Handmade Yum!

I've been hankerin' for some veggie burgers lately, but not just any veggie burger. You know that some are so-so and some are downright gross, as far as store-bought patties go. My favorite in that realm are the whole-grain Morningstar Original, which don't try to be like a meat at all. You can see the grains, beans and veggies and I've had them with a vast range of toppings from the standards to the gourmet.

A long time ago, I had a similar needling craving for a good whole-grain burger and went recipe-hunting in my cookbooks and the internet. No single recipe was what I had in mind, so I hybridized probably three or four to create one of those unique batches of unbelievable goodness that can never be replicated. I froze them and they lasted me for a couple of months, but once they were gone they were gone for good. All that I remember now is that they had garbanzos, rice, oats, and some dill. Definitely not enough to make them again, and a sad remnant of a memory of some of the best veggie burgers I've ever eaten!

This time, I approached my homemade veggie burger recipe in a similar fashion, but I decided to record the process here for anyone else that might share my whole-grain preference. I searched through recipes to pick out the ingredients and prep methods that made the most sense to me, but this time I didn't turn up anything appealing. The closest thing was on 101 cookbooks but Heidi calls for ingredients I wasn't really excited about, plus processing everything a lot more than I wanted. I did get the great idea of using steamed sprouted beans rather than canned, which made a huge difference in the taste of my burgers. I highly recommend it if you have the time and think ahead (or can find sprouted beans at the store like I did).

In the end, I just decided to start with the essential grains and veggies I wanted (beans, rice, oats, carrots and mushrooms) and winged it. There were a few dicey moments when it came to forming patties and browning them in the pan -- but I remembered that you have to process some of the beans to release their starches and liquids to form a good binder. Luckily we have a hand blender, so that was short work right in the mixing bowl. I included this step in the recipe below!

These burgers are decidedly not vegan, but they could be made so, and easily I think. My vegan friends can chime in here, but I presume that you could replace the smoky cheese flavor with toasted nuts (or liquid smoke, even?), and the egg with vegan binders like egg replacer mix or pastes with corn starch, nutritional yeast, or agar.

So what was the ultimate result? Pretty darned good. I yielded 8 patties altogether, the first two being crumbly and the rest (pictured above) turned out well after I figured out the bean-processing trick to hold them together. I tried the crumbly ones to see if they were worth continuing to cook, and I couldn't stop eating them... so I'm sure the "good" ones are even better! We will definitely be rewarded for a hard day's work at dinner tonight. Speaking of, I'd better get my behind out to the garden to finish replacing the soil in our planter and get the rest of our greens in!


Sasha's Handmade Whole-Grain Veggie Burgers
2 cups various sprouted legumes (garbanzo, adzuki, peas, lentil)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup raw quick-cook oats
1/2 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 carrot, grated
1/3 cup smoked swiss cheese, grated
3/4 to 1 cup mushrooms (like baby 'bellas) chopped
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons mustard (whole grain, dijon or a mix)
2 teaspoons capers (soaked for 5 minutes to release the salt)
2-3 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
butter or oil for cooking
some flour for forming the patties

While the rice is cooking, prepare the legumes and veggies. Steam the sprouted legumes for about ten minutes, then rinse. Put about 3/4 of the legumes in a food processor (or be crafty with your hand blender!) and puree into a slightly chunky paste. Remove the paste, then roughly chop the remaining 1/4 of the legumes -- this will help them stay in the patties.

Heat a bit of butter or oil on medium-high heat and cook the onion and garlic until they start to go clear (but before the garlic burns!). Add the mushrooms and cook until their juices just start to run. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Start soaking the capers now if you haven't already and they'll be ready to drain by the time you: Grate the carrot and cheese into a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon each, but I'm not big on saltiness). Stir the liquid into the carrots and cheese to combine.

If you're as slow as I am, the brown rice should be done cooking right about now. Add 1 cup of it to the bowl with carrots and cheese, and stir to combine while the cheese melts a bit (you just don't want it to become a big lump). Add the mushroom mix, the legumes (paste and chopped), and the raw oats. Give it a stir to combine, then add the beaten egg and mix it all up until it's a semi-goopy mess. If the batter is too runny, add some oats; if it's too dry, add another egg. If the batter is too hot to handle and form patties, cover and let the bowl sit in the fridge for a while.

Oil a pan (you can use the onion/mushroom one) and heat it on medium. Flour your hands, and scoop out a handful of batter to form into a patty. It won't be super-easy, but the more you handle it the more it'll stick to you and fall apart -- just give it a good squeeze, form the sides and drop it in the pan. Brown one side, and as it cooks the binder will set so flipping will be easy. You know it's time to flip when you can scoot the patty without it sticking to the pan. Brown the other side, then serve.

If you're fridging or freezing, set the patty on a pan or wire rack to cool, then wrap in wax or parchment paper, then foil. They won't stick together or get too frostbitten this way. To reheat, you can stick them in a toaster oven or heat them in a pan with some cooking oil.

Topping Ideas
I'm going to eat mine with some avocado and chile powder, and I'll try some grated raw beets and ginger with lemon on another. Mayo and mustard are always good, or try them with tapenade (a chopped olive spread), pesto, marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers or winter squash, or topped with some cooked greens like beet greens, chard, or kale.

Addition Ideas
Next time I think I'll try adding some nuts like sunflower seeds or toasted walnuts -- pistachios would probably be quite yummy. I'd also try more spices like paprika, thyme, or cumin.


Here's a little treat if you've made it all the way through this recipe..

"Which of these things is not like the other? Which of these things just doesn't belong? Can you tell which thing is not like others, by the time I finish my song?"