Recipe: Quinoa Lentil Balls or Burgers

Quinoa Lentil Balls or Burgers
This recipe is perfect to enjoy as a burger, in a wrap, crumbled in a salad, or in pasta!

Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed well)
1 cup uncooked lentils (rinsed and drained)
4 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup salsa
3 cups fresh spinach
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 Tbsp sea salt
2 Tbsp flax meal
fresh ground pepper
2 cups quick oats (or whole oats slightly processed)

Preparation:

1) Put quinoa, lentils and water/vegetable broth in a pot and boil for an hour or until the lentils are done.  The quinoa will officially be over cooked, but that helps the mixture come together.  There should be no more liquid in the pot.  If there is, drain it off.

2) Put salsa, spinach and mushrooms in a food processor and process until small, but still chunky.

3) Add sea salt, flax meal, ground pepper and half of the hot quinoa lentil mixture to the food processor.  Process until the mixture comes together.  Still a little chunky.  Make sure the quinoa lentil mixture is still hot so it will activate the flax.

4) Next, add the oats and the processed mixture to the remaining quinoa lentil mixture in the pot.  Stir it all together and put in the fridge 4 hours to over night.

5) When completely cooled, line two sheet pans with parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6) With wet hands, scoop out a tablespoon worth of quinoa lentil mixture.  Use a small cookie scoop. Line them up on the sheet pans. You should get approximately 27 balls and 8 burgers.  Bake the balls for 30 minutes. Bake the burgers 20 minutes on each side (flipping half way between).