Have you ever experienced a summer that seemed to disappear before your eyes? Earlier this summer, I distinctly remember thinking about how great it was going to be spend my weekends trying new veggie burger recipes, in search for the perfect home-made patty. And this weekend, I realized that Labor day is just around the corner and I am no closer to creating that one, spectacular veggie burger recipe that will become a part of my summertime repertoire for years to come.

I set a lot a lot of goals for myself. Sometimes I make them happen and sometimes, life unfolds a little differently than planned. So, as summer draws to a close, I have to acknowledge that my veggie burger goal is most likely going to be postponed until next summer. But that’s ok. Part of being mindful and compassionate with yourself is to be able to let life unfold and go with the flow, even if it means that some goals aren’t achieved exactly as planned.

Fortunately, I discovered a great little book that just might provide a delicious remedy for my home-made veggie burger cravings.

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, by Lukas Volger

It seems Lukas experienced my frustration with frozen veggie patties and was inspired to write a great little book. Here are just a few of my favorite things about this book:

1. It contains dozens of healthy, unique veggie burger recipes using whole grains, beans, nuts, tofu, and a wide variety of vegetables as the star ingredients

2. Lukas doesn’t try to make his burgers taste like imitation meat burgers— instead, he developed recipes that allow the ingredients to shine on their own, while still behaving like a burger

3. There are a variety of creative ideas for making burgers ‘hold’ together without using eggs. The big ah-ha for me was using steamed potato and potato starch as a binder. This seems like a very clever idea

4. Besides burgers, the book offers some great recipes for buns, salads and an array of home-made condiments and sauces

The first recipe

I tried one of the recipes in the book, but true to form, I didn’t follow the recipe exactly as it was written. The recipe for Quinoa, Red Bean and Walnut Burgers caught my eye. However, in the spirit of improvising (which just means I didn’t have all the ingredients so I had to get creative) I made a version of his burger which I will call Quinoa, Pinto Bean and Pecan Burger.

Quinoa, Pinto Bean and Pecan Burger

Adapted from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, by Lukas Volger

Ingredients (Makes 4 to 6 small to mediu, burgers):

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 small potato*, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1 cup pinto beans, cooked
• 1/2 cup raw pecans, chopped
• salt and pepper

1. Cook the quinoa. Bring several cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and boil gently for 10 minutes or until each grain of quinoa is translucent through the center of the grain. Drain quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, boil the potato until it is cooked through.
3. Heat your skillet and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until onions are slightly translucent. Add parsley and cook for about 30 seconds longer.
4. Add the cooked quinoa, potato, sautéed onions, garlic and parsley, pinto beans and pecans to a large bowl and mix with your hands.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste (Remember, this is not raw meat and doesn’t have eggs— it’s perfectly ok to eat this delicious stuff raw!).
6. Form into patties.
7. Saute each patty in a small amount of oil in your skillet until slightly browned on each side, or place on a small sheet of aluminum foil and grill on both sides until warmed through.

*NOTE: Be cautious not to add too much potato or else your burger might become dense and starchy. Try mixing in a small amount of potato first and then add more if you feel you need more to achieve the desired ‘sticky’ consistency.

Enjoy with your favorite burger fixin’s and share with friends! And as always, let me know what you think.