Garden Burgers!

   Hello All!

   I'm so excited to share this recipe with you because I think it's super yummy.  Even though summer is coming to an end, I have not had my fill of veggie burgers and I hope you haven't either.  I can't really call these veggie burgers though, (even though they are full of veggies) because when I think of 'veggie burgers' I think of non-meat burgers filled with beans and veggies and bread crumbs to simulate a meat-burger.  These burgers don't have any beans/legumes in them but they do have some yummy goodness and lots of flavor!
   I used quinoa in these burgers because it's high in protein, gluten-free and I just really like it.  Ha!   I also used Kamut flour (say it like this: ka-moot) in this recipe - mostly because I had it lying around and really wanted to experiment with it.  (In hindsight, I probably should have Googled some ideas but it's way more fun and satisfying to experiment!)  Kamut is an ancient whole grain made from the durum wheat family.  It's high in protein and selenium, plus, it can be tolerated by people with wheat sensitivities.  However, if you have an intolerance to gluten then this is not for you as Kamut does contain gluten.

On to the recipe...

Garden Burgers
Makes about 9 patties

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cups of spinach, finely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1/2 tbsp. chili powder (not pictured)
•  1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
• Celtic sea salt, to taste 
• 2 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast (optional, not pictured)

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup Kamut flour

• 2 Tbs raw coconut oil 
• zest and juice of one lemon (optional)

Directions:
In a saucepan add the quinoa and water (or veg broth) and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Let it sit for five minutes and then fluff it with a fork.  Set aside to cool down.
Saute garlic in a little bit of coconut oil until gently cooked, then add onions, and stir until the onions become soft and translucent. Add the celery and carrots and cook gently for a few minutes, then add the spinach.  Stir in the cumin and other seasonings.
Add the cooked quinoa and stir well. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
Turn off the heat and add the Kamut flour to the mixture. Stir well until everything starts to “bind” together and the mixture cools.
I added the zest of one lemon as well as the juice right at the end when I was combining the mixture.  I think it gives this an added 'zip'.

Form the cooled mixture with your hands into patties on a plate, about 3-4 inches in diameter.
Heat pan to *medium/medium low heat, and add the coconut oil.
Cook each pattie for 2-3 minutes on both sides until firm and browned.

*My stove gets really hot really quickly so I had mine at a lower temp so that it could brown a bit on the outside but still cook through on the inside.

Enjoy!

Love,
Ves xx