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sticking with it May 25, 2010

Posted by molly in : burgers , 3comments

one thing i’d love to master is a good veggie burger. i don’t mean something made out of tofu or soy mince (obviously) – i mean a burger with real vegetables/beans/grains, like the organic superveg burger at the veggie table or dr praeger’s california veggie burgers.

but my problem is making burger patties that stick together while cooking. there’s no way one of those will make it to the barbecue or grill – it’s hard enough trying to keep them intact in a frying pan. so what’s the solution?

well, i figured mark bittman may have some sort of solution. and it appears he does: the spring vegetable burger from how to cook everything vegetarian is bound by mashed potatoes, which seem to do the trick nicely. (sidenote: does that link work for you? if so, then you can see all of the recipes in how to cook everything vegetarian FOR FREE! mind=blown.)

we served ours up for dinner last night on a multi-seed bun (feel free to omit or use a gluten-free burger bun instead), and some baby spinach leaves. and of course, heinz 57.

fresh spring vegetable burger

from how to cook everything vegetarian by mark bittman; makes 6 burgers

the particulars:

  • 1 pound baby new potatoes
  • salt
  • 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh asparagus, finely chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, parsley, and chives, finely chopped
  • freshly ground black pepper
  1. put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. sprinkle in some salt and bring to the boil. turn the heat down slightly and leave to cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are really tender. drain and set aside.
  2. meanwhile, get a griddle pan or skillet nice and hot and add about 1 tbsp of the olive oil. add the asparagus and cook for a couple of minutes, until slightly tender. add the peas and herbs and mix with the asparagus. cook for another two minutes or so, until everything is warmed through, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
  3. combine the cooked potatoes and vegetable/herb mixture in a large mixing bowl and mash. add more seasoning if necessary. leave the mash for a few minutes to cool and rest before shaping into 6 evenly sized patties.
  4. wipe down the griddle pan or skillet you used in step 2 and add more of the olive oil. heat up the pan again and add the patties, as many as will fit in the pan. cook until nicely browned on one side and carefully flip, until firm and browned. this whole process may take up to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your patties. add more oil if necessary to assist in browning and adhering each patty.
  5. remove from the pan and serve with burger buns, ketchup, salad, etc etc etc. the choice is yours really :)

out with the old March 1, 2010

Posted by molly in : burgers , add a comment

how on earth did people plan a wedding / research vacation spots / search for a new apartment before the internet? there is TOO much information – it’s positively mind-boggling. but at the same time, SO FUN. although i tend to get carried away, as i’m sure it’s quite easy for many of us to do.

so, my recipe collecting is definitely going on the back burner. you may see a few repeats over the next…. year or so. but that just means i’ll be perfecting a new “classic”, right? right.

i did manage to put together a new dish last night for dinner – one that almost worked. vegetarian burgers are really difficult to make yourself, and near impossible to make perfectly. these ones were certainly tasty, they just lacked the right burger quality – as in, you definitely couldn’t eat them in normal burger fashion. it was more of a fork and knife event. regardless, a nice basis for something that could be great.

spiced red bean and bulgar burgers

adapted from a bbc good food recipe – makes 4 burgers

the particulars:

  1. simmer the bulgar wheat/couscous/quinoa in boiling water for 5 minutes. drain really well, put back in the pan and put on a lid to steam and dry out for a few more minutes. cool completely. cook the onion in a tiny bit of olive oil in a small pan until golden, add the garlic and spices and cook for a few minutes. cool. roughly mash the kidney beans with the back of a fork so you still have some large bits of bean. mix in the cooled onion, bulgar and breadcrumbs, then season and form into 4 burgers. chill for 30 minutes, or until you want to cook them.
  2. to cook, heat a non-stick pan with a little oil. cook for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden and crisp, pushing against the edge of the pan to brown the edges.
  3. serve in rolls with lettuce and tomatoes and a dollop of sweet chilli sauce.

lesson learned: these burgers need a binding agent, as they crumble while they cook. at the very least, they need some water or oil to soften all of the dry ingredients (specifically the breadcrumbs). be warned!

burger without a grill November 2, 2009

Posted by molly in : burgers , 1 comment so far

my dad’s the type of guy who will barbecue no matter what the temperature or weather outside. that’s because he knows how good grilled food tastes. i wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to grill out on new year’s eve, when i’ll be visiting him in rhode island. throw some veggies in foil and stick them on the barbie. what better way to ring in 2010?

we bought a little kettle grill this past summer and used it a couple of times. our most successful use came on 4th july when we had a little bbq party with lots of veggie (and non-veggie) burgers. and of course S’MORES.

but now that it’s november, i just can’t bring myself to stand outside on our little balcony, watching over a smokey grill. so i was glad to discover this recipe for falafel burgers from olive magazine. and with a little switcheroo on some of the ingredients, it felt just like summer in our cosy flat.

falafel & goat’s cheese burgers

these little babies require a food processor. a blender won’t cut it (i discovered) — literally.

IMG_7394

the particulars:

  1. put the first 8 ingredients in a food processor and whizz until broken down. tip into a bowl, mix in the goat’s cheese, and form into 4 small burgers. fry them in a pan with a little bit of olive oil until golden.
  2. serve in grilled pita pockets with hummus and mixed greens.

lesson learned: use the right tool for the job. don’t expect a blender to do the same things as a food processor. gadget fail.