Last summer, a lovely food cart – A La Cart – appeared downtown Benicia at the Farmer’s Market every Thursday night. I was delighted to find out they had a completely homemade veggie burger served on delicious whole grain bread with caramelized onions and mixed baby greens. I got one and was in heaven! After talking to the owner for a little while, I decided to go home and attempt my own version.

Excuse the somewhat ugly cell phone camera picture. It was too delicious and I couldn’t wait long enough to take pretty pictures.

Tofu Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Makes 6-8 patties.

Ingredients

• 10 oz extra firm tofu, sliced and patted dry (I recommend WildWood)
• 10 oz cooked quinoa (You can use any color, but I used white)
• 8 oz raw sunflower seeds
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is almost smooth. Scrape down sides occasionally.
2. Divide into 6-8 equal portions and use your hands to press and form round, slightly flat patties.
3. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Arrange patties on the skillet, cover and cook. Once they are browned, turn it over and continue to cook until browned on both sides, approximately 5 minutes each side. Make sure it is completely done inside as well, so be sure to not have your temperatures too high on the pan.
4. Serve with your favorite burger toppings and buns. (I served mine with toasted multi-grain bread by Alvarado St Bakery, caramelized onions, quick homemade pickles, a little ketchup, mustard, tomato and lettuce.)

Nutrition for 1 patty (1/8th of the recipe) (approx): 330 cal, 18g fat, 29 carb, 5 fiber, 15g protein