I call this burger "the real deal veggie burger" because it uses actual whole food REAL veggies (not just ground gluten or a tofu mix) to create these light, delicious, baked patty that you can eat between a bun or bread (as above) or use as a patty with sauce. Some might call them "veggie fritters." But unlike the usual fritters, there is no egg involved, and no deep-frying buckets of grease.
The recipe involves 4 delicious veggies that many of us have on hand:
a small onion, a medium potato, a medium carrot and 2 medium-size zucchini along with a
1/2 cup of fresh Parsley.
The original recipe asks to have the zucchini, carrot and potato all "grated" but I got good results just by throwing them into my food processor and pulsing a few times until they were well chopped and combined. Then I took the processed vegs and let them sit in a bowl with about a 1/2 tsp of salt sprinkled over them, covered with plastic wrap. I let the vegetables rest, and ultimately, "release" their fluids for about five minutes or so. Finally, I pressed the vegetable together in a fine-mesh plastic strainer until they were pretty dry. You can see that process in the video below.
VEGAN BURGERS TODAY
I am an older person (gak!) who has been around to see a variety of "veggie burgers" marketed. I've eaten heavy, gluten-filled burgers that had a texture similar to a mass of chopped elastic bands, and have eaten "tofu" burgers that were just as "hearty" (read: heavy). Yes, I have eaten the latest glamour burger that made its debut in a local fast food joint. Meh. Probably exciting for all those people who are "going vegan" but not all that exciting for those of us who have been eating vegan for a while. The absolute best variety of patties can be found at a Seventh-day Adventist Church potluck. I suggest you drop in sometime-- you will be welcomed and there will be no charge. Maybe call your local Seventh-day Adventist Church to see if there is a potluck coming up (also known as "Fellowship Meal"). Free. Good company. Great vegan food. Usually served up on Sabbath (Saturday) around noon.
The Real Deal Baked Veggie Burger:
After the processed vegs (zucchini, onion and carrot) have been 'wrung dry' so to speak, you add in a number of yummy spices and "binders":
*1/2 cup of Almond Flour or Roasted Ground Walnuts,
*1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast,
*2 tablespoons of Ground Chia or Flax (instead of the egg), and
*1/2 teaspoon each of Cumin, Garlic and 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne (optional), or other preferred spices. Then, Add in the
*finely chopped small Onion and
1/2 Cup finely chopped Parsley or cilantro.
*Add in Salt to Taste.
Mix well. Form into same size burgers (See directions in the video below).
These are the flakiest, yummiest veggie burgers we have ever eaten... they don't hit the tummy like a brick. They taste wonderful: sort of cheezy and delicious.
You will definitely want to watch the video below to get the full recipe and see how the cook forms the patties. She bakes them in a 400 degree F. oven for 20-25 minutes and then flips them to cook for another 15 minutes. Get all the detail there! If you do go to the
youtube video site of this recipe, be sure to subscribe to her channel--
Food Impromptu-- to get more wonderful veggie recipes.
!000
Mouth-watering!
AND-- your kids will love these (minus any cayenne).
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