Cornmeal Crusted White Bean Burgers

I'm back on the (healthy foods) wagon so I'll be posting some lighter fare in hopes of revisiting it soon. I loved the flavor of these burgers, though they are a little mushy - as in, don't think you can just toss it onto the parilla because it's kind of like grilling mashed potatoes. And to give fair warning - these are lightly fried (something I neglected to notice until after assembly).

Cornmeal Crusted Bean & Quinoa Burgers
from Eating Well

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup quinoa, picked over, soaked, scrubbed & rinsed (I may be exaggerating here but I hate gritty bites of quinoa)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup red (I used green) onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups cooked white beans, well drained (I only made half of this recipe and used one can of beans - drained & rinsed)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I didn't have it so I used sweet paprika and a touch of cayenne)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro (or substitute parsley), chopped
• 3 Tablespoons cornmeal, plus extra for coating burgers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly groung pepper to taste
• Dash of hot sauce (This was my addition and may have messed with the consistency of the burgers, but I really don't think that's what made them mushy)

Bring water to a boil and add quinoa, returning to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover and cook until water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Uncover and set aside. Sauté onion and garlic in 1 T oil until soft, about 3 minutes. Add beans, paprika and cumin. Mash beans to a smooth paste with a potato masher. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool slightly. Stir in quinoa, cilantro, 3 T cornmeal, salt & pepper (and a dash of hot sauce if you'd like). Form mixture into 6 patties and coat with cornmeal. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 3 burgers at a time until brown and crisp on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. 

You know, until they look like this:

The original recipe also includes a guacamole recipe, which I'm sure is lovely, but I just tossed on some avocado slices and mustard. Yum. Oh, and if you're a super good girl you would use a whole wheat bun. Whoops.