Vegan Beet Burger

I've loved beets since I was a child. I'd eat them straight out of the canning jar. I now enjoy steaming fresh beets, slicing them up and eating them in my salads. I've also used them in my smoothies. Beets have many health benefits that can keep a body moving. The first time I ate a beet burger was with my daughter, Heather. She took me to a popular restaurant in the city where she lives. Known for their burgers, this restaurant was indeed crowded. We sat at the bar are ordered our food. I, of course, ordered the beet burger. I had to. I thought it was odd that someone would actually use beets in a burger. I wanted to know what it looked like as much as anything. It was really good. I think the sauce on top had a lot to do with it too. 

Since I love cooking, I had to figure out how to duplicate this burger. I got online and found a couple of recipes for these burgers. I tried one but it was a failure. I thought, I'll just make up my own and go from there. This is what I came up with. I hope you will enjoy this treat! It's super easy and quick. I served mine with slices of avocado and sriracha mayo.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked beets
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth, stop and scrap down the sides and pulse again until smooth and well blended.
2. Add 2 tsp olive oil to skillet and place on medium heat.
3. Dip out a large spoonful of batter and pat out with hands.
4. Place in the skillet and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side.
5. Place on a plate and keep warm. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings.

Sriracha Mayo: 1/4 cup mayo and 1 TBSP sriracha sauce. Stir to combine.

Yield: 10 patties

Quinoa Patties with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

For years I've had this recipe in my folder that someone gave me (likely my mother.) I kept it because I love quiona and sun-dried tomatoes. Recently, because I needed to come up with something fairly quick and didn't have time to run to the grocery store, I made these patties. What a pleasant surprise they were! Full of rich flavors. The lemon give way to a pleasant surprise in every bite. I didn't have the Monterey Jack cheese, but substituted Parmesan-Romano cheese. I've made them both ways and prefer the Parmesan-Romano version better. I've also substituted kale for the spinach. It's your patty and your recipe, use what you have on hand. Plan ahead though, as it's best to chill the mixture 30 minutes prior to cooking the patties. If you don't need them all at once, only cook what you need and save the other patties to cook have a few days later. Just cover them well to prevent drying out or package them individually and freeze them for another time.

Quinoa Patties

• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped coarse, plus 1 TBSP oil

• 4 scallions, chopped fine

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup prewashed white quinoa

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk, lightly beaten

• 2 ounces baby spinach, chopped (about 2 cups)

• 2 ounces Parmesan-Romano cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)**

• 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest plus 2 tsp juice

• 2 TBSP olive oil

**can use Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Heat tomato oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add scallions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in water, quinoa, and salt and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue to simmer until quiona is tender, 18-20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let sit, covered, until liquid is fully absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.

3. Add sun-dried tomatoes, egg, egg yolk, spinach, Monterey Jack, lemon zest, and lemon juice to cooled quinoa and mix until uniform. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, pack firmly into 1/2 inch-thick patties and place on a prepared sheet.

4. Refrigerate, uncovered, until patties are chilled and firm, about 30 minutes.

5. Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully lay 4 patties in skillet and cook until well browned on first side (8-10 min.). Gently flip patties and continue to cook until golden on second side (8-10 min.)

6. Transfer patties to plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining patties.

*To keep patties from falling apart, wait until they are well browned before attempting to flip them.

Black Bean Edamame Burger

When I made the decision to stop purchasing processed foods, I was faced with the reality that I would need to make my own veggie burgers. Packaged veggies burgers taste good and are extremely convenient. This was not going to be an easy transition. The search began to find a veggie burger that not only has great flavor, but stayed together. After trying many different recipes, I found this gem. Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients. It's worth the effort. I typically double the recipe and freeze the majority of the burgers. That way I can have quick access during the week, when life gets its busiest.

Black Bean Edamame Burgers

• 3 TBSP olive oil, plus extra for the baking pan

• 1/3 cup farro

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 medium carrots, shredded

• 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed, caps diced

• 2 15 1/2-ounce cans black beans

• 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

• 1 TBSP Dijon mustard

• 1 TBSP soy sauce

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, optional

• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

• 1/2 tsp salt Pinch freshly ground pepper

• 2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

• Heat 1/2 TBSP of the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the farro and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer the grains 20 minutes. If not yet al dente, simmer for another few minutes until desired texture is reached. Drain and set aside.

• In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 1/2 TBSP of olive oil. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the mushroom caps and continue cooking until softened, 2 additional minutes.

• In a food processor, pulse all but 1/2 cup of the beans to a chunky puree; transfer to a bowl. Fold in the remaining 1/2 cups of beans, edamame, cooked farro, onion mixture, cumin, chili powder, bread crumbs, Dijon, soy sauce, cilantro, parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt or seasoning as desired. Let the mixture cool until no longer steaming, then mix in the eggs. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hour (this step helps the patties stay together.)

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with nonstick liner or parchment. Using your hands, form the mixture into large patties (3 1/2"-4" in diameter, 3/4" thick) and lay them on the baking sheet several inches apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the patties have browned slightly on top.

Yield: 6-8 patties depending on size