Try Again: veggie bean burgers
Have you heard about this Meat Free Monday thing Paul McCartney is promoting? Well, I say, good on you, P, but you're years behind David Suzuki. I took on the David Suzuki Nature Challenge sometime between 2002 and 2004 (I just remember I was living on Dundee Avenue), and one of my goals has always been to eat 1-2 vegetarian meals and 1 fish meal per week. Okay, so I don't always meet the goal, as this blog clearly demonstrates, but the intent is there and the follow through is occasional. (Side note: my lunches are very often vegetarian. Just sayin.)
Tonight, we ate, in Greg's words, "the best vegetarian meal ever." High praise. From October 2010's Today's Parent: Red Bean Veggie Burgers, which, blast it, they don't have online. Okay, here goes:
Red Bean Veggie Burgers
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) red kidney beans,* mashed smooth
1 cup (250 mL) grated sweet potato
1 cup (250 mL) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (125 mL) quick oats**
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped red onion
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh cilantro***
1 tsp (5 mL) each salt, cumin and chili powder
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
In a large bowl, combine beans, potato, cheese, oats, red onion, cilantro, salt, cumin and chili powder. Add the egg, mix and form 6 patties. Heat oil in a large frying pan, cooking patties 5 minutes per side, or until heated through and golden brown.
*Beans: I used dried beans, soaked for a day, boiled for two hours, and then mashed. If you use canned, you may want to rinse them to remove the salt, as you are adding salt in the recipe.
**Oats: I used large flake (15-20) minute oats, turned out fine.
***Cilantro: added to half the burgers only. See October 19th post for commentary on Greg's hate for cilantro.
The recipe didn't say what to do with the burgers once they were cooked. Based on the spices involved, I opted for a bun-free assembly (ie, no assembly), topped with salsa and sour cream. Delicious! Two burgers and a small salad and I was stuffed.
Kirsten...you continue to amaze me!! This recipe sounds awesome! Happy to support the vegetarian lifestyle, if even for a meal a week and even happier to hear my brother loved it. T
ReplyDeleteI read this recipe in the mag and thought 'hmm, would like to try those.' Then turned the page and forgot. Glad to hear they are good, I will keep imagining that I have time to shop for and make them.
ReplyDeleteMade your stroganoff last night. I really don't like red meat but the sauce and mushrooms were delish. Peter liked all of it, Clara mostly ate the noodles, Bronwyn & Willa freaked out until I gave them some plain noodles. Peter thinks we should keep the recipe. Thanks for the on going inspiration!
Re: time. Other than preparing the dried beans, this recipe is a quick one. B&W are probably still too young to try this yet, but O loves playing with dried beans.
ReplyDeleteI plan to try this soon, with canned beans. I made a chili recently where I tried dried beans. Soaked over night, simmered for many hours and still more firm than I wanted but had to be used as they were not going to soften any more in my opinion. Looking forward to my vegetarian meal. Mom
ReplyDeleteI read online how to cook dried beans, and they said not to use beans that were more than a year old, so that may have been the problem.
ReplyDeleteJust made these tonight, served as you indicated. I thought they were delicious...Rod ate one, but did not bother to have a second. I guess I'll be eating the leftovers alone!
ReplyDeleteShannon