Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Quinoa Burger for One

Makes 2 soft patties. I eat one right away and use the other broken up onto salads ‘n’ things.

**The bun shown in this image is not in any way gluten-free. The recipe for this tasty addition will come soon. 

½ a small sweet potato

1/8 cup dry quinoa (2 TBLSP)

1/8 cup dry barley (2 TBLSP)

½ 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (about ¾ cup, if you’re making them yourself)

1 TBLSP fresh parsley

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 TBLSP quinoa flour (use whole wheat if you don’t have quinoa flour handy)

1 ½ TBLSP olive oil

1.      Preheat oven Bake the sweet potato half at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-60 minutes, or until soft.

2. While the sweet potato is baking, cook the quinoa and barley in separate pots until soft, about 30-60 minutes (barley takes a little longer).

3.      Once the sweet potato is baked and cooled a little, combine it with the garbanzo beans, parsley, cumin, salt and pepper, garlic powder, flour, and ½ TBLSP of the olive oil in a food processor or blender. You don’t have to make complete mush of it, but it should be heading toward smooth. There shouldn’t be any obviously identifiable lumps in there.

4. Mix the bean mixture with the quinoa and barley in a small bowl.
5. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Place two heaping spoonfuls of the bean mixture onto the hot pan, and use the back of the spoon to pat them flat and form four-inch diameter patties. Brown both sides of each burger. This may require several flips.

Serve on a bun with accoutrements, if you’d like, or broken up into salads, etc.

It’s not really suitable for grilling, as it stays super soft.