Healthy Quinoa Burgers with Portobello Mushroom Buns

Burgers are a common go-to food in America; and while a burger every now and then from your favorite restaurant won’t kill you, most burgers are loaded with fat and carbs and can tip the scale when eaten too often. Not to mention, store-bought burgers are filled with preservatives and have sky-high sodium contents. These quinoa burgers with portabello mushrooms taste amazing and can be eaten completely guilt-free. They are also suitable for vegetarians. If you want to increase the protein and want a heartier, meaty burger, use lean ground turkey or bison to make your patties!

INGREDIENTS (for quinoa patty & bun):

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 small yellow onion
• ½ cup grated/shredded zucchini
• ¼ cup buckwheat flour
• 2 garlic gloves (minced)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 8 large portobello mushroom caps (washed & stemmed)
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• Olive oil cooking spray (could sub with coconut oil cooking spray)
• pinch of salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

2. Spray large skillet with olive oil and sauté onions over medium heat.

3. In a large bowl combine quinoa, flour, garlic, zucchini and onion.

4. Add spices and egg to mixture and mix well.

5. Form 4 patties and place  on a baking sheet.

6. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

7. Place portobello mushrooms on the other baking sheet.

8. Spray (or drizzle) them with olive oil & lightly sprinkle with salt & pepper.

9. Place in over for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

10. Dry mushrooms with paper towel before building burgers.

11. Layer with your favorite burger toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, etc.)

 

TIP: Want to add cheese to your burger? Try lisanatti’s Mozzarella Style Almond Cheese! It tastes great and has just 1g of fat per ounce (compared to 5g of fat per ounce in regular Mozzarella cheese).