Mushroom Black Bean-Quinoa Burger

For the best results, make the Tomato Chutney a few hours, or the day before. Note: This burgers also goes well with many other toppings, such as any one of Rouxbe's Peanut Sauce recipes.

To make the burgers, first gather and prepare all of your mise en place. The amount of chili powder needed, will depend on how spicy you like your food and how spicy the chili powder is. We used this Chili Powder recipe, which was a nice balance of flavor and spice. Next, place a large fry pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, dry-sauté the onions until golden and translucent — adding a touch of water to the pan as needed, so the onions and/or pan do not burn. Next, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so and then add the mushrooms. Let this cook for 5 minutes or so, or until all of the moisture has cooked out of the mushrooms. At this point, transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor. Add the quinoa, black beans, oats, spices and flax meal. Pulse the mixture a few times. Do not over pulse the mixture, the texture should course/chunky, but still hold together. Taste the mixture for seasoning and adjust as desired. Note that these burgers can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. They also freeze very well.

To cook the burgers, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Next, form the mushrooms mixture into patties — using a round mould will help to evenly shape the burgers — it also makes them easier to firmly press together. This can be done directly on a baking tray lined with parchment or a silicone baking sheet. We used a 3 1/2 inch mould and filled it about halfway with the mushroom mixture. Pace the burgers into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. If desired, the burgers can be flipped halfway through cooking. This will just brown them on both sides, but it's not entirely necessary. Note: These burgers can also be cooked on a hot grill or barbecue with good success.

Serve the burgers either on buns, or use collard greens (or lettuce) as the bun instead. Add your favorite toppings to the burgers (suggestions below), as well as a generous serving of the Tomato Chutney (if using) and enjoy. Here are just a few of the many topping suggestions/ideas: Thinly sliced red onions, Pickled Onions, sprouts, butter lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, Dijon mustard, plant-based mayonnaise, hummus, peanut sauce etc.)

These burgers can also be dehydrated and/or shaped into different forms. For example, If made into rounds, they pari well with things like pasta sauces.