1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the quinoa and 2 cups of the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils and the remaining 3 cups water, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Strain.

3. In a blender, purée the lentil mixture with the bell pepper until they form a slightly chunky paste. Add the soy sauce, paprika, garlic powder, a generous pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper; pulse to combine. Transfer the purée to a bowl and stir in the egg, then stir in the cooked quinoa and quinoa flakes. The mixture should be about as thick as mashed potatoes and able to

loosely hold its shape.

4. Using about ½ cup of the mixture for each burger, form into patties. Place on a plate or baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or as long as several hours, to allow the burgers to firm up.

5. Heat about 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large nonstick skillet, griddle, or grill pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, place the burgers in the pan, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Cook until the underside is browned and crisp, about 8 minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Top with cheese and either cover the pan or put the burgers under a broiler for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Serve on buns with your choice of condiments.

How to Veganize this recipe:

1) Replace the egg with 1 tbsp flax meal or chia seed mixed with 3 tbsp warm water. Allow to sit for several minutes until the mixture firms up like an egg.

2) Replace cheese with Vegan Cheese of choice. or eliminate this step altogether.

3) If you want to eliminate the oil, use vegetable stock or water and sauté the vegetables with that. Add veggies to heated saucepan with 1-2 tbsp of veggie stock or water and sauté, adding more veggie stock or water ass needed to prevent burning. This works just as well as using oil and will save you all that extra fat!

4) Bake the burgers instead of frying them. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place burgers on non-stick baking mat or parchment-lined baking tray. Use a little cooking spray on the mat or parchment to prevent sticking. Bake burgers for 20-30 minutes, turning once halfway through baking.