Curried Veggie Burgers

Ah, summer and burgers.  The grill.  The bun.  The condiments!  I love veggie burgers— at least I love the idea of them.  Easy to heat and eat, can dress them up for company, or down for a quick summer supper with some lovely greens on the side.  The problem?  Some are bland.  Some are squishy and too fragile.  Store-bought varieties often have ingredients I do not recognize.  And, unfortunately, many online recipes fail when it comes to texture, flavor, and nutritional punch.  After a moderately successful attempt at an online recipe that tasted great but would never stand up to a bun and serious condiments, I finally marched myself into my kitchen, ready to face the veggie burger challenge.

I dug around in the fridge, knowing these burgers would have to include some leftovers.  Quinoa, small white beans, mushrooms, and a bowl of fresh ginger would be the main ingredients from which to build.  I wanted lots of veggies, so took out most of what I had and lined it all up on the kitchen counter.  I wanted lots of flavor, so dug around in the spice cupboard and came up for air holding handfuls of Indian spices.  I chopped and diced, sauteed and sprinkled.  I even measured, just in case I liked the end result.  Good thing I did!

Currie Veggie Burger with Indian Paratha, Chutneys, Onions and Greens

Ingredients:

1 c cooked quinoa

1 c cooked small white beans

2 T ground flax seed

2-3 T coconut oil

2 c peeled, diced sweet potato

1 c diced mushrooms

1/2 c minced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 c minced fresh ginger

1/2 red bell pepper, minced

4 c fresh kale, tough stems removed; chopped fine

3 T curry powder

1 t turmeric

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1/3 c water

1 c frozen green peas

olive oil (for the cookie sheet)
Method:

Process the quinoa, half the beans, and the ground flax in a food processor until mostly smooth.  Set aside.

In a large, heavy, nonstick skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Add the sweet potato, mushrooms, onion, garlic,  ginger, red bell pepper and kale.  Saute until the kale begins to wilt.  Add the curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper.  Stir and saute the spices into the vegetable mixture until incorporated.  Add the water, cover, lower heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes.  Uncover and remove from heat.  Spoon half of the vegetable mixture into the processor and process until the mixture is mostly smooth again.

Scrape down the sides of the processor and spoon the mixture into the vegetables that are left in the skillet.  Stir everything together until well mixed.  Fold in the remaining 1/2 c white beans and the peas.

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Generously oil a cookie sheet with olive oil.  Use an ice cream scoop or cup measure to divide burger mixture into 10 rounds, each about 3/4 c.  Press and shape into patties on cookie sheet.  Bake 15 minutes.  Gently turn with spatula and bake 15 minutes more.

These can be served right away and are great with Indian condiments, such as coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, and onion chutney.  We liked them on Indian paratha with all the condiments and sliced onion, tomato, and bell pepper.

As the burgers cool, they firm up quite a bit.  They can be frozen and reheated on a cookie sheet at 375° for 18-20 minutes, or heated in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until crisp on the outside and heated through.

Dates and Five-Star Bars

Hah!  I can only guess what you are thinking as you read the title of this post, unless, like me, you have a sweet tooth devil over your right shoulder and a health food angel over your left, each whispering loudly in your ear as you consider dessert.  After trying lots of prepared cookies, bars, and other sweet treats, I started to experiment in my kitchen, seeking a sweet, satisfying treat that can be made ahead of time, keeps well in the refrigerator, only has a few ingredients, and costs much less than what we pay in any store.  Oh.  And is a healthful choice.  Just because Oreos  are vegan does not mean they are a healthful choice…once in a while is fine, but a daily dose, not so much.  Dates, though, are sweet and nutritionally packed, a fine choice for a daily dose.

These bars are versatile—you can switch out the secondary fruit, nuts, and spices to duplicate the flavors of almost any pie or cookie.  They are delicious—even the most skeptical eaters find themselves looking for seconds.  They are nutritious—featuring whole dried fruits, nuts and antioxidant-rich spices.  And, they are satisfying—cravings for candy disappear after the first bite.  They have so many good qualities that I have to give them a five-star rating!

Five-Star Bars

Ingredients:

For the base:

16 oz pitted dates

1/2 c walnuts

Add-in combinations:

Apple Pie:  1 c dried apple rings (pre-chopped a bit),  1/4 c raw or roasted almonds, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Cherry Pie:  1 c dried tart cherries, 1/4 c shelled, unsalted, roasted pistachios, 1 generous pinch ground cardamom

Cherry Chocolate Pie:  3/4 c dried tart cherries, 3/4 c vegan chocolate chips, 2 T cacao nibs

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie:  1 c raisins, 1/4 c unsalted roasted peanuts,  1 generous pinch cinnamon

Tropical Delight:  3/4 c dried tropical fruit, such as mango, papaya, and/or pineapple (try to get unsweetened), 1/4 c macadamia nuts, 1 generous pinch cardamom or cinnamon

Mixed Berry Pie:  1 c mixed dried berries, 1/4 c roasted almonds, pinch grated nutmeg

Peanut Butter Cup:  3/4 c vegan chocolate chips, 1/4 c salted, roasted peanuts

Shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional)

Method:

Put the dates in the bowl of a large food processor.  Process until dates are ground fine.  Add the walnuts and pulse to combine.  Pulse again until walnut pieces are about the size of split peas.

Choose your add-ins.  Add fruit and nuts to the date-walnut mixture.  Sprinkle with spice if using.  Pulse mixture until combined but still a bit chunky.  Or pulse a little longer for a finer consistency.  Be careful not to over-mix into a paste.  You want some texture in the bars.

Pour mixture onto a large cutting board.  Use your hands to knead the mixture for a couple of minutes until it holds together.  Roll mixture out into a log.  Use a sharp knife to cut into 20-24 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a bar shape.  Roll in shredded coconut if you like.

Place bars in a glass or other container, keeping bars from touching each other.  Use a piece of parchment paper between layers if necessary.  Refrigerate for an hour or until firm.  These bars can be individually wrapped in parchment or waxed paper for travel, and make a delicious treat in a school or work lunch box.

After you make these a few times, try experimenting with different fruit, nut, and spice combinations to find the ones that make you happiest.