Quinoa Burgers with Creamy Feta Sauce
By: Noelle Twiggs
Published: October 3, 2011

This quinoa burger celebrates a creamy butternut squash and a crispy quinoa finish with a satisfying feta sauce. It's a perfect comfort food that won't pack on the pounds.
Quinoa Burgers with Creamy Feta Sauce
 Ingredients
	1/2 cup butternut squash, cooked 
	1/4 cup quinoa, dry  5 ounces feta, crumbled 
	1 organic egg
	 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped 
	2 teaspoons ground cumin 
	1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
	 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
	1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 
	1 teaspoon sea salt
	1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
	2 tablespoons coconut oil or organic butter
	Fresh lemon 
	4 whole wheat rolls (optional) 
	2 cups mixed baby greens
 Better-for-you ingredients
	Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:
	*Butternut squash is full of fiber, a key part of a naturally cleansing and rejuvenating lifestyle. Butternut squash is also packed with antioxidants that fight free radicals. Free radicals are believed to contribute to disease and accelerate aging.
	*Quinoa is a great source of protein (~6 grams per 1/4 cup serving). It is also a great source of fiber (nature’s perfect scrub brush to help with your body’s housecleaning, healing and repair work) and is easier to digest than most traditional animal-protein sources (beef, chicken, etc) in a rejuvenating lifestyle.
*Feta cheese Cleansing gurus believe goat and sheep milk cheeses are easier than cow’s milk dairy for your body to digest.
	    
Directions
	In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Add quiona, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, ~ 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
	In a food processor, pulse butternut squash, 2 oz. feta, 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, sea salt and pepper until just combined. Fold in the quinoa, the walnuts and the egg.
	Form mixture into four patties. In a large skillet, with a splash of coconut oil or organic butter cook burgers on medium heat until cooked through and crispy on the outside, 8-10 minutes per side.
	Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine remaining feta, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice from half a lemon, and dash of cumin (~1/2 teaspoon). Season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers on a whole wheat roll topped with a few baby greens and creamy feta sauce. Enjoy!