Wild Rice Pecan Burgers

Process:

1. Ahead of time: cook wild rice and soak sunflower seeds in water for at least 4 hours (can soak longer in a jar in the fridge, ie. several days).
2. Make the veggie burgers: combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 6 or 7 times. Then stop and scrape down the sides and give it a stir. Pulse another 4 to 5 times or until it holds together, but there are still bits and pieces left whole to give it texture.
3. Heat a ceramic nonstick skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. If using a traditional skillet, add a little oil to keep the burgers from sticking.
4. Form 8 equally sized balls from the mixture and shape into patties about an inch thick. Place in the heated pan, and do not touch for 10 minutes. Check and make sure they have browned well before carefully flipping and cooking an additional 5 minutes to brown the other side too. Transfer to a plate for serving.
5. While the veggie burgers cook, make the spread: Rinse and drain the soaked sunflower seeds and add to a blender with the remaining sauce ingredients. Puree until smooth, then taste for seasoning. (Make adjustments with salt and lemon juice if needed.)
6. To build the burgers: Spread each bun half with the creamy sunflower chive spread and layer with a patty, sliced avocado, red onion, and sprouts, if desired. Serve immediately. Makes 8 small burgers or 4 large burgers. Leftover cooked patties store well in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days.