Protein-Packed Quinoa Bean Burgers (Meatless Monday)

The supermarket where I work hires some really fantastic chefs who are always coming up with wonderful recipes, including many that are vegetarian.  Jacqui is a dietitian and chef who comes up with some of the recipes we have in our newsletter (check out Jaqui's blog!).  Several months ago she had this recipe for Quinoa Bean Burgers in the newsletter and I thought it sounded too wonderful not to try.   What I liked most about this recipe was that it had two sources of protein; quinoa and chickpeas.    And did you know that quinoa is a complete protein?  This means it has all the essential amino acids. 

When I was in school we were taught that you had to eat foods with all the essential amino acids in them, especially if you were on a vegetarian or vegan diet ( you didn't have to worry too much if you ate animal foods because they inherently contain all the essential AAs).  This piece of information turned out not to be true.  As long as you get multiple different sources of protein in your diet, which ultimately provide you with all of the essential amino acids, you should be just fine (have I really been out of school for that long?!).

You don't have to pair your beans with rice, as was once thought to be important.

As someone who follows a low FODMAPs diet, it's often difficult for me to eat beans and nuts, therefore most of the well-known higher-protein vegetarian foods have to be limited in my diet (ie: tofu, tempeh, satan, peanuts, cashews, pistachios), but I try hard to include at least one vegetarian recipe in my diet each week (as long as I have a Beano, or two, I'm typically ok!).  Quinoa is a great source of protein, and it's FODMAPs free, which is why I really loved that it was in this burger recipe.

I tried to make these burgers even more FODMAPs-friendly by omitting the garlic and decreasing the onion, but I felt the need to keep some of the onion in the recipe for that integral flavor. The recipe was a huge hit, and even Nick enjoyed it (he who claims to hate chickpeas and quinoa). The recipe was clearly not free of FODMAPs (check last week's recipe for that!) but it was definitely lower than most vegetarian burger recipes.  This recipe can, however, be gluten free, which could come in handy for some (especially if you plan to make this for a dinner gathering and you've got gluten free guests).  And if you're vegan, be sure to check out the option for flaxseed instead of eggs!  It makes for a lightly messier burger, but still very tasty.

Quinoa Bean Burgers
Slightly modified version of this recipe


Ingredients

(Makes 8)
Can be Made Gluten Free
Can be Made Vegan

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1.5 cups water

2 eggs**

2 Tsbp. low-sodium soy sauce (be sure to find a gluten-free version if you want a gluten free burger)

1 tsp. black pepper

3/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

 1-15.5 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained well

2 Tbsp. garlic extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced (very small) red bell pepper

1 cup (chopped very small) carrots

1/4 cup cilantro

** If you want these to be vegan, you can use the following instead of eggs**

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup warm water

NOTE: The celery and onion both contain FODMAPs. Omit if needed.  Also, take a Beano for the beans!

Directions

1.  Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Cook covered over medium heat for about 15-minutes until water is absorbed; set aside to cool. In a small bowl, combine eggs, soy sauce, and pepper, and mix well (if using flaxseed, combine flaxseed, water, soy sauce and pepper. Set aside to thicken).

2.  Place onion and beans in a food processor and pulse until smooth; transfer to a large bowl.  Heat 1-2 teaspoons of oil in a medium skillet. Saute bell pepper and carrots for 4 minutes; add to onion-bean mixture in bowl.  Add cilantro, quinoa, and flaxseed mixture to bowl; mix well to combine.

3. Using 1/2 cup measure, shape mixture into 8 patties.  Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat  (use less to reduce calories).  Cook patties, 4 at a time, for 5-6 minutes on each side.  Carefully remove from skillet and repeat with remaining oil and patties.  Serve on a whole wheat bun, or English Muffin (or, however you want!)

Estimated Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 large burger, without a bun
Want a bun, but not all the calories? Look for the 100-calorie buns, or use a large piece of lettuce!

Nutrition Highlights:  Low saturated fat, cholesterol free, good source of iron and protein, excellent source of fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C

Nick and I ate our burgers double-decker style!  I enjoyed mine with some organic ketchup and a bit of omega-3 mayo.

Question:  What's your favorite burger topping??  I like pickles.  I like them a lot.  And I love ketchup on my burgers, and sometimes mustard and/or mayo.  Boring, right?  That's just how I roll!

 

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Protein-Packed Quinoa Patties

Are you ready for a simple snack/meal to make for your family, or to make for your packed lunches? I hope so, because this recipe is a keeper.

Protein-Packed Quinoa Patties
(Makes 8 large patties)
(Adapted from Managed Macros)

2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (I used a lactose-free brand)**
1 medium carrot, chopped very fine
4 egg whites
3 T corn flour
2 green onions (just the green part if you follow the low fodmaps diet) **
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 t cumin
1/8 tsp. salt
4 T Panko bread crumbs
Garlic olive oil for frying

**  If following a low FODMAPs diet, use a lactose free brand of cottage cheese, and only use the green portion of the green onions **

Instructions

1. Before combining ingredients, try to strain the cottage cheese so it's not too runny (the dryer, the better).

2. Combine the quinoa, cottage cheese, corn flour, carrots, green onion, spices, and egg whites in a medium bowl. Blend well.

3. Form about 8 large patties, with your hands, and place them on a large plate. Sprinkle with the 4 T panko crumbs.

4. Place the patties in the fridge for about an hour to allow the panko to soak up the excess moisture (this is important!).

5. Heat a large saute pan and add half the oil in order to pan-fry for the first four patties. Pan-fry on both sides for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Do the same for the next four patties.

6. Serve with Greek yogurt, sour cream, salsa, Red Hot, whatever you wish!

Aren't they so pretty?! The best part about these patties is that they were Nick-approved.

Estimated Nutrition Facts
(Serving Size: 1 delicious patty)

One patty has 12 grams of protein (I suggest getting 10-15 grams of protein in every snack, and 20-40 in every meal, so if you do this for a meal, have two, or pair with some more protein!). The vitamin A, iron, and fiber makes these patties a healthy treat.


QUESTION: What would you pair with your quinoa patty to make it even more protein and nutrient-packed?! I enjoyed mine with a large dollop of plain Greek yogurt and salsa. Nick liked his with lots of ketchup (go figure).

The Best Quinoa Salad Ever

I recently tasted one of the most amazing salads, EVER. It was created by our neighbor, Katie, and when I asked her for the recipe she basically just gave me the list of ingredients and told me she just adds everything together, without measuring. Well, as strange at that sounds, it works! This is a "must-try".

Ingredients

Quinoa

Olive Oil

Carrot

Cherry tomato (halved)

Feta cheese

Cucumber

Dill

Nutritional Highlights

- Contains whole grains (quinoa is a whole grain, and it's gluten free)

- Good source of protein (from the feta cheese and quinoa, both of which are complete proteins)

- The olive oil contains monounsaturated fats, which may help reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol

- Contains lycopene (from the tomatoes), which promotes skin, heart and prostate health

- Contains beta carotene (from the carrots), which promotes skin and heart health, and may play a role in cancer prevention

- Contains healthy fats, which help you absorb both the lycopene and beta carotene. Do you ever eat tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. by themselves? You should always include a bit of healthy fats to help promote the bioavailability (absorption) of their disease-fighting nutrients! Another way to promote bioavailability is to cook these foods.


And did I mention this salad tastes AMAZING???


QUESTION: What's your favorite grain? Have you ever tried quinoa?

Ninety Percent of Americans are NOT Getting Enough Whole Grains!

Are you one of the 9 out of 10 people in America who are not reaching the minimum recommendation for whole grains (the minimum rec. is 48 grams of whole grain, or 3 servings, per day)? Are you one of the 4 out of 10 Americans who consumes less than one whole grain product in a two week period?! (Source: Today's Dietitian Magazine)

Why are whole grains so important? Check out this article to find out.




A while back I posted a day of my eats and I realized I wasn't getting enough servings of grains, according to MyPyramid, which recommends that I consume about 6 servings of grains per day. I was (and still am) getting closer to 4 servings of grain, which is fine with me, as I think 6 servings is too much for my needs, personally. I was reaching the minimum amount of whole grains (3), so I still felt confident that I was eating right.

*** If you go to MyPyramid and find out how many servings of grains you need, just take half of that and that's how many servings of whole grains you should consume each day. ***

Apparently in 2009 there were about 3000 new products released with whole grains, compared to year 2000, which had only about 164 new products released with whole grains. In addition, many restaurants (including fast food) are jumping on the bandwagon and including whole grains on their menus. So we no longer have an excuse to not reach our whole grain goal.

It's a fact that most American's consume a majority of their whole grains at breakfast. I know I do!

1.5 servings of whole grain (24 grams) in my morning oats

I always look for the Whole Grains Stamp on my grain products. If a food has 8 grams of whole grain, or more, it can bare this symbol. LOOK FOR IT!

I love buying whole grain tortillas (for Nick only, because they contain wheat).

And when we don't go through them fast enough, I make them into tortilla chips.

(Cut them into rectangles, spray with EVOO, sprinkle with a dash of salt and some garlic powder).

Bake at a low temperature (~200) for about 20 minutes, while continuing to watch them in order to prevent burning.

Something Nick has been doing lately (and I'm very happy about) is buying the burrito bowl at Chipotle......

Then when we get home he adds it to our whole grain tortillas! It definitely beats the tortilla at Chipotle, which has ZERO whole grains, and tons of lard (I don't do this because I can't eat our tortillas. Does anyone know of a wheat-free tortilla?!).

Other Favorite Whole Grains

Popcorn

Quinoa

Brown Rice

Oatmeal

Whole Wheat products

Wild Rice

Bulgar

QUESTION: What's your favorite whole grain and what are some ways you make sure to get them in your diet? While traveling for training I struggle to eat very healthy and I have found it hard to consume 3 servings of whole grain. An item I have been buying a lot is sushi made with brown rice. It's definitely helped me reach my 3 serving goal!

Coming Up/Training Update

I'm on my way back to Pittsburgh tomorrow morning, for my last week of training (well, sort of). As I said in my last post I will be starting at another store in Columbus (yeah!) at the beginning of August.

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a happy Monday :)

Gina's "Superfoods" (First 5 of 10)

When I first started blogging, one of the first posts I wrote was focused on my "must have foods", which included frozen vegetables, avocado, SOYJOY, and tuna! It's no wonder no one commented on that post, what a random list. I do still eat those foods, but they are no longer part of my "must have foods". Here is my new list, which I now call my "Superfoods":

1) Quinoa

It's easy to prepare, full of high quality protein, gluten and wheat free, and of course very tasty. I add this to soups, use it as a side, or eat it with sauteed vegetables. Quite honestly, the possibilities are endless when it comes to this whole grain.

2) Steel Cut Oats OR Oat Bran
I never thought I would turn into a hot cereal girl, but now I'm hooked. These two products have between 5-6 grams of protein, and 4-6 grams of fiber, per serving. They are both whole grains, which means they also contain healthy phytonutrients.


3) Popcorn
Indeed Julie, I did include popcorn! This is my g0-to nighttime snack, on most days of the week. I like to add garlic, a bit of salt, and sometimes cinnamon (thanks to Julie's suggestion). Three cups of popcorn is one serving of whole grain (you should get between 3 and 6 servings of whole grains per day, depending on your dietary needs). Popcorn is also a good source of fiber, with 3 grams per 3 cups.



4) Sweet potatoes

I still can't believe I used to only eat these in the form of fries (which, of course, is a wonderful form, it just gets old after a while). After reading the posts by Abby for quite some time, and reading about the goodness of a simple sweet potato, eaten whole, and not made into chips or fries, I found myself hooked. Now I literally keep cooked sweet potatoes in my fridge so I can just grab and eat one on the run. I even like them cold!

1 medium sweet potato has about 100 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 37% DV vitamin C, and over 400% beta carotene (antioxidant)

5) Kale
Originally I bought kale to make into "cooked kale", with canned tomatoes and garlic (a lovely side dish), but now I like to switch it up and make kale chips on occasion.
1 cup of kale, on average, provides 40 calories, 3 grams fiber, 2 grams protein, over 350% DV vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene), and about 85% DV vitamin C. But most importantly, it doesn't give me gas, yeah!

Question: These are my top five fruits/veggies and whole grains, what are some of yours?

Coming up

Tomorrow I'll finish my list, obviously I won't leave you hanging. For now, I'm off to watch the Biggest Loser! Nick better not lose in poker again tonight, because if he does I'm making him watch it with me. Muahaha

Thanks for reading everyone, and have a great night/day!