Gluten-Free Quinoa Veggie Burgers

I’m currently going through a veggie burger phase and actually haven’t had a ‘regular’ (meat-based) burger in a really long time. I love how much variety and intricate vegetable combinations a veggie burger can have. The flavors can be anywhere from spicy and powerful to subtle and smooth. After eating a variety of veggie burgers, whether sweet potato, black bean, corn, or quinoa, I decided that I wanted to start making my own. The burgers not only seem like they would be fun to make but also delicious to eat. My plan was to start by following recipes and then move to my own designs.

I begin my veggie-burger project with a relatively simple quinoa veggie burger, and I LOVED it! My mom and I ate half a batch of burgers together, and despite the lack of meat in the burgers, we left the table feeling totally full. The egg, cheese, and quinoa were the perfect combination and I would highly recommend these for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike! ENJOY

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature

4 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup or 15 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs- buy or simply cut gf bread into very small pieces

Water, if needed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture.
3. The dryer the mixture, the dryer the patties. I would reccomend leaving the mixture wet and sticky to create moist burgers. However if it is too dry, add additional breadcrumbs. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture.
4. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add 3-4 patties, if they’ll fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned.
5. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes and continue to cook until the patties are browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden.
6. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Alternatively, the quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days; you can cook patties to order, if you prefer.

Love,

Ally

Vegan Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

When I was 9 years old, in the same weekend I visited a wonderful petting zoo in Oakland on Saturday and on Sunday I was ‘taught’ the in’s and out’s of animal cruelty by my 7 year old next door neighbor and good friend. Of course, I ultimately decided to become a strict vegetarian. Like most children trying new things, this attempt lasted no longer than two weeks. My parents ‘cure’ was to cook spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

Although my vegetarianism was a short-lived extravaganza, I have always admired the ideals and reasoning behind vegetarian and/or vegan living. In my English class this year we were assigned a creative project on a societal flaw, and one of my peers chose to present on animal cruelty and the motives behind living a vegan life. Her presentation was both fascinating and heartbreaking, and I immediately became interested in vegan lifestyles. This let me to research vegan recipes. After trying a few out, I started to fall  in love with vegan baking. Knowing that I will probably never be vegan doesn’t stop me from trying to bake delicious vegan treats.

While eating at vegan restaurants in NYC is always an eye-opening and fun experience, I struggle to find homemade vegan cookies, cupcakes brownies etc. that I am proud to give out to my vegan friends. This recipe is definitely an exception. These vegan vanilla cupcakes tasted no different than any other cupcake I’ve made, and the chocolate frosting, even without butter and milk, tasted delicious. My success with this recipe has definitely inspired me to continue to trying vegan recipes in the future. I can’t wait to try some vegan brownies next! ENJOY!

 

INGREDIANTS:

Cupcakes:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups almond milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Vegan Buttercream Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened (sifted)

1 1/4 sticks of vegan butter (softened)

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (almond)

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 18 paper baking cups.
2. Measure the apple cider vinegar into a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill with almond milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Let stand until curdled, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk mixture, coconut oil and vanilla.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes. When done, cool in the pan over a wire rack.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, make the vegan frosting:
   1. Add the butter, milk, vanilla extract and cocoa powder to a large mixing bowl and using an electric hand or standing beater, start mixing them together until the liquids thicken with the fluffy cocoa. Turn beater on low and beat until smooth.
   2. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time and beat until frosting is fluffy. Avoid overbeating.
8. Frost the chocolate frosting onto the cupcakes when they are completely cooled. If the cakes are warm, the heat will easily melt the vegan butter.

Love,

Ally!