• 2 1/2 C cooked quinoa, at room temperature (about 1 1/2 C dry)
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
• 1/3 C finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 C whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
• Water, if needed

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch thick patties. I err on the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, but you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add 6 patties, if they’ll fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes and continue to cook until the patties are browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties.

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Delicious! It’s like the best veggie burger ever.  I’ve already made a second batch with a big handful of finely shredded carrots, and I bet zucchini or minced mushrooms would also be delicious.  I think cooking the quinoa in some stock (veggie or maybe beef) would add a subtle underlying flavor, too.  If you wanted you could make a zesty batch with some red pepper flakes or maybe minced jalapeno or chipotle peppers…

They were a little dry, which is why I’m always thinking about sauces: One day I took them for lunch with a smear of zesty ranch on top; another day with some sliced avocado and salsa and sour cream (I bet they’d be good slightly crumbled as burrito filling).  This most recent batch I had a little bbq sauce and sour cream mixed on the side.