Served w/ Tehina Pea Shoots, Roasted Carrots, & Avocado Mash
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica. (Name that reference!) Not to toot my own horn or anything...but I am damn proud of this one. These turned out so frickin' beautiful and tasty and I will for sure be making them again. By incorporating chickpeas, red quinoa, old fashioned oats, and chia seeds, they are chock full of protein and fiber to fuel you up and curb your appetite. Also, to brighten up the flavor of the burgers, I added fresh dill, parsley, mint, and the zest and juice of a Meyer lemon. Lastly, to save on some calories, I baked these puppies rather than frying them.
INGREDIENTS
BURGERS:
3 medium beets, peeled & grated
1 15oz can chickpeas
1 ½ cups red quinoa, cooked
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 large egg, room temperature
2 shallots, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely diced
3 tbsp fresh dill, finely diced
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic infused olive oil
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup old fashioned oats
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
CARROTS:
2 medium carrots
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp sea salt
PEA SHOOTS:
4 oz pea shoots
¼ cup Zahav Basic Tehina Sauce
DIRECTIONS
Cook the quinoa: Place 1 cup of dry quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water. Add 2 cups of cold water into a medium sauce pot and heat on high until boiling. Carefully add the quinoa to the boiling water to avoid splashing. Cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Once the quinoa is fully cooked, remove from heat, and place the lid back on the pot and let stand for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
Cook the beets: Peel the beets with a potato peeler and then rinse under cold water to remove any residual dirt. Then grate the beets on the large holes of a box grater. Heat the olive oils in a large saute pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, grated beets, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir until the ingredients are combined and cover with a lid and let the beets cook, stirring occasionally, until the beets are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and deglaze the mixture by adding the apple cider vinegar and stirring up any of the ingredients that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Make & cook the carrots: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the carrots into ¼” circles and place in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, black pepper, and salt and stir until evenly coated. Transfer to a baking sheeting in one layer and roast for 20 minutes, until browned and tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Prepare the pea shoots: In a small mixing bowl, toss the pea shoots with the Zahav Basic Tehina Sauce (NOTE: make the tehina sauce a day ahead of time). Set aside.
Make the burgers: In a large mixing bowl, add the chickpeas and coarsely mash them with a fork or a potato masher (Do not go crazy with the mashing! You want a good mix of larger and smaller chunks). Add the quinoa and beet mixture and mix until well combined. Stir in the parsley, dill, lemon zest and juice, egg, oats, and salt until combined.
Cook the burgers: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and shape into 1” thick patties. Arrange the patties on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through baking time.
To serve, mash an avocado until smooth and spread on a multigrain roll. On top of the avocado mash, layer the roasted carrots, beet burger, and tehina pea shoots.