Miso quinoa, chickpea and kale patties/burgers

Does it ever baffle you how much procrastination can wrap itself into busy, busy days? Or maybe that confounding feeling is really a reality check to trim down priorities. Focus a little more closely on what you're not going to do.

One thing I can't do in this moment is write much. I need to do a little de-cluttering, both physical space and brain. Luckily, there's not much I really want to say about this recipe except that it came about because I couldn't stop thinking about how much I enjoyed these simple, versatile, adaptable-leftovers-making kale avocado wraps. The miso dressing was wonderful in rice and salad dishes in the couple days that followed, and I loved the combination of the avocado and tomatoes with the tempeh.

I started wondering, what would a burger variation of the wraps be like...but maybe with something other than tempeh, and arrived at including chickpeas for a subtle nuttiness. Then I added quinoa and sweet potato, and found myself using one of my own recent Ancient Harvest recipes as a template, kind of a fun first. The resulting patties worked great on their own over greens, and in buns, topped with avocado and tomatoes.

I'll be making these patties/burgers again for sure...but not for a couple of weeks, at least. Next week is likely to be easy-as-can-be meals spontaneously selected based on what's in the house. I'm anticipating an exhausted lack of creativity...because we're trying TENT CAMPING with the little monkey this weekend for the first time! He loves nature, and boy does little boy have stamina. So we could be tired...or then again we could be revitalized and giddy and up for creating with abandon. We'll see...lucky wishes welcome. :)

Miso quinoa, chickpea and kale patties Yields approximately 8 patties

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2  cups baked, mashed sweet potato (about 1 large)
• 2 cups chopped greens
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 2 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Optional to serve: Gluten free buns, extra greens, sliced avocado and tomatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F.
2. In a large bowl, mash chickpeas with a potato masher (keep somewhat chunky). Add  baked mashed sweet potato, cooked quinoa, greens, scallions, and oats and stir to thoroughly combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk miso, rice vinegar and pepper with a fork. Add to chickpea mixture and combine well.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form 8 patties onto parchment.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, then gently and carefully flip each patty, and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Allow to firm up further as needed in warm oven.
6. Serve over greens or rolls with toppings of choice.