Quinoa Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

This was another recipe I found while browsing the internet. (www.eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com)  It was another use for quinoa!  I finally finished the box of quinoa that my brother-in-law gave me.  The recipe below makes 10 patties.

Image by Jason Hedlund

To make the patties:

Ingredients:

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety)

1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese

1 medium carrot, finely grated (or 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry)

3 eggs

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 green onions (we used some yellow onions)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin (we used cajun spice instead, since we didn't have cumin)

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp garlic powder

olive oil for frying

Directions:

1.  Cook quinoa according to package directions.  After done cooking let cool for a few minutes.

2.  In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, sugar, pepper, cumin, salt and garlic powder.

3.  With a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop a mixture into a pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.  (We found it took more like 6 minutes per side).

To make the Tzatziki sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek non-fat yogurt

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1/4 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients together in a food processor.

2.  Enjoy on top of Quinoa Burgers!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 8.5/10

Nutrition (1 patty with 1 Tbsp sauce):

200 calories

9g fat (3g saturated)

70mg cholesterol

170mg sodium

20g carbohydrates

5g fiber

2g sugar

10g protein