Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

Memorial Day is the official start of summer here in Philadelphia and this year The Spatularettes celebrated with and an entire weekend of fun!  We kicked things off by running the Oddyssey Half Marathon in Fairmount Park on Saturday morning.  Although we competed together in college, Small One has suffered a number of injuries and has not been able to run for the last 2 years... until now, that is!!

Tally, Smally, and their friend Pam--post race

After all that effort, we decided to take it easy for the rest of the weekend.  And what better way to relax, than with a trip to the shore!  So not only are we sore from the race, but now we're sunburned as well!

We hope that your MDW was as wonderful as ours and leaves you in anticipation for what the next few months may hold!  And now we leave you with a recipe for Black Bean Quinoa Burgers that will be sure to please all summer long!

INGREDIENTS:
-16 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
-1/2 cup quinoa, cooked to package instructions
-1 red pepper, stem and seeds removed
-1 jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed
-1/2 small red onion
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp garlic powder
-6 hamburger buns

Optional Garnishes:
-Cheese
-Tomato
-Lettuce
-Guacamole

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

Combine a red pepper, jalapeno pepper, and red onion in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Pulse continually until veggies are finely chopped.  Add the black beans and run the food processor for about 30 seconds until the ingredients are well combine and the black beans are mashed.

Transfer the bean and veggie mixture to a separate bowl.  Add the cooked quinoa, bread crumbs, and seasonings and mix until well combined.  Give it a try and adjust the seasonings to your taste if needed.

Form the bean mixture into 6 patties and place them on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping the burgers halfway through the cooking processes.

If 6 burgers are too many, freeze the extras and pop them in the oven on a busy night for a quick dinner!

Serve on toasted buns with the toppings of your choice.  We topped ours with cheddar cheese, sliced tomato, and fresh made guacamole.

These burgers can also be cooked on an outdoor grill at BBQ's or indoor on your George Foreman.

XOXO,
Tall and Small