Quinoa + Kale Mini-Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki

Quinoa + Kale Mini-burgers with Avocado Tzatziki

Week night dinner, ready in well under an hour. My husband said, "these things are like falafel on steroids." The avocado tzatziki really puts them over the top. As always, a little Sriracha is good too. 

Ingredients.

for the burgers.
1 cup quinoa
2 c. water
4 eggs, whisked
1/3 c. parmesan or feta (I used a bit of both)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. steamed kale
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 medium carrot, shredded 
1 c. gluten free breadcrumbs 
evoo

for the avocado tzatziki

1 c. 0% greek yogurt
1 small avocado, mashed
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 c. diced cucumber (peeled, optional) + more for garnish

Method- burgers.

bring the quinoa and water to a boil. reduce to simmer and cook until quinoa is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. about 20 minutes. allow to cool to room temperature. (if you are crunched for time, dump it on to a cookie sheet. spread it out and pop in the freezer for about 8 minutes... cool down with the quickness).
Combine all the other ingredients except the evoo (kale needs to be cooled as well so that it doesn't cook the eggs...) into a large bowl. let it all hang out together for a few minutes (5ish) to get all comfortable. (maybe take this opportunity to pour yourself a glass of vino...). the burger batter should stick together to form patties- should not be runny. (if runny, add a bit more bread crumbs. If crumbly, drop another whisked egg in there...but if you followed the instructions above, it should be just about perfect.)

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. After the skillet comes to temperature, add the oil (this helps food to not stick. What a trick, right?!). Drop in the mini-patties one by one. Resist the urge to move them. They need to get all golden and lovely on the bottom, so let them be. I did about 5 per batch. After 3-4 minutes, check the bottoms by sliding a spatula underneath and peeking to see the bottoms. If they are golden, flip 'em over. If not, give them a little more time.
Once you do the flip, press them slightly to flatten them a bit. Again, don't touch them until they are golden. If you mess with them too much, they will crumble on you and you will be a sad, sad little chef.

Let the burgers cool on a paper towel (to soak out any extra oil). 

Method- tzatziki.

Once your avocado is mashed, add all the ingredients together. Mix. Done. (again, your ingredients need to all become friends in there. SO, the earlier you make this, the better it will taste. Make sure you've got a receptacle with a tight fitting lid to keep it in until it is go time.)

Serve the burgers with a dollop of tzatziki and sprinkle on some cucumbers and avocado if you've got some extra. 

Enjoy!