Last weekend, our family traveled to Duluth, Minnesota.  As many of you may know, Minnesota is known for its Wild Rice.  My daughter ordered the Meatless Wild Rice Burger at Fitger's Brewery. I tried it and it was delicious. Our daughter is a Vegetarian and so finding good tasting meals when eating out can be a challenge.  Since we all liked the burger so much, I decided to experiment in order to make a similar burger at home.  First off, I learned that wild rice isn't rice at all, it is aquatic grass.  Wild rice is high in protein, very low in fat and high in B vitamins plus it is low in calories.

 

I wanted to share my Wild rice burger recipe. It turned out very well and I thought it would be nice to feature an easy recipe since my on-line searches did not provide many recipes.

 

 

1/2 Cup uncooked wild rice (bring 1 1/2 cup water to boil and add 1/2 Cup rice- cook covered on simmer about 55 minutes)

1/2 Cup brown rice (bring 1 1/2 cup water to boil and add  1/2 Cup rice- cook covered on simmer about 45 minutes)

2 medium eggs

1/2 Cup oatmeal

1/2 Cup Shredded cheddar cheese

1 store bought Garlic stick or piece of bread finely broken into crumbs (you could use crackers or bread crumbs too)

1 Teaspoon of the following; garlic powder, lemon pepper, rosemary, and sage

Add salt and pepper to taste along with a pinch or two of chili powder

2 Tablespoons olive oil

 

When the rice is cooked (be sure that the wild rice has opened) drain any excess fluid and set aside to cool.

 

Mix all ingredients together that are listed above. Start with the cooked rice and then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix like you would mix meatloaf.

 

Form patties (my mixture made 5 large patties)

Put each patty on a piece of aluminum foil or plastic wrap and close up securely

Place in the refrigerator for a least an hour so the burgers can become more firm

 

Place on the grill and cook for about 5-10 minutes on each side on a medium heat grill (watch them so they do not burn)

Place on a bun of your choice and add condiments. We melted sharp cheddar on top while still on the grill. You could also add alfalfa sprouts and onion.

 

Enjoy!  The best part about this burger is that it has a crunchy texture and it is filling without the calories of a hamburger.