Crispy Quinoa Sliders

As I make an attempt to eat healthier in 2018, I’ve fallen in love with quinoa…that amazing, good-for-you grain. I found this yummy vegetarian slider burger recipe through my Food & Wine subscription some time ago and finally decided to give it a go. I edited it slightly and it was delicious…and confirmed so by a friend.

Crispy Quinoa Slider Burgers

2/3 cup quinoa
Two 1-inch-thick slices of bread, cubed (I used Costco’s Country French)
2 large eggs
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/8 cup chopped green onions (the original called for 1/4 c chopped chives)
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mini burger buns, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and pickles, for serving. Lite mayonnaise and dijon mustard make it perfect.

1. In a medium saucepan, cook the quinoa in dated, boiling water until just tender, 10 minutes. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool.

2. In a food processor, pulse the bread until coarse crumbs form; you should have about 1 cup. In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Squeeze the liquid from the zucchini and add the zucchini to the eggs. Stir in the cheese, green onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix in the quinoa and bread crumbs. Let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop 12 mounds and form each one into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add 6 patties and cook until golden on the bottom, 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet, flip the patties and cook for 3 minutes, until crisp. Repeat with the remaining patties and oil. Serve with buns, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles and other condiments. Those pretzel slider buns from Costco are perfect!