Tempeh Veggie Burgers

Freezer and crock pot meals have been a big game changer for me when it comes to meal prep and planning. I’m sure it’s the same with a lot of you. This year, it’s all about doing it better and changing up the recipes. We try to have a good stock of veggie burgers in the freezer at all times, but over the holidays our count dwindled to zero.

We bought a bulk slab of tempeh (two pounds!) at the Greenstar Coop the last time we were in Ithaca, and I’ve been waiting to do something amazing with it. When I thought to mix together my Freezer Veggie Burger recipe, I stopped myself short. A few pulses of the food processor later and this “meaty” burger was born.

TEMPEH VEGGIE BURGERS

Double this recipe to make 16-18 freezable* burgers.

What you’ll need . . .

• 1 pound tempeh, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped (or 1 clove garlic)
• 2 tablespoons ACV
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup ground flax meal
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• salt, pepper
• other seasonings (optional)

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Alternatively, I used a special pan to form my burgers, which I’ll write more about in a minute.
2. Chop all ingredients and place in your food processor. It helps to pulse the veggies a little first. Then all the tempeh and continue pulsing with the wet ingredients. Then let blend for a few minutes until a wet dough forms.
3. Scoop heaping 1/4 cup of dough onto your sheet and form patties. Flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until burgers feel a bit firm. Then it’s up to you. You can eat right out of the oven. If you want to eat them right away, I suggest heating some olive oil in a pan and browning both sides (I like the crispy texture). 
5. *To freeze: Cool burgers on a cooling rack and then place on wax paper on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen. Put in an airtight container (zip bag is great). To re-heat, let thaw for around 30 minutes. Then heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and brown on both sides.

My mother-in-law bought me this Muffin Top Pan for Christmas, and I’ve made tons of stuff in it, just not muffins! I love the shape for cookies, burgers, and even baked egg dishes (more on that soon). So, if you think a sheet like this might have a million purposes in your kitchen, I wholeheartedly agree.

See? Perfect patties!


I’ve been eating my burgers open-faced on a slice of toasted Ezekiel bread lately. More flavor, a little less bread, and definitely saves money. (That bread is so expensive, which is why we usually make our own.) With a little cheese broiled on top, some sliced tomato, and BBQ sauce? Perfecto.

Stay warm today, friends!


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Seasonal Veggie Wrap

I've been eating this crunchy wrap for lunch often. I use whatever we have on hand from our CSA basket, whatever leftovers might be in the fridge, and a good dressing. I've actually become quite obsessed with dressings lately, but that's a topic for another day.

Let's take a look!

And now . . . the closeup!


SEASONAL VEGGIE WRAP

What you'll need . . .

• A wrap -- I buy mine (multigrain) at Aldi
• A green -- I used spinach
• Something(s) crunchy -- I used carrots and bell peppers
• A spread -- I made some Tahini-Free Hummus*
• A bean or grain -- I had some leftover farro
• Cheese -- this is honey goat cheese**
• Dressing -- this is Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing
• Drizzle -- I like to use hot sauce or even Inglehoffer Sriracha Mustard

* Tahini-Free Hummus is just 1 can of chickpeas -- drained + rinsed -- blended in your food processor with a clove of garlic, a couple tablespoons olive oil, and then 1/4 to 1/2 cup water (until you reach your desired consistency). Season with salt and pepper.

** Omit to make this "recipe" vegan.

Method . . . 

1. Assemble the ingredients as I did above. There are no rules, so feel free to put them on your wrap in whatever order makes the most sense to you. I find it helpful to cut my crunchy veggies into thin strips for easy eating.
2. Hunt in your refrigerator shelves for more leftovers (rogue beans make a good fit) to toss on. Really, this "recipe" is a great way to eliminate food waste.
3. Dress and drizzle for flavor. Then roll into a loose wrap. Everything will be heaping, so you won't have an airtight seal by any means.

What's your favorite seasonal fruit or vegetable?

I'm most excited for TOMATOES to come into full bloom (here's why!). I love Caprese Salads, homemade BBQ Sauce, slow roasted tomatoes, and quick-to-prepare Pasta Sauces.

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