Double quinoa patties or veggie burgers

This recipe is taken from my most recently published cookbook “Un Mundo de Comida con Los Ingredientes del Ecuador.”

Many, many years ago I created a recipe that won the first prize in a cook-off contest. In fact, the recipe for quinoa patties became so famous that these delicious morsels appeared in many cocktails parties. They come out so wonderfully crunchy and brown that they even look like meat. But of course they have the advantage of being chocked full of many vegetables and thus multiple vitamins.

The recipe I now give you is an innovation; the patties are made of double quinoa – using the cooked grain as well as quinoa flakes. In case you can´t find quinoa flakes, you can always use raw oatmeal.

I prefer not to call these veggie burgers so no one is tempted to put them inside buns. They are really so good in their pure state, perhaps with your favorite toppings, but with no bread.

Gently processing the carrots, onion and eggs to leave them with some texture produces a less damp dough than when you blend them in a blender. If you should be using a blender, use the lowest speed and pulse it on and off.

2/3 cup quinoa
4 cups water
3 organic eggs
2 carrots, in pieces
1 red onion, in pieces
1 cup quinoa flakes (or substitute oatmeal)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
½ cup green pepper, minced
½ cup red pepper, minced
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Worchester sauce
½ teaspoon dried leaf oregano
½ teaspoon thyme
salt, pepper
2 tablespoons oil for browning

Rinse the quinoa; add it to the water; bring it to a boil and simmer it for 10 minutes. Drain off the cooking water, leaving the quinoa in the sieve so that the heat will continue to cook the grains. That way the quinoa does not get mushy or absorb too much water.

Gently process the carrots and onion with the eggs, leaving some texture still in the vegetables.

Mix with all of the other ingredients.

Form patties of 3 inches (8 cm.) in diameter. Heat a small amount of oil and brown the patties until they become a dark brown color and very crunchy on each side. If they look almost burned, that way they are the most delicious.

Makes 12 patties