Black Bean and Quinoa Tex-Mex Burgers

So, Steffen and I have decided to eat less meat for various reasons. It has been really easy for us as we love some high-protein plant based foods. Some of our favorites are black beans, quinoa, couscous, and lentils. Besides just being high in protein these foods also provide various vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants.

Ingredients:
4 cups of black beans
2/3 cup quinoa
1 cup finely shredded carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
1/2 cup white or yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
1 1/2 cups corn
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 packet taco seasoning


First put quinoa in a medium sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 mins until quinoa is done. When it is done the water should have been absorbed and you should be able to see little tails on the quinoa.

Next the beans. If you have a food processor, fantastic! You can use it to process the beans until roughly mashed. If you are like me and don't have one, you can use something similar to a potato masher and mash the beans just so that they are mashed up some. They don't need to be pureed.

Shred your carrots with a hand shredder or with a food processor. The chop you onion and bell pepper. For the corn you can use fresh, frozen, or canned. If you use frozen corn let it thaw first and drain excess liquid. If you are using canned corn then drain before using.

When quinoa is done cooking take the pan off the burner and allow it to cool some so that you don't burn your hands when shaping the burgers.

Once the quinoa has cooled some, then mix everything together well in a large bowl.

Now that everything is mixed together you need to decide how you would like to cook the burgers. They can be cooked in the oven or in a skillet. I think they come out better in the oven and it is less work! If you choose the oven method preheat your oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use non-stick spray. Shape burgers so that they are about a half inch thick and 4 inches wide. Place them in the oven for 20-25 mins.

If you want to cook them in a skillet, place a large skillet over medium heat. You can use olive oil or cooking spray for the pan. Shape the burgers the same as above. Allow each burger to cook for 5-7 before gently flipping it over using a spatula.

These burgers can be eaten on hamburger buns, crumbled over a salad, on their own as a quick snack, or crumbled into a taco shell or tortilla.