Curried Quinoa and Adzuki Bean Burger Wraps

You’re probably saying adzuki what? That’s what I said when I first heard about these little red beans. Burgers are a staple in our house lately (easy finger food for our 1-year old) and I’m always up for a new bean so I added some to my lastΒ Nuts.com order. To be honest, these burgers came out a little bland so I decided to spruce them up a bit with a few toppings and WALAH… YUMMY GOODNESS!!! Okay… enough with the caps lock, you get the picture πŸ˜‰

Curried Quinoa & Adzuki Bean Burger Wraps

Both of our kids love these burgers smeared with a little hummus and topped with chopped avocado. I prefer the wrap thing myself. My best friend came over for dinner with her nephew a few nights ago when I served these burgers… he wasn’t a fan but our son was happy to eat his share!

First bite… not sure yet (Friend is NOT amused with these burgers!)

He likes them!! YES!!!! (Friend still not amused)

“Hey if you don’t want your burger, I’ll eat it…”

“No really… TAKE IT!”

Yummy! (Friend still not amused)

LOL!!! Had to share those pics, they’re too funny! Okay… onto the burger recipe.

NOTE: Once you make the burgers, here are the ingredients I used to make the wraps:

* Collard Greens – pick larger ones for wraps

* Mango Chutney (from Trader Joe’s)

* Plain Hummus (I make my oil-free hummus or use Trader Joe’s Mediterranean Hummus in a pinch)

* Lentil Sprouts (See my sprouting post)

* Avocado

Original burger recipe from Choosing Raw… great site!!!

Curried Quinoa and Adzuki Bean PattiesΒ (vegan, gluten free, soy free)

Makes 6-8 Burgers

1/2 cup quinoa, dry
1 3/4 cup cooked adzuki beans (I buy mine fromΒ Nuts.comΒ – $3.99/lb for organic)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4-1/2 cup chickpea flour
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
Black pepper to taste
Cooking spray (I use the spectrum brand) or a scant amount of coconut oil for sauteeing and grilling

1. Bring 1 cup water to boil and add the quinoa. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes WITHOUT OPENING THE LID! Remove from heat and let sit, fluff with a fork.

2. Sautee the onion till golden and tender.

3. When quinoa is done, add quinoa, onion, chickpea flour, and adzuki beans to a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture is forming a dough that is uniform and sticks together, but still has some texture. Add spices and pulse a few more times to incorporate. If at any point you feel as though you’re overprocessing, you can transfer the bean and quinoa mixture to a bowl and mix with your hands!

4. Shape mixture into six patties and spray a skillet or pan with coconut oil. Cook for five minutes over medium heat, flip, and continue to cook for another five minutes or so.

Add cooked quinoa, onion, chickpea flour, and aduki beans to a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture is forming a dough that is uniform and sticks together, but still has some texture. Add spices and pulse a few more times to incorporate.

Spoon mixture into hot pan and smash a bit to resemble burgers

When burgers are done, let cool a bit then assemble your wrap. I did this order: collard green. hummus, burgers, mango chutney, avocado then lentil sprouts. Ready to wrap!

Pretty little wrap!

Time to eat!

Tabouli Quinoa Salad (Sammy’s WF Pizza Copycat)

My mother-in-law introduced me to this salad and it’s my new favorite! You can find this salad at Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza restaurant… with a whopping 1/2 cup of oil and 2 tsp of salt. Yikes! I decided to recreate this salad WITHOUT that nonsense, turned out even better than the original!

My hubby was a bit skeptical but devoured an entire plate full! I served this with romaine leaves and a few flatbread crackers. I also added a couple cooked/chopped Gardein Chick’n Scallopini filets, per my hubby’s request. I try to stay away from fake meats as much as possible so this was a rare occasion.

Tabouli Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

  1. 1/2 cup of shredded carrot
  2. 2 cups chopped parsley
  3. 1 cup chopped mint
  4. 1 cup diced onion
  5. 1 cup diced fresh tomato
  6. 1 cup diced cucumber
  7. 2 cups shredded lettuce – romaine
  8. 1 cup cooked quinoa
  9. 1/2 cup bean liquid – from canned beans or home madeΒ 
  10. 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  11. 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
  12. 2 tsp black pepper, ground
  13. 1 tsp allspice, ground
  14. *OPTIONAL: Saute up a few Gardein Chick’n Scallopini fillets, chop and add them in.Β 
Directions:
  1. Cook quinoa according to package and let cool completely.Β 
  2. Combine all ingredients, mix well and serve with flatbread and/or romaine leaves. You can wait to add the veggie/mint/onion/etc mixture to the chopped romaine until you serve it if you need it to last longer. This makes a ton of salad, I saved the mixture and added it to chopped romaine the next few days.Β 
  3. Serves 6

Add cooked/cooled quinoa with all other ingredients – I added all ingredients EXCEPT romaine lettuce together then combined them before we were ready to eat

Now combine with chopped romaine. If you’re only serving a few people and want leftovers, reserve some of this mixture to combine with more chopped romaine later

YUMMY!!! I added chopped Gardein Chick’n Scaloppini filets

 

California Quinoa Salad (Whole Foods Copycat!)

You have no idea how happy I am that I can make this at home now. I’ve been dreaming about this oil-free quinoa salad from Whole Foods ever since I brought a tiny little container of it home and devoured it in two seconds. I searched the internet for a copycat recipe but no luck… I saved the label from the container and decided to figure it out on my own!

Copycat Whole Foods “California Quinoa Salad”

This recipe makes plenty of leftovers to last you for a few (or more) days. Perfect for busy people who enjoy quick and easy leftovers. All of these measurements were estimations, just throw in the ingredients to suit your tastes. I really don’t think you could mess this up!

I’ve been eating this so fast, I haven’t had a chance to put it in a bowl and take a proper picture so please forgive me! Just trust me, you don’t need a fancy picture of this one… I PROMISE you will love it!!!

California Quinoa Salad

1 cup mixed quinoa from Trader Joe’s – regular quinoa or red quinoa would work well here too

2 cups water (for cooking quinoa)

1 cup lentil sprouts (optional but adds a yummy crunch!)

1/2 package frozen mango from Trader Joe’s, thawed OR 1-2 diced fresh mango, diced)

1/4 large red onion, diced

1/2 medium to large red pepper, diced

1/2 small bunch cilantro, choppedΒ 

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional but good!)

1/3 cup unsalted, dry-toasted slivered almonds

3/4 cup raisins (currents and cranberries will work too!)

1 1/2 cups frozen edamame, thawed

Juice of 2-3 limes

2-3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (I like to use fig balsamic vinegar)

Instructions:

1. Rinse quinoa well, cook as directed.

2. Fluff quinoa well when done, spread out and let cool.

3. Add all other ingredients and toss.

4. Enjoy cold!!

Citrus Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Ever since I discovered the oil-free cold salads at Whole Foods, I’ve been on a quest to find good quinoa and lentil salad recipes.Β While I thoroughly enjoy my sampler box of all the oil-free salads they offer, I cannot continue that type of expensive habit!

My youngest is now eating solid food three meals a day which means I REALLY have limited time to eat! That’s why I love this quick and easy salad recipe. It’s easy to make and the leftovers are fantastic for days!

I often pack this in my diaper bag for an after-workout snack and I’ve even eaten it for breakfast. I keep steamed greens ready in my fridge at all times and I often add those to this salad as well. Enjoy!

Citrus Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Original recipe from Healthy Mammas.

Citrus Black Bean Quinoa Salad

(2) 15-oz cans no-salt added black beans, drained and rinsed OR 4 cups cooked black beans
1/4 – 1/2 minced red onion, diced small (I used 1/2 of a medium sized red onion)
1 large grapefruit, divided into segments and cut into cubes (An orange would work too!)
1-2 roasted red bell peppers (in water), diced (you could also use 1 large fresh red bell pepper)
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large (ripe but firm) avocado, diced
1 small bunch fresh cilantro (about a handful), chopped into small pieces (also rinsed well!)

DressingΒ Ingredients – Simple yet so good!

juice of 3-4 limes (I like lime so I used 4)
2 tsp cumin
3 T water or low-sodium broth (I use leftover bean cooking liquid)

Instructions

.Β Β  Β Rinse and chop all your veggies.
.Β Β  Β Place black beans, red onion, grapefruit, cilantro, bell pepper, avocado and corn in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
.Β Β  Β In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Add quinoa and dressing to salad, then toss well and serve.
.Β Β  Β Salad will keep in sealed containers for up to five days in the fridge..

Quick and easy dressing!

Yummy!

Lemon Quinoa

I make quinoa every few days and add it to all sorts of things, I like to always keep a cooked bean and grain on hand at all times. Here’s a really easy way to spruce up your regular quinoa. πŸ™‚ I usually double this recipe because we like leftovers. I use this in collard wraps with Chickpea SaladΒ or with Gingered Tofu & Zucchini. Our toddler loves this!

Lemon Quinoa

Lemon Quinoa

Ingredients:

* 1 cup cooked quinoa

* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

* 2 celery stalks, chopped

* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

* 1/4 cup chopped onion

* 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

* 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions:

1. Mix cooked (and slightly cooled) quinoa in a bowl with all the ingredients and combine. Serve warm or cold.Β 

So easy to make!

Mix all ingredients together and serve warm or cold

YUM!

 

 

Black Bean & Corn Quinoa

This is very healthy, easy to make and delicious! My husband and toddler LOVED it! You could eat this dish with a ton of things, we had it with wheat tortillas, shredded carrots, cilantro and leftover TVP Taco “Meat”Β and a side of Garlic Yu Choy.

Black Bean & Corn Quinoa

I found this recipe on a new food blog I’ve been checking out – Healthy Mammas. I made their Creamy Dreamy Superfood Pudding a few days ago and that was really good!

Black Bean & Corn Quinoa

IngredientsΒ (serves 4 to 6)

  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups organic veggie broth (plus a bit more for sauteing your onions and garlic)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional – I used 1/8 tsp)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 (15oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
  • Optional (Throw in a can of drained diced tomatoes – OR serve with some fresh salsa) – I added one can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic… YUM!
  • Chopped cilantro, to top (optional but good!)

Instructions

  • Saute onion and garlic in a few tablespoons of veggie broth over medium heat until soft and almost translucent.
  • Add the garlic when the onions are about 1/2 done…you may need to add a little more broth as they cook to keep them moist and keep them from sticking.
  • Mix in quinoa and cover with 2 cups veggie broth.
  • Season with spices and salt & pepper.
  • Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until most of the liquid is gone…about 10 to 15min.
  • Stir in corn, black beans and diced tomatoes – continue to cook on low heat for about 5 more minutes until all liquid is absorbed and everything is heated through. (add a little extra veggie broth if needed)
  • Taste and season with additional sea salt if needed.
  • Enjoy!

Saute onions & garlic in broth

Add quinoa, broth & spices

Add corn & black beans

Add tomatoes (if using)

I used these, they're yummy!