Kidney Quinoa Patties

I love making my own bean burgers/patties.  They are easy and I get to control what I put in them, the flavorings and ingredients I like for different variations.  Even though they have a lot of ingredients, it's all seasonings and spices and really takes only a few minutes to put everything into a bowl and mix.  Then all you have to do is shape the patties and bake!  I have made these Black Bean Patties multiple times, but the last time I was in the mood for a bean burger, I wanted to try a different variation.  This recipe is very similar, but gives a whole new delicious burger.

This recipe was adapted from Happy Herbivore:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 15oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp barbeque sauce (I used Stubb's brand)
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/3 cup gluten free instant oats (I used rolled oats and ground them for a few seconds in the food processor to break them down a bit)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and water and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed.  (It helps to have this prepared ahead of time so it is ready and cooled for better mixing.)
2. Preheat oven to 450F and grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, mash beans with a fork.  (I completely mashed most of the beans but left some whole/half beans for texture.)
4. Add all other ingredients, including quinoa, and mix to combine.
5. Form with hands into burger sized patties being careful not to make them too big or they will be hard to flip.
6. Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 8 minutes.  You may need to flip them one more time and bake for another 5 minutes if they are not crispy enough.  The patties will be done when they are brown and crisp on both sides.

With this recipe, I was able to make 6 regular sized patties and 1 small one :)  They had a great texture and held together very well!

These can be put between your favorite bread and add any toppings you wish!