How to Make Qunioa Taste Good

Everyone in San Francisco raves about quinoa, coveting its nutritious qualities and the novelty of its replacement to complex starches like pasta and rice. I felt like I gave quinoa a fair shot a few months ago, after several attempts of preparing it in different ways. I found it to be bland and was not a fan of its texture; quinoa was on my "sorry, i just can't" list, along with mayonnaise and kombucha (YUCK! Sorry...)

But then I found that baking and pan frying quinoa gives it this wonderful, crispy texture that reminds me of that lovely, big crunch found in Panko breadcrumbs and that delicate, crust you might find when pan frying slices of polenta. FINALLY! Quinoa finds some redemption with my palate.

I love the crispy texture of the pan fry, but the oven bake is pretty amazing as well!

Quinoa reminds me a of a small grain, sort of like a lentil, but with the potential of having a texture that can be crispy and crunchy, when cooked right. After reading many recipes that use quinoa as a binding agent, I was inspired by several bloggers that used quinoa to make burgers!

Yes, burgers, my second favorite thing to eat, next to brunch, of course :).

Sidenote...I have this odd, sweet spot for buffalo chicken anything...it must be the tangy/spicy combo. Otherwise, good luck spotting me eat a chicken burger!

Anyways, after scouring in the Internet, I found an appetizer recipe made of buffalo chicken and quinoa and turned it into an insanely, flavorful and crunchy buffalo chicken, gorgonzola and quinoa burger patty. YUM! I took something I once despised and married it with the sassy flavors of buffalo chicken. Plus, if you eat quinoa on the reg, then this is a excellent recipe to use your leftover quinoa in!

A nice drizzle of sauce going in! Careful, because too much will make your patties fall apart.

So, yeah, you're welcome. Now you can fit in with all your San Francisco hipster friends, that may or may not, actually be allergic to gluten. Go ahead and bask in the glory of quinoa...covered in buffalo sauce of course!

Crispy Buffalo Chicken, Quinoa and Gorgonzola Burgers 

Ingredients: 

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup white onion, diced 
• 1/4 cup buffalo sauce 
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil (if you decide to pan fry) or cooking spray (if you bake these)

Directions: 

1. Season and cook your chicken breasts; I like to bake mine in the oven. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, until its no longer pink inside and cuts through clean. I wrap my chicken in foil like a present or wrapped piece of candy (twisting both ends of the foil so that none of the liquid escapes) and place it on a cookie sheet. 
2. Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa to package instructions. I substituted the 1 cup of water with 1 cup of chicken broth instead, this will give the quinoa much more flavor! Quinoa takes about 15 minutes to cook, you'll know when it's done because it will be tender and will have absorbed all of the broth. 
3. Once quinoa is done cooking, set aside, and let it cool until cool enough to hand with your hands. 
4. Once chicken is cooked, place it on a cutting board or plate and start too pull apart chicken with two forks, shredding it into pieces. 
5. Combine the chicken and cooled, quinoa into a mixing bowl with crumbled gorgonzola, shredded cheddar cheese, buffalo sauce, egg, and onion. Mix well. 
6. With your hands, ball up mixture (about 2 heaping teaspoons worth) and then form into patties. Be sure to flatten them so that it will cook evenly.
7. Now you can either bake or pan fry these. 
8. To pan fry: In a shallow pan, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil on medium heat. Carefully drop patties into hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes, on each side. It should be crispy, but not burnt. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to let any excess oil drain. 
9. To bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil. Place patties on the sheet and in the oven for 10-15 minutes. You want both the bottom and top to be crispy, but be careful not to burn! 
10. Enjoy these on a gluten free (or regular bun) with all your favorite condiments! 

Sizzle and salivate.

Note: Mine is stacked high on a poppy seed bun (not gluten free) with dijon mustard, spinach, and tomato slices! This recipes serves 4 hungry people. And yes, one burger (bun and all the fixings) is only 305 calories!