Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Patties

Happy new year!

May we all have a fantastic 2015, filled with cooking and great food!

I've been meaning to share this recipe. It's an updated version of my Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers. A little easier than the original. I can't stop making these suckers. They can be eaten by themselves, or foisted onto a bun and eaten like a veggie burger. They're chocked full of healthy ingredients, like kale and sweet potato.

They're also kind of "anything but the kitchen sink" recipe. You can substitute in any vegetables you want to play around with. In this recipe, I mention adding flax or hemp seeds, but I've also made them with pumpkin seeds. You can change it up however you like. If you want to make these vegan, leave out the egg. And I make them gluten free, but you can use any sort of all purpose flour.

Seriously, I love this recipe! They can be made ahead of time, and they're great leftover, especially for breakfast with a sunny side up egg. Enjoy!

Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Patties
Makes about 8 patties
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Vegetarian (with easy vegan conversion); dairy-free

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa, prepared per package instructions
1 14 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 sweet potato, cooked and skin removed (this can be done quickly in the microwave)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh kale
2 tablespoons flax, hemp and/or pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and freshly ground pepper
flour for dusting (I use gluten free all purpose flour)
grapeseed oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add the kale, chickpeas, and kale to a food processor and pulse a few times until chopped. Place the veggie mixture in a mixing bowl with the sweet potato, quinoa, flax/hemp/pumpkin seeds, cumin, and egg. Season to with salt and freshly ground pepper. 

3. Mix together well (I use my hands). Shape the mixture into individual patties.

4. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan or cast iron skillet, heat two tablespoons of grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as needed, drench the patties in flour and then fry up until nicely browned, turning once. Transfer the patties to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. 

5. Remove from the oven and serve with ketchup and/or hot sauce. Enjoy!

Advance Preparation: The patties can be shaped up to 3 days ahead of time and kept tightly wrapped in the refrigerator until you're ready to brown them. They can also be made in advance and then reheated in a low oven or on the stovetop. 

Grassfed Burger with Heirloom Tomato, Wild Arugula & Jalapeno Cheese

Grassfed Burgers with Heirloom Tomato, Wild Arugula & Jalapeno Cheese

Can you believe that it's almost Memorial Day weekend?

This weekend, Kuzak and I are boarding a plane bound for Boston to celebrate my tenth college reunion. Time flies. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed since I graduated from Harvard. A few things that are on my mind:

1. Which special brand of in-climate weather Boston will foist upon us this weekend? Wind? Rain? Thunder? Lightning? Humidity? Heat? All of the above?

2. How many of my classmates have taken the familial plunge? It's a much bigger lifestyle change than the matrimonial plunge.

3. What do I wear to create that I-look-fabulous-but-barely-even-tried-to-look-fabulous ensemble that can also withstand the Boston weather (see #1)?

4. Where is Stacy London when you need her?

5. I think I need a shoe intervention. Seriously. Help?

6. Finally, how smelly will The Adorable Monster be when we pick him up from doggie camp on Monday? And what shade of brown he will have turned?

However, before I take off for the weekend, I wanted to leave you with a great burger recipe for Memorial Day weekend. These burgers are made with grassfed beef that's seasoned with spices like smoked paprika, cumin, garlic, and chili flakes. I also throw a generous amount of chopped parsley, cilantro, and dill into the mix. Finishing them off, I toss in an egg and a few breadcrumbs.

Last, but certainly not least, I top them with a spicy jalapeno cheese, heirloom tomato slices, and wild arugula, and serve them on whole wheat buns.

Serve with Snap Pea & Bell Pepper Salad and/or Summer Potato Salad

Grassfed Burger with Heirloom Tomato, Wild Arugula & Jalapeno Cheese
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 25 minutes
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground grassfed beef
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, dill, cilantro)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 slices of jalapeno cheese
• 1 cup wild arugula
• 4 heirloom tomato slices
• 4 whole wheat buns

Directions

1. Preheat cast iron griddle or grill. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, egg, spices, herbs, and breadcrumbs. Add a generous pinch of salt and some pepper. Mix well.
3. Divide the mixture into four parts and shape into patties. Brush with the olive oil.
4. Either cook stovetop in a cast iron griddle or on the grill, flipping once, until cooked through (about 2-3 minutes per side depending on thickness).
5. Once almost cooked through, top with the cheese and allow it to melt. Note: you may place the cast iron pan under the broiler to fully melt the cheese if needed.
6. To serve, place each patty on a toasted bun. Top each with a tomato slice and some arugula. Garnish with ketchup and mustard, as desired. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• organic grassfed ground beef, whole wheat buns, organic breadcrumbs, and organic jalapeno yogurt cheese from Trader Joe's 
• heirloom tomatoes, Italian parsley, cilantro, dill, and wild arugula from the West Hollywood Farmers Market
• garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin from Whole Foods

Wine Pairing

With this meal, we drank a bottle of Carlisle's 2008 Zinfandel (Russian River Valley, Carlisle Vineyard). One of our favorite producers at a great price point for the quality, this bottle did not disappoint. Made from 87% Zinfandel and 13% mixed black varietals (Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo and a few others), this is a dense, inky purple wine with great fruit and structure. Elegant on the palate, it tastes of blueberries, licorice, spices, and spring soil.

Costing only about $45 on release, Parker scored this wine 93 points. It should drink well for the next 5-7 years, per Parker's notes. It's worth getting on the Carlisle's waiting list if you can. I've loved every bottle I've tasted thus far, and it's become something of a house wine for us.