Quinoa Portabello Burgers

Last weekend, my family took a weekend trip out to Oregon. We've constructed a Top 10 Out-West Bucket List, and were able to check two off that list. We had only planned to attend an Oregon Ducks Football game, but when the game time was changed from 1pm to 7pm, we had a whole day to fill. We left Friday afternoon and drove to Bend, OR, a beautiful town in central Oregon, just to the east of the Cascade Mountain Range. Oregon is known for it's breweries, so I looked online for one that had both great beer and food, and I chose Deschutes Brew Pub.

We had a seriously delicious meal that began with a soft pretzel with mustard/beer cheese dip, a winning combination. I had a pint of the Jubeleale, the spicy amber Christmas beer, which was great. For my entree, I ordered off the specials menu, something I rarely do. There was a black bean burger on the regular menu, but the Quinoa Portabello Burger special caught my eye. The burger was full of mushroom flavor, and it held together surprisingly well considering quinoa can be crumbly. There was a melted Havarti cheese on top, with a smear of garlic aioli and baby arugula tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette, red onion and tomato perfectly topped the burger. Both JJ and I would absolutely go back and try everything else on the menu!

Quinoa Portabello Burgers

adapted from Deschutes Brew Pub

1 c. quinoa, rinsed

2 c. vegetable stock

1 tbsp. butter

2 portabello caps, wiped and gills removed. chopped

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 egg

1/4 c. breadcrumbs (I used oat flour)

Four ciabatta rolls

4 oz. Havarti cheese

4 tomato slices

1 oz. baby arugula tossed with 2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette 

Garlic aioli (or mayo mixed with 1 grated garlic clove)

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a small pot, add quinoa, cover and turn to simmer.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa has sprouted its tail. 

Heat a skillet over medium, melt butter, add mushrooms, onion and garlic, saute' for 10 minutes, until vegetables begin to caramelize and moisture has cooked out.

Add balsamic vinegar, turn heat off and stir to deglaze pan.

Add quinoa, mushroom mixture, salt, pepper, thyme, egg and breadcrumbs to a bowl, mix well and place in the refrigerator for an hour.

Heat oven to 400*

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

Form burgers into 4 equal sized patties (I used a 3/4 c. measuring cup) and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until outside is brown and crisp and inside is cooked through.

Place cheese over burger to melt. 

Place burger on a bun, top with tomato, arugula and garlic aioli

Some photos from our weekend, beautiful Crater Lake where Violet saw snow for the first time, and the Oregon Ducks game! 

Stop by tomorrow for a give-away, I picked up a few things to share on our trip at a very special place!