The Great (Veggie Burger) Hunt

I am a woman obsessed. On an endless quest for the perfect veggie burger, and not the store bought kind either.  My teenage years spent as a vegetarian ruined those for me.  Plus, let's not kid ourselves, they're a rather processed food.

I don't want a veggie burger that's trying to be anything like meat.  No offense to regular burgers out there - because I love those too - it's just that I don't see the point of not eating meat but still wishing that it's replacement was vaguely meaty.  My ideal veggie burger would be free of the sog factor and not one bit mushy. It would retain it's ability to stand up to a good bun.  It would be a big vegetable party in my mouth.  

If I had any intelligence my quest would have stopped here.  I would have just put the search on permanent sabbatical and called it a day.  No really, those beet burgers are out of control delicious (if a bit labor intensive) and I would happily eat them forever.  But no.  I still give into the draw of each new veggie burger recipe I come across, hoping and praying that this next one will be "the one".  Alas, most are not and I'm left disappointed.

This burger though, it has great potential.  It's got the flavor down and it's not too fussy to make.  Black beans and quinoa are a great pair.  The beans kinda glue the patty together and the nutty flavor of the quinoa makes for a hearty flavor.  Studded throughout with bits of roasted red pepper and cilantro and enhanced with earthy spiced like cumin and paprika, this veggie burger was about this close to perfect.  Where it falls short is in the texture department.  It still mushes out the sides of the bun, it still crumbles if not perfectly balanced when stacked with ingredients.

However, I'm fairly confident that this is a correctable problem.  Adding a few eggs to the mixture before chilling would probably go a long way towards helping this patty retain a sturdy shape.  (I was hoping the addition of panko crumbs and the chilling before cooking would be the golden ticket, but you know, live and learn.)  I kept the preparation pretty standard - lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayonnaise and a good bun - and I'd recommend the same to you.  There's already a lot going on in there, no need to pile much more on.

And if you try them with eggs?  Please report back.  The weather is warming up and I see the need for veggie burgers in my life greatly increasing.


Quinoa and Black Bean Burgers

There are two parts here I know you'll be tempted to skip, but please don't.   The first is chilling the mixture in the fridge for about an hour.  The second is finishing them off in the oven.  The thing about veggie burgers is that they tend to be a little too moist and squishy in the center and that time in the fridge help the panko crumbs suck up excess moisture and the extra 20 minutes in the oven helps them firm up. That being said, mine still wanted very badly to crumble and fall apart (but not nearly as bas as when I didn't bake them!), so I think the addition of 2 or so eggs to the mixture would have really helped.

8 veggie burgers

1- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1.4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed


In a medium sized pan heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sautee shallots just until translucent (1-2 minutes), then add garlic and sautee about 30 seconds more. Toss in the roasted red bell pepper and turn off the heat.

Next, in a food processor, add the beans, sauteed shallot mixture, cumin, smoked paprika, and good pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until just combined. Add the cooked quinoa and cilantro and again pulse until combined and cilantro has been chopped up a bit. Remove to bowl, add panko crumbs and stir. Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Form mixtures into palm-sized or slightly larger burger patties, you should get about 8.

Heat remaining oil in the same pan you cooked the shallots in. Sear each patty for about 3-4 minutes on each side until nice and browned. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Assemble as you like and eat!

Spring Green

Have you ever had fresh broccoli?  Like picked just hours before eating, fresh?  Oh man, it's a game changer.  How anyone ever used the word bitter to describe its taste will totally escape you when you eat it that fresh.  It's sweet and mild and the "green" flavor is incredibly mellow.  This stuff ruins your commercial grocery store broccoli - and that's a good thing.

After working at a farmer's market, I take anyone's declaration that they don't care for a certain food (more specifically vegetables and fruits) as a personal challenge.  I'm convinced that they need only to try it fresh, sold to them by the same hands that grew and harvested that food to change their minds and make them a believer.  Yep, I'm that person.

You know who else I am?  I'm the one who, when you invite me over for dinner, or a potluck, or insert event here where there is this food, I bring the salad.  Or some vegetable.  I always show up with the "healthy" dish, it never fails.  I don't mean it as a commentary on what you're serving and I'm certainly not judging you (I like you! We're friends!  Your food is probably good too!), it's just that I suffer from crippling anxiety that there will be no vegetables for me to eat.

This salad of broccoli and quinoa is just the kind of dish you'd expect me to show up with for a few reasons.  First, it's just so dang pretty when it's plated.  When you top it all off with toasted sliced almonds, creamy avocado pieces and crumbled feta, it dosen't look like you're trying to cram some sort of health food down people's throats.  Second, it packs quite the vegetable punch.  Sure you can see the sweet little broccoli florets tucked in there, but every single bit of this quinoa is coated in a broccoli pesto that is to die for.  Using the freshest broccoli and just barely steaming it keep it's sweet quality intact and ensures there's no bitter taste or sulfurous smell.  What's that you say?  You don't like broccoli?  We'll see about that...


Double Broccoli Quinoa
Adapted from 101cookbooks

This is certainly a fine dish for leftovers or making ahead, but you're best off storing the elements (the quinoa, the broccoli pesto, the toppings) separately and mixing just before serving. Also, as is frequently the case with raw garlic in dishes, the longer the pesto sits, the more potent the garlic flavor gets. If the idea of a strong garlic flavor is off putting to you (or you're planning on bringing the leftovers to work for lunch) consider using less garlic, or roasted garlic in it's place could be nice too.

4-6 servings

3 cups cooked quinoa*
5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems
3 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Grana Padano
salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup milk
crumbled feta
sliced avocado

*To cook quinoa: rinse one cup of dry quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa, two cups of water, and a few big pinches of salt until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

In a big pot just barely steam the broccoli florets for 1 minute. They should turn bright green, but remain crisp and sweet. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside.

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, Parmesan, salt, lemon juice and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and milk and pulse until smooth.

Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with the broccoli pesto. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Turn out onto a serving platter and top with the remaining almonds, some sliced avocado and crumbled feta cheese.

Clean Slate, Clean Plate

A big part of our moving experience was downsizing and simplifying.  We moved from an 800 square foot 2 bedroom place to a 1 bedroom in a city where real estate is a pretty penny.  Everything we owned was scrutinized and evaluated and a lot of it was put into bags for donation or trash.  Would this even fit in the new place?

In the end it felt good.  Freeing.  There's less clutter in our lives and we know that we're surrounded by things with meaning, things that we love.

Maybe you've noticed some changes around here, too?  I've been playing around with this blog a bit in the past few weeks, seeking out simple and clean, something that felt more like me.  The me now, not the me who started this blog a year and a half ago.  I took down the old banner and replaced it with simple text because that isn't my kitchen anymore.  You'll see other places you can find me just over there to the right.  Besides here of course.  I can't be trusted to keep up with posting my weekly meal planning, so instead I'll just post links over there to what I'm cooking, what's inspiring me right now and other recipe obsessions.  Some you might find me posting about here later, others not.

See?  Simple.

Just like these little quinoa cakes.  Need I profess my love for Heidi Swanson and 101 Cookbooks again?  I could go on for days.  These little patties are the perfect kind of food.  Unpretentious, simple and so versatile.  They are a breeze to put together, cook up to a beautiful golden brown color and have endless possibilities for switching it up.  A different herb, a different cheese, serve it on it's own or as a veggie burger.  They don't crumble to pieces and they travel well.  I had them with a bit of lebneh, a middle eastern strained yogurt cheese, dolloped on top and the flavors reminded me a bit of potato pancakes.  So comforting.

Quinoa Cakes

recipe from Super Natural Every Day, Heidi Swanson

Another rockstar recipe from the lovely Heidi Swanson.  Just savory enough and totally open to changes.  Try a different herb (parsley?), throw in a different cheese (fontina?), take it to another level with some spices, or just leave it as is.  I made the smaller patties as written, but make them a bit bigger and I think you could have a delicious veggie burger on your hands.  When I had them topped with lebneh the flavor reminded me of potato pancakes.  Only these pack much more protein and are arguably more healthy.

12 small-ish patties

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

4 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup whole grain bread crumbs

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

greek yogurt or lebneh for serving

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture that you can easily form into 1" thick patties.  A good palmful amount will yield about 12 patties total.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet (I used nonstick) over medium heat, add enough patties to fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned.  Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties.  Serve atop a big green salad or top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and extra snipped chives.