Spinach Patties

I've been using our new chalkboard table to begin teaching my children about yoga philosophy. Each day I use one simple lesson. I figure the 8 limbs of yoga is an age-appropriate place to start.

Today's lesson on Satya seemed well-timed, as Cole came home from camp with complaints from his counselors of not following directions. We talked about how being thoughtful of others might come to play in his behavior at school and how he could be more respectful.

You may have noticed that I don't have many, if any, homemade burger recipes here. True, I have made a few batches over the years, but I haven't really found the perfect burger recipe. So many times they are too dry and crumbly, or they stick and fall apart when cooking, or they stay too mushy on the inside. Until today.

The secret ingredient? Masa flour. Masa is the cornmeal flour used to make tamales and unlike flour, it expands when cooked and stays dense. The result is a burger that is hearty and dense, not crumbly and not soggy. I may just use masa in all my burgers from here on out!

This recipe was adapted from http://thevillagecook.com/spinach-burgers/

Ingredients:
1 large bag of fresh spinach, chopped (about 6 cups)
2 eggs
1/2 cup masa flour
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1 jalapeno, minced
1 green onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 of a diced onion
1 cup of shredded cheese

Bring to boil a large pot of clear water. Pour the fresh spinach into the pot and cook for one minute. Then drain in a large strainer and rinse with cold water. When cool enough to touch, press and squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can. Transfer the spinach to a large bowl.

Add to the spinach the rest of the ingredients, mixing well with a spoon, and/or your hands. Form into four patties and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (I like using a seasoned cast iron skillet, as it uses less oil than our stainless steel skillet).

Serve with your favorite sauce and burger fixings. We used a vegetarian Caesar dressing that paired nicely. The next day we had the leftovers with mayo, a stoneground mustard, shredded cabbage and pepperoncinis. Even better.

Finally, I leave you with a happy picture of Kelly, a big smile and an even bigger ear of corn.