Curried Quinoa Veggie Burgers

I plucked a recipe for sweet potato black bean burgers from Big Girls Small Kitchen. I was excited to try this one since I love veggie burgers. A couple vegan recipes I've tried from their website have all worked out great, but this one was a disaster. The mixture was extremely mushy and did not hold together at all. I thought I was going to have to scrap the whole thing. Since I was home alone with my rambunctious toddler, making a whole other meal was out of the question. Thankfully I was able to doctor the original recipe up a bit, and by "a bit" I mean A LOT. After I made this I read the reviews (which I should have done first) and I saw that I'm not the only one to have mushy burgers, so I know it wasn't just me.

I made quinoa for a side dish, but decided to add it to the veggie burger mix, along with a 1/4 cup of flour to thicken it up. The taste was a little bland also. I skipped the coriander since I didn't have any, and added curry powder in its place, which also abated my craving for Indian food. This seemed to do the trick. The mixture was still mushy, but it did form together into loose patties. They held together well once they hit the frying pan, but not so much when they were on the bun. It was more like eating a sloppy joe, and I needed a fork.

I used the leftover mixture to make burgers the next day for lunch. They held together much better since the mixture was cold. Next time I make these I'll chill the mixture in the fridge before making into patties. If you decide to make them I would suggest adding more spices. I made them on the mild tasting side since I don't think that Logan would appreciate the kick of curry powder like I do.

Curried Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Makes 6 small burgers

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 Tbsp. safflower oil (olive oil would work too)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 cup black beans
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

1. Simmer the quinoa and water in a pot until cooked. About 10 minutes.
2. Boil the potato cubes in a pot of water until soft. About 10 minutes.
3. Saute the onions and oil in a skillet until the onions begin to soften.
4. Add the spices and beans to the onions, and cook for a few more minutes.
5. In a blender, combine the potatoes and quinoa.
6. Add 2/3 of the bean mixture and blend until just combined.
7. Transfer to a bowl and add the rest of the bean mixture.
8. Chill in the fridge for one hour.
9. Form mixture into patties and fry in the skillet used for the bean mixture. 
10. Enjoy between home made buns and serve with home made ketchup.