The June/July issue of Fine Cooking magazine has a terrific article about quinoa and a number of tempting recipes that feature this unique grain/seed.  Quinoa is frequently referred to as a grain because it is cooked and used like one, however, quinoa is actually the seed of the Goosefoot plant.  Quinoa is so versatile and cooks quickly, 15 minutes to be exact.  It is delicious sprinkled on a kale salad with lemon-honey dressing.  The recipe that caught my attention was the quinoa and black bean burger.  I love burgers, beef as well as vegetarian, and this one is particularly good.

This recipe is quite simple.  It involves just a can of black beans, quinoa, a few sautéed ingredients, spices, and guacamole.  Delicious straight out of the frying pan, the cooked patties firmed up nicely after being refrigerated.  We had the leftover patties the following day and they were perfect.  I warmed them briefly in the microwave, though you may choose to quickly pan fry them.  Served on a toasted onion bun or English muffin as the original recipe calls for, they are quite delicious.

The poblano pepper, garlic and green onions are briefly cooked, just to soften them slightly before adding to the other ingredients.

I had tricolor quinoa in my pantry however any quinoa (white, red, or black) works well.

Once you form the patties, chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  They are beautiful, filled with healthy black beans, quinoa, cilantro, and poblano pepper.

Quinoa & Black Bean Burgers with Tomatillo Guacamole

Adapted from Fine Cooking

Serves 6

Ingredients: Burger

2/3 cups lower-salt chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil (keep 2 tablespoons oil in separate bowl)

1 small fresh poblano chile, finely chopped

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

1  15-oz.can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup panko

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon mild pure chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

kosher salt

6 English muffins or onion buns, lightly toasted

For the Guacamole

1 large avocado (we used a Green Gold from our garden.  You can also use Sharwil or Hass, though Hass are quite a bit smaller so use two)

juice of 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 medium tomatillo, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon finely diced sweet onion (preferably Maui onion)

1 very small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh serrano chile, or jalapeño

Preparation

In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil.  Add quinoa, cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat, keep the cover on the pan.  Let stand for 15 minutes then fluff quinoa with a fork.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the poblano, green onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a food processor.  Add the drained beans and quinoa, and pulse until the beans are chopped and the mixture is combined.  Do not over process, you want the burger to have a nice texture.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and gently stir in the cilantro, panko, egg, chile powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gently form the mixture in to 6 patties.  Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, make the guacamole.  Dice the avocado and squeeze lime juice over it, toss to coat well.  Sprinkle the avocado with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and mash the avocado lightly.  Stir in the tomatillo, cilantro, onion, garlic, serrano or jalapeño.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, lime juice, and more serrano pepper if desired.  The guacamole keeps well, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

When you are ready to cook the burgers, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat.  I was able to cook all 6 patties at one time though you can cook them in two batches if your pan cannot accommodate them all at once (use less oil).  Once the oil is hot, add the burgers and cook until nicely browned, about 6 minutes.  Adjust heat as needed.  Check the burgers by lifting up an edge with a spatula.  You want the burgers to be well browned and sort of crispy on the outside.  Flip and brown on the other side, about 4 more minutes.

You may serve the burgers right away, on toasted English muffins or onion rolls.  I prefer to make the burgers in advance, chill them until they firm up, then gently reheat and serve. The texture improves once the burger has cooled completely.  Spread a bit of mayonnaise on the bun then top it with a burger and a generous dollop of guacamole.