SUMMER FOOD! Lemony Chickpea Quinoa Burgers

Howdy friends! I know I’ve been lacking on posts lately and for that, I apologize! The summer has been awesome so far and super busy. I haven’t been dedicating much time to writing, because I’ve been so busy doing other stuff like camping,

gardening,

cottaging, cooking and lounging in the backyard!

 

How has the weather been in your neck of the woods?  It’s been a bit random here with some crazy rain (hello Toronto floods!), but we are having a wicked heat wave this week. I’m not complaining, I love the heat, but sometimes it’s too hot and muggy that you don’t feel like eating or cooking much.

I wanted to share a recipe for a vegetarian ‘burger’ that I really love for those hot summer nights. It’s easy to put together and holds up well on the grill. There is minimal prep for this dish, and the lemon gives it a really refreshing scent and taste. This recipe could be adapted to be vegan by replacing the egg with Ener-G (may need to add a tsp of soy milk if you need more moisture).  I topped the burger with tomato, avocado and some carmelized onion ‘jam’. No bun and it didn’t need it, but if you need the bread it would hold up for that.

I served this up with a simple spinach salad with strawberries I picked at a local farm. For the dressing I whisked up some balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Voila. Summer at it’s best. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 (540 mL)can Chick Peas, rinsed, drained and patted dry
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cloves                garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp each lemon zest and juice
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
• 1/4 cup rolled oats

Optional ingredients:

• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms of your choice
• 1/4 cup panko if you find the mixture too wet to shape into patties
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)

The good thing about this recipe is that you can taste it as you go (before adding the raw egg), so you can adjust seasoning along the way.

Directions:

1. PULSE all ingredients in a food processor until well combined and fairly smooth. Shape mixture into 4 equal-sized patties. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
2. PREHEAT barbecue to medium-high. Grill patties with lid closed for 8 to 10 min., flipping once.

The Best Calamari I’ve Ever Made.

A few months ago, B made paella. Damn it was a beautiful thing.  After prepping the seafood for the paella, we realized we had WAY too much seafood.  Instead of overwhelming the dish we decided to put the extra squid aside and use it for an appetizer the next day.  I figured a great way to use it would be a delicious grilled calamari appie. I am the queen of appies and had never actually grilled my own calamari before so I thought this would be fun.

I didn’t marinate it very long because I couldn’t wait to try it. Don’t worry, you don’t need to let it sit for 2 hours, if you only have 30 mins to let it rest in the marinade, do it. It’s still good to go. 😉  I sprinkled a bit of Emril’s Essence seasoning on top because I always have a small batch of that laying around.  The result was the best calamari I have ever made.

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 pounds cleaned squid (about 3 pounds whole) tentacles separated from the bodies, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Chopped parsley, garnish
• Lemon wedges, garnish

Directions:

1. Cut the squid bodies along the sides to open flat. With a thin sharp knife, lightly score the insides, being careful not to cut through all the way.
2. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the squid bodies and tentacles, toss to coat, and marinate for 2 hours, refrigerated, turning twice.
3. Preheat the grill to high heat.
4. Grill the squid, turning until opaque, slightly golden, and just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the squid to a cutting board and slice into strips. Slice the tentacles if desired. Give a squeeze of lemon and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

You can thank me later.