Kidney-Quinoa Burgers

I know these were probably meant to be eaten the vegan way, but I added some turkey bacon since I hadn't eaten any meat all day. 

This recipe comes from Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon.  This was probably the first vegan cookbook I ever got and I was surprised how easy all the recipes were.  Sure there were some ingredients I've never heard of, but they weren't difficult to find.  I had never heard of things like tempeh or turmeric only because while I was growing up my parents never used these ingredients.  I love discovering new food, recipes, and spices, so when I came across this recipe, I had to try it.  The burgers turned out to be very tasty with or without the turkey bacon.  ;-)

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (granulated)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (granulated)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten

In a small saucepan, combine quinoa with 1/2 cup of water, cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until fluffy and all water has evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash beans with a fork in a mixing bowl until the consistency of refried beans.  Add remaining ingredients in order, plus cooked quinoa, and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet.  Break mixture into 6 equal segments.  Roll each into a ball, flatten it, and shape it into a patty using your hands.

Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for 8 more minutes, then flip again for 5 minutes, but only if necessary.  When the burgers are brown and crisp on the outside, they are done.

Enjoy!