Vegan Burgers: Beet It

During the summer, it is always good to have some burgers on standby. In the past I have been really into black bean burgers, but I found a very interesting recipe for a beet burger and figured this would be a great way to get into cooking with beets. Beets are vegetable I do not cook with much. While I think they taste good and are pretty healthy, I also think they are super messy and since I am so clumsy, I didn't want to be staining my clothes and floor messing around with such a messy vegetable.

Photo Credit: http://thebubbaeffect.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/nobody-eats-beets-not-even-to-survive-p/

Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains and known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification qualities. They also are rich in carotenoids which is very good for eye health. I read somewhere that the powers of carotenoids in beets may be as much or more important to eye health than beta carotene. A serving of beets is high in folate, manganese, potassium. They are low in calories and like many vegetables, have been linked to reducing the risk of cancers.

There are lots of good sources out there that can provide more details. Beets are an excellent way to get a red food into your diet. Oh and I heard you can use beet juice for food colouring!

Beet Burgers
*Adapted from Colour me Vegan

• 2 cups of grated beets (2-3 beets)
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 1/2 toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper

The steps to this recipe are very simple. combine everything in a bowl and mix. I ended up using my hands to really get in and mix it all up. If you don't want to use wheat gluten/flour, you can substitute for another flour and increase to 3 Tbsp. I did this the first attempt and I found the burgers didn't hold well, but in the end worked.

To cook, I BBQ'd them. Heat the grill to medium heat, and cook for about 7-10 minutes a side. You can also bake in the oven (About 350 F for 7-10 min a side) or fry them. Up to you.

Makes 4 large burgers or 6 small.