White Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers

So I've been fooling around with veggie burger recipes recently, and I think I finally hit the winner. These burgers have just the right consistency - substantial and hearty but not heavy. Also they're packed full of protein, not to mention flavor. It's great to make a batch, eat a few and freeze the rest to pull out and fry up for a quick lunch or dinner. The other good thing about this recipe is that it's a handy way to make your leftover beans and grains feel useful!

The recipe begins with cooked beans and cooked grains - I prefer cannellini beans, but I think black beans would be good too. Made from scratch is better than canned, but do what you gotta do! I've made these using brown rice, but I think quinoa is better - it's what adds a certain lightness to the texture. Also you can use pecans instead of walnuts, and you can vary your choice of fresh herbs. I just used what I had on hand. As always, use your creativity as you see fit, and enjoy!

Begin with a good sized bowl, and add to it:

2 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained

Mash the beans with a wooden spoon until the consistency is partly smooth, and partly chunky. Now add to the beans:

2 cups cooked quinoa

Gently cook in a little olive oil:

1/2 cup diced shallot or onion

When the shallot or onion has cooled a bit, add it to the bowl with the beans and grains.

Also add:

3/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs - I used parsley and dill
1/2 cup breadcrumbs - I like to use Panko for this recipe
1/2 cup parmesan

Mix it all gently but thoroughly, and finally, add to this mixture:

1 egg, beaten

The egg will help the mixture hold together.

Now pull out some of the mixture and form it into a ball about the size of a small orange, and then flatten the ball into a patty. You should have enough to make 8 patties. Pour a light coating of olive oil into a non-stick or good cast iron skillet, heat the oil a bit, and add the patties to the pan. Cook over medium heat for about 4-6 minutes, and then flip and cook the other side. If you are really lucky, your wonderful sweetheart will be busy roasting potatoes to eat with the burgers, and then, it will be time to feast.