger foods. At least delicious finger foods that I know he will eat and not throw on the floor.. on purpose that is.

So I found this recipe on pinterest for quinoa burgers. If you don't know what quinoa is, it is kind of like rice.. but healthier. At least that is my definition of it.

Well these little beauties were delicious. Shamblin loved them too! Which is always a plus. And they stick together really well so they are perfect for his little fingers!
I got the recipe from here.
I did modify it just a tad.. basically I just cooked the quinoa in beef broth instead of water so it would have more flava flave. oh yeah. I also left out some spices and used all purpose flour instead of wheat but you get my drift.

Quinoa Burgers

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup kidney beans

3/4 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used cheddar)

1/2 cup shredded carrots

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon cream cheese at room temp

2 eggs

2 tablespoons white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Heat 2 cups of beef broth in a saucepan. While that is happening go ahead and rinse the quinoa. When the broth is boiling add the quinoa. Stir it around a little bit then set on low heat. Cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until it is done. Then let the quinoa cool off. I put mine is a separate bowl so it would cool down faster.

While the quinoa is cooking mash up the kidney beans until they form a thick paste. Put them into a mixing bowl along with the cheese and cream cheese. Mix those 3 ingredients altogether.

When the cheese and beans are mixed add everything except for the quinoa and stir until combined.

When the quinoa is good and cooled off add  it to the rest of the ingredients.

Heat a skillet on medium heat with a dash of olive oil. Make the patties as big as you like. I would spoon it out onto the skillet until it looked big enough to me. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until crispy and goldenish brown.

And there you have it! Delicious quinoa patties. I served mine on a hamburger bun with lettuce, cheese, tomato, and a little bit of BBQ sauce. It was awesome.