Living out in the middle of nowhere can prove to be a challenge at times. There are, however, many hidden treasures in my neck of the back woods. Some of them include things like having students with grandparents who have … Continue reading
Second home-made veggie burger attempt: Success!
My “Perfect Veggie Burger” with some home-made chutney. © Miyo Wratten 2013
This was another Pinterest find, and in its description it promised crunch without mushiness. I tried this recipe out yesterday, and the recipe delivers on its promise. So thrilled!
In my first home-made veggie burger attempt (whose recipe came from the Whole Foods web site), my complaint was exactly that it was too mushy, almost slimy, and that the flavor was just off.
In this new recipe, which I found on Oh She Glows, it has everything one could ask for in a veggie burger: Crunch, flavor, firmness, definitely filling, healthy, AND it’s versatile. You can cook it any way you wish: bake, fry in a skillet, or grill.
Even better, you can partially cook these burgers in the oven, then toss them into your favorite receptacle for freezing, and keep them in the freezer for a quick, convenient, delicious and filling meal on a busy day.
Ready to mix! © Miyo Wratten 2013
What I loved best about this veggie burger was that it’s full of healthful ingredients: nuts (this recipe calls for almonds and sunflower seeds), vegetables (grated carrots, onions, and black beans), lots of spices for tons of flavor (chili powder, cumin, garlic and fresh herbs of your choice), and a good dose of healthful grains (oat flour, ground flax seeds). The author (Angela) mentions her preferred method of preparing the burgers is in the skillet, and I have to agree. In the skillet, the texture becomes nice and crisp on the outside and the rest of the burger gets a bit of a better chew. That being said, I did try it on the grill as well (I ate these things literally for breakfast, lunch and dinner … and yes, they’re THAT good) and it was really delicious!
I’ve got the rest of the burgers – partially cooked (baked off in the oven for 15 minutes) – and ready to be fried or warmed up and cooked through in the oven some busy day that I’m sure to have coming up. I’ve got some leftover ingredients too, so I’ll make another batch of this and freeze it, too. Bye-bye grocery store, highly-processed soy-based veggie burgers!
Almonds and sunflower seeds added flavor and crunch to this unique burger. © Miyo Wratten 2013
Here’s the recipe: Angela’s Perfect Veggie Burger
When you’re done checking out and printing out the recipe, be sure to read her story. She’s truly an inspiration, and her honesty is amazing. I know you’ll love her web site as much as I have gotten to.
It’s been a hot and busy week! I actually made these Indonesian-inspired tempeh skewers on Monday, but this is the first time I’ve had the time or the mental strength to sit down and write about it what with our … Continue reading
Wherever you go, whatever cooking channel you watch, they’re out there: Smoothies. It’s the new health kick. Stuff your blender full of kale, goji berries, ice cubes, micro greens, blend, and voila! Health in a glass. Or so it seems. … Continue reading
Growing up with a Japanese mother, the comfort foods I know and love tend to be a little different than most people’s in North America. In our house, on hot, humid summer days, my mother would put together for us … Continue reading
Well, today I test-drove the Smoky Maple style tempeh that I got this past weekend, and made the first dish in the Tempeh Challenge. With it, I made a TLT – Tempeh Lettuce and Tomato. I’m happy to say, I … Continue reading
Ahead of the Fourth of July cookout, I tried out a recipe I found online for a home-made veggie burger. The recipe came from Whole Foods, which we don’t have the privilege of having in my area, but I’ve heard good things about.
My first home-made veggie burger. It was a big ‘meh.’ Copyright Miyo Wratten 2013
Summer and burgers kind of go hand-in-hand, and as much as I’m not a fan of the ‘meatless meat’ dishes, I have to say that there is something so classic about burgers and this time of year in North America. It’s such an ingrained part of our culture, I’m having a hard time getting away from the idea of needing some kind of burger at some point. Also, I like to avoid the mass-produced, frozen patties that are stuffed full of highly processed soy protein, calories, and are mass-produced. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a couple of them hanging out in the freezer for one of those days when I just don’t have time to stand around and cook. They do, however, tend to sit there for quite some time because quite frankly, they scare me.
The flax seed used in the recipe. I ground mine in a coffee bean grinder as I couldn’t find any that was already ground.
When I saw the recipe for Red Pepper and Basil White Bean Burgers, which you can get right from the Whole Foods site, it sounded pretty decent. A jar of drained, roasted red peppers is mixed with ground flax seeds, rolled oats, garlic, fresh basil and a can of drained cannellini beans.
Just a note: If you’re like me and find it a little challenging sometimes to find what passes for ‘exotic ingredients,’ you may have a little trouble finding ground flax seed (which is what is called for in the recipe). I simply cleaned out our coffee bean grinder and used that to grind up some whole flax seeds. Easy enough to do.
Perhaps I didn’t cook it quite right, but I’ll be honest and say I was a little disappointed. The flavor was OK, but the texture definitely left something to be desired. To me, it had a bit of a ‘slimy’ or wet feel to it in the mouth, which was off-putting.
If you try it out and find that it turns out great for you, do let me know. It’s entirely possible I’ve done something wrong or handled a step incorrectly.
Otherwise, I’ll probably move on at some point to a different veggie burger recipe and hope for the best.
We had another busy Monday — originally it was going to be busy because of another baseball game for the kids, but it got canceled for some pretty heavy rain. Our cellar started to take on some water, so we … Continue reading
Okay, so I recently trashed tempeh. Then, I went grocery shopping yesterday and went and picked up some more. I not only got more tempeh, I also went and got ‘bacon-style’ tempeh.
My tempeh purchase for the week …
If you’ve read my ‘about’ page, you know that this fake meat business just irks me. My biggest issue is the irony of it all. The thing is — we’re vegetarian. If we’re supposed to be at peace with our choice, we wouldn’t or shouldn’t be constantly trying to recreate the foods that we have decided to leave behind.
That being said, dammit, I miss bacon. I also miss things like having an awesome BLT. So, if someone can make the hated tempeh taste like bacon and yet not BE bacon, why wouldn’t I eat it?
As I unpacked my groceries and paused to look at my pack of bacon tempeh and plain tempeh, I wondered what I’m doing wrong to make this stuff taste so awful. Obviously, someone out there likes this stuff. Obviously, there is some redeeming quality to this.
I usually turn my nose up at these kinds of things. I am however missing bacon in a big way, and am also trying to find some redeeming qualities of tempeh.
So, I decided to undertake the Tempeh Challenge. I’ve started looking up some information here and there on the tricks of the trade when it comes to this stuff. The way I’ve been preparing it hasn’t worked. Even recipes from well-established bloggers using tempeh haven’t wowed me. So, I’m branching out. Thus far, I’ve found a couple of suggestions that seem to make sense, and they draw upon some of the roots and traditions of this soy product. Hopefully, I’ll find in my experiments a few uses for this food that I’ve found distasteful.
Sometime this week, I’ll post about my TLT (tempeh-lettuce-and-tomato) adventure. I’ll start small.
Let’s see where this challenge will take me.
The Reluctant Vegetarian 