Better Veggie Burgers On Demand

Here’s another installment of my Make It Better series. This time, I’m focusing on veggie burgers, which are one of the favorites in our house. Well, besides pizza and garlic knots and homemade ciabatta bread. I used to follow recipes for veggie burgers, but once I got down the basics of this method, I use whatever we have on hand to mix together delicious patties on demand.

Like this kidney bean burger!

// Choose Your Bean

Canned beans are easy in a pinch and if you need burgers to fill your tummy, like, now. If you have a bit more time, try soaking and cooking beans for less salt and BPA. I usually just use one can of beans (drained + mashed) or around 1-1/2 cups as my base.

And anything that’s bean-ish (and mashes) works, too.

• Chickpeas
• Kidney beans
• Black beans
• Lentils
• Split peas
• Canelli beans
• Sweet potato

// Chop Veggies Small

The key to fast burgers that don’t require a food processor? Chopping your veggies super small so they’ll incorporate well. I use around 1 cup of veggies total, but they can be a mix of anything I have on hand. How much you use total might also depend on the specific veggie, so be creative and keep the ratio pretty much 1:1 or a little less.

Some of my favorites:

• Onions
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded sweet potato
• Shredded zucchini
• Garlic
• Peas
• Corn
• Mushrooms
• Olives

// Add Healthy Bulk

A lot of veggie burger recipes I made at the start used breadcrumbs to bulk up. Over the years, I’ve used all different ingredients to get that bulk. I always add this part by feel. You want a patty that is not too dry but also not sticking to your hands. Usually this means around 1+ cup of bulk, depending on what you use. You can also (and I suggest you do) combine different bulk items, like flax meal and rolled oats or almond meal and sunflower kernels.

Any suggestions to add?

• Almond meal
• TVP or TSP
• Whole wheat breadcrumbs
• Flax meal
• Rolled oats
• Sunflower kernels 

// Spice It Up

Here’s where I get creative. I honestly just start dumping in spices and taste as I go along. You can get away with just using salt and pepper. But sometimes, you want to have more fun. Start by adding a half teaspoon of different things and build. You can always add more spice, not take away. And if you splash in any liquids (maybe a tablespoon or so), you might need to add more bulk to soak up the moisture. Play it by ear.

Spice:

• Smoked paprika
• Curry powder
• Turmeric 
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Dill
• Cayenne
• BBQ sauce
• Apple cider vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Tamari

// Bake It

After your mix starts to come together -- and feel free to tweak the ratios till you get something perfect -- you bake. Now, I didn’t always bake my veggie burgers before cooking them on the stove. But I’ve found doing so helps them keep their shape. And once they cool on the rack, you can transfer to your freezer for healthy weeknight dinners in a flash. Anyway, you can take or leave this tip.

If you do choose to bake:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet w/ parchment.
• Scoop burgers by heaping 1/4 cups + flatten into patties.
• (I also love using my muffin top pan for this process!)
• Placing on your cookie sheet and bake around 15 to 20 minutes.
• Then brown them on your stove-top. 
• Add some cheese and melt by placing a cover on your pan.

// Related

10 Steps To Slow Cooker Perfection
Bake Better Kale Chips
Blend Better Green Smoothies
Chickpea Burgers
Bulk Veggie Burgers -- Frozen
Beet Burgers
Full Sandwich + Burger Recipe List

And if you need more ideas on how to use beans in your cooking:


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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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Cauliflower + Eggplant Mash, Two Ways

If you’d rather skip the traditional mashed potatoes this year in favor of a more veggie-filled side -- this recipe is for you. Not only that, you can transform any leftovers into a delicious veggie burger! Actually, you can do the veggie burger with any mash you might have on hand, but first I’ll cover making the roasted mashed veggies.

Chop.
Season.
Roast.
Blend.
Enjoy!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER + EGGPLANT MASH

Makes around 4 cups total.

What you’ll need . . . 

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 medium eggplant, skin peeled + chopped
• Handful nutritional yeast
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil
• Water
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place veggies on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast for around 1 hour -- stirring every 20 minutes until everything is browned and soft.
4. Transfer to a food processor and add water 1/4 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I used around 1-1/4 cups water total.
5. Mix in the Earth Balance and serve in a large baking dish.

LEFTOVER MASH BURGERS

A wonderful way to use the rest!

What you’ll need . . .

• 2 cups Cauliflower + Eggplant Mash (cold)***
• 1 cup texturized soy protein
• 1 cup rolled oats, uncooked
• 1/2 cup sunflower kernels 
• 1/4 cup flax meal

Method . . . 

1. In a large bowl, simply mix all the ingredients together by hand until well incorporated.
2. You can add any extra seasonings you might want, but I found the original mix to be quite flavorful on its own.
3. Then shape into patties -- about 8 in all. 
4. *** Alternatively, if you didn’t quite have 2 cups of mash, you can use just one cup and half the other ingredients for 4 burgers.
5. Then cook in a fry pan with some olive oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides.
6. I even froze my burgers using these instructions.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING -- and don’t forget dessert!

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Zucchini Burgers // Vegan + Gluten-Free

See a trend? I can't promise I'll be able to swing it every week -- but I'm trying to offer up some tasty recipes that make use of the same ingredients in different ways. And I also like if I can make meals and treats using ingredients primarily purchased at Aldi.

Yesterday was delightfully vegan Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread.

Today:

ZUCCHINI BURGERS
Makes 6-8. Vegan. Gluten-Free. Delicious.

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cups grated zucchini
• 1/2 white onion, diced or grated
• 1 can beans (I used white beans) -- drained + rinsed
• 2 tablespoons flaxmeal
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sunflower kernels
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika + chipotle seasoning (or other spices)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. Pulse the beans in your food processor a few times. Alternatively, you can roughly mash with a fork. You want them mushy, but not pureed like hummus.
2. Then combine all ingredients in a large bowl. You can use a big spoon or even your hands. Just mix until everything is well incorporated.
3. Then take palmfuls of the "dough" and form 6-8 patties. 
4. Place patties on a plate (wax paper is optional) and refrigerate for an hour or more to help firm up. I actually found the burgers we left in the fridge overnight did better.*
5. Then heat some olive oil in a fry pan on your stove top and cook on both sides until browned.

* Since this recipe doesn't have flour or oats or any other type of grain, it is a bit mushier when cooked. However, if you don't press the burgers down flat while cooking, they keep their shape nicely. Worth it for a true veggie burger sans fillers -- IMO.

Slap between slices toasty bread.

Top with salsa, avocado, or whatever else you desire!

Maybe some Baby Kale Pesto?


Much to my surprise, salsa and mustard make a winning combination! I love these burgers because they are light and seedy. I don't know what it is, but I have a thing with seeds lately. So, feel free to substitute any ingredients you have on hand.

// MORE SANDWICHES + BURGERS:

• Lentil + Quinoa Burgers*
• Black Bean-Tempeh Burgers*
• Vegan Churchkey New Luther MEGA Sandwich*
• Black Bean-Spinach Burgers*
• Caprese Sandwich
• Moosewood Asparagus Melt
• The Ultimate Vegetarian Sandwich
• The Ultimate Stuffed Veggie Burger
• Open-Face Portabella Sandwich
• Vegan Sloppy Joes*
• Green Hummus Sandwich
• Apple-Cheese Bagel Sandwich
• Chickpea Burgers*
• Vegetarian Juicy Lucy
• Veggie Behemoth: The Lover Sandwich
• High Maintenance Melt
• Mayo-Less Egg Salad
• Black Bean Burgers*
• Fire-Grilled Camp Sandwich
• Gourmet Grilled Pizza
• Hummus Melts
• Seitan Dogs, Part I: The Dogs*
• Seitan Dogs, Part II: Toppings

* means VEGAN

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Vegetable Burgers in Bulk + Frozen

We've covered a lot of meals this month, haven't we? And as I mentioned in my freezer month cooking tips -- I love simple recipes that mix together using just my two hands. This veggie burger recipe is great because you don't need many tools to make it. And you can customize using any vegetables or grains you have on hand within reason.

Use black beans or kidney beans or even garbanzos. Sub in brown rice or quinoa for oats. Use sweet potatoes or parsnips instead of carrots or spice things up with jalapeno peppers. You get the idea, just stick to the basic ratios and adjust the moisture content as needed. The goal is for it to be moist, but not sticky when you form the mix into patties.

Here we go!

HAND-MIXED VEGGIE BURGERS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups black beans, drained + rinsed
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 3/4 to 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup sunflower or other seeds/nuts
• 1/4 cup flax meal 
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika + chipotle seasoning
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste 

Method . . . 

1. Prepare all ingredients ahead of time (be sure to chop everything finely so it will blend well). 
2. Then put your beans in a large bowl and mash gently with your hands. Add in the oats and bread crumbs and toss.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and just keep mixing until it's all incorporated, adjusting with more/less dry versus wet ingredients. Check seasoning, too, to make any modifications.

// TO FREEZE + COOK:

Get a baking sheet and line with parchment or wax paper (I would have done this, but I was out!). Form dough into 12 to 16 patties, depending on the size of burgers you want. Then cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for about an hour, until firm. Then transfer patties into freezer bags. To prevent sticking, I put mind in smaller batches in smaller bags and then put four of these smaller bags in one larger freezer bag.

You may also cook some of these burgers right away if you wish -- just use a medium pan with some olive oil over medium-high heat and work to golden brown on each side. Serve with your favorite bread or bun.

To cook once frozen, let thaw completely and then cook using the instructions above.

If you're just catching up, be sure to check out these posts!

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We Heart Beet Burgers

I have a couple recipes for you this that feature a special ingredient: B-E-E-T-S. I figure since it's Valentine's Day and all, why not make everything bleed red to add color to the festivities? Well, there's that. AND we often roast large batches of beets and -- besides eating them plain/whole -- don't know what to do with them.

Problem solved.

Now, if you need instructions for how to roast beets, check out this post. They taste much better than the canned variety. 

BEET BURGERS

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 onion
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic
• 1 can canelli or kidney beans, drained + rinsed
• 1 large beet (roasted, skinned, chopped -- a solid half cup or more)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped red peppers
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• Spices of choice. I used 1 teaspoon curry powder, thyme, paprika, salt + pepper
• 1/3+ cup cornmeal

Method . . . 

1. In a food processor, chop the onion and garlic until minced.
2. Then add the beans, beets, oats, and spices. Pulse 5 to 6 times, scrape down sides, and pulse another few times until chunky, but better incorporated. Season more as necessary.
3. Place container in the fridge for a half hour or so. Then when you're ready to cook, take out of the fridge and mix with 1/3 cup (or more -- add 1 tablespoon at a time) or cornmeal. You want the mixture to be soft, but not wet. It will firm while cooking.
4. Place a pan over medium heat with some olive oil inside of it. Shape the mixture into patties.
5. You can make two gigantic burgers, 4 sensibly sized ones, or 8 sliders. Depending on how many Valentines you have in your life this year, I guess.
6. Cook on both sides until golden brown.
7. Serve on buns or between two mini rounds of our new favorite naan.

Not only do these beet burgers look gorgeous (and perhaps freaky to meat-eaters who might think you're chewing on a very rare meal), they taste great, too. The earthy sweetness of the beets really shines through. We've made these three times already with different variations on beans and spices -- so feel free to play around.

Stay tuned for a beet muffin (vegan + gluten free) recipe later in the week as we continue to celebrate Valentine's Day. And tomorrow I'll post more grocery savings tips!

xoxo

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White Bean & Corn Veggie Burgers

When Stephen and I don't know what to make for dinner, we often default to our favorite veggie burger recipes. This evening, we made up a new one to add to the bunch.

WHITE BEAN & CORN VEGGIE BURGERS

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup canelli beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup corn kernels
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Put everything but the corn kernals into a food processor and pulse until relatively smooth (you'll want some texture, but how much is up to you).
3. Then mix in the corn and form into 4 patties. The "dough" will be very wet -- we patted ours into some extra cornmeal to shape.
4. Then coat a frying pan with a bit of oil and brown on both sides over medium-high heat.
5. When all are browned, place them on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

But the real trick is in the sauce.
Took our dinner from eh to WOW in 1 minute flat.
Plus, we found a use for the pineapple Stephen's parents gave us this weekend.


1-MINUTE PINEAPPLE BBQ SAUCE

Combine the follow ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Then put in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes (to thicken a bit).

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup pineapple
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (we used a kind that also has chipotle)
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds

And if you'd like to read about our failed weekend hike, head over to Writing Chapter Three. Ada: 1; The parents: 0.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's recipe. It's the healthiest cookie I could come up with . . . that uses Reece's peanut butter cups as a base.

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