Southwestern Quinoa Sliders

Picture courtesy of NatureBox (my photos didn’t come out nearly as good)

We love our Quinoa.

And why shouldn’t we? It’s a nutritious carbohydrate that has definitely maximized our energy levels.

I’ve only recently been experimenting with this whole grain in the kitchen (Mom’s didn’t have any quinoa-based recipes in her archives) and it’s immediately become a family favorite. It not only tastes great on its own, but has a super high protein content too.

If you love your carbs, but are desperate to find a healthier option to white pasta or white rice, try some quinoa. I was impressed by its health stats–it provides all 9 essential amino acids, it’s a gluten-free and cholesterol-free whole grain, it contains more calcium, iron, and protein than wheat, and…. and..and…

Now that you’re convinced of the myriad health benefits to quinoa, what do you want to do with it?

Truth is, quinoa is very versatile.

It can be served on its own as a side dish, with just a little bit of oil, salt and pepper, or other seasonings. It’s also ideal as a breakfast dish mixed with yogurt, dried fruit, cinnamon, milk, honey or maple syrup. It pairs well with stir-fries and beans. As a main course, it can be mixed into stews or tossed into salads. Quinoa also functions as a baking grain and creates delicious and nutritious breads and muffins.

Our family faves are Cheesy Quinoa Veggie Bake and Quinoa salad but, we can’t stop looking for ways to integrate this grain into our daily diet.

Now that you’re convinced of my love affair with quinoa, you can imagine how excited I got when I spotted a Southwestern Quinoa Sliders recipe I found on Naturebox’s blog.

Quite honestly, I was in a chicken and pasta dinner rut so this entrée was a welcomed diversion to our pedestrian meat choices; it combines an interesting medley of southwestern textures and flavors (black beans, whole kernel corn, garlic, cilantro, chipotle). Luckily I know my kids already LOVE quinoa and corn and beans so, it was highly probable that this meal wouldn’t disappoint. And, it was super easy to make.

sliders on the skillet

After perusing the hassle-free recipe, I decided to omit most of the spices and the chipotles—we’re not spicy people. I would also recommend only using one clove of garlic for the avocado cream instead of two— it was a little too strong. And, I definitely would not serve these sliders on buns—too many carbs— the bread seemed like overkill.

Hooray, another dish was added to our dinner rotation. That’s always cause for celebration!!!

Go on, try it for yourself.

makes 8 patties

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Avocado cream sauce:

1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

For avocado cream sauce, combine avocado, garlic, Greek yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor; set aside.
In another bowl, combine cooked quinoa, Parmesan, Panko, flour, garlic powder, lime juice, eggs, corn, beans, salt and pepper, to taste.
Divide the mixture into 8 balls; press each lightly to form 1/4-inch-thick patties.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the patties to the skillet and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Spread avocado cream sauce on top of patties while hot. Add lettuce and tomato.
Enjoy!

Southwestern Quinoa Sliders