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.

Winter Escape Picnic

For what seems to be the first time in a long time, I woke up and saw blue sky... Then... SUNSHINE! Such a nice day today. I almost forgot that it was still winter. Unfortunately I promised myself that today would be a cleaning day. The pigs were dirty, laundry is way overdue. So I kept my promise and stayed in. Since I hate winter and snow, I probably am enjoying this sunny day better watching it through a window. That way, I don't have to deal with the slushy snowy mess outside.

 

Inspired by the sunshine, I decided to make a summery picnic lunch. I found this recipe in The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone.

 

Tofu Salad

• 1/4 cup of frozen peas
• 1/3 of a block of tofu
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery (I did half of this)
• 3 olives, chopped (I used green pitted)
• 1 Tbsp rinsed capers
• 2-3 slices of dill pickles, chopped
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped scallion
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp Vegenaise (I doubled this)
• 2 tsp umeboshi plum paste
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

 

So this is very easy to make. First, take the tofu and press it while you prep the veggies. Blanch the peas for a couple minutes so they are bright green.

Next, chop up all the veggies and set aside.

Once everything is prepped, boil 1/2 cup water and steam the tofu for 5 minutes. When it is done, transfer it to a bowl and mash it up with a fork.

 

Next add all the other ingredients to the bowl of tofu and mix until it is well combined. I like a creamier salad so I doubled the Vegenaise in the original recipe. You may want to start with one tablespoon and then add the second if necessary.

 

 

Makes 1-2 servings. You can eat this as a salad or on a sandwich. I decided to make a pita boat with some green leaf lettuce. This recipe has some seriously strong flavours and really packs a punch. Since I was having a winter picnic, I decided to make some lemonade... well limeade actually which went so good with this.

Super awesome to eat in the sunshine!