I've been craving some traditional comfort foods since I've been detoxing. I've really enjoyed all my cooking experiments over the past week, but my craving for cheese has been fierce! I thought that maybe if I add some more diversity to my diet I could curb my cravings. I cooked a lentil burger several years ago and it was very dry and crumbly, I definitely didn't want to repeat that experience. So today I decided I was on a mission to create a moist burger that wouldn't crumble when I bit into it! I have to say...mission accomplished! Parker loved this burger (he did add a little feta cheese to his) so I think it's fit for a king, my king :)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pimenton de la vera (Spanish Smoked Paprika)
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tsp black bean sauce (Asian Condiment)
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon minced preserved lemon*
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked red kidney beans
1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water**
1/4 cup oat bran (or substitute rolled oats, but the texture might not be as smooth)
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (or substitute all-purpose flour)
handful of cilantro chopped
Heat cumin and pimenton de la vera in a dry skillet until fragrant. Add a little olive oil, diced peppers and onions. Cook for several minutes, then add minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add this mixture to the food processor along with: nutritional yeast, black bean sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, preserved lemon, white balsamic, quinoa, kidney beans, chia seed mixture, and oat bran. Pulse until all ingredients are coarsely chopped. I like to have some chunks of beans rather than all pureed. Remove from food processor and place in large bowl. Add salt to taste. Add vital wheat gluten and the chopped cilantro. Combine ingredients. Divide into 4 patties. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (I left mine in for about an hour just because I started earlier than we wanted to eat.) Heat a non-stick skillet with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. I only cooked 2 patties at a time to ensure there was enough room in the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. We served our burgers on a homemade bun with hummus, fresh pea shoots, and cilantro. We also had baked sweet potato fries on the side.
*I realize that everyone probably doesn't have preserved lemons hanging out in their fridge, but you should!!! It's super easy to make and adds a beautiful bright flavor to your dishes. Omit if you don't have this on hand.
** One important component of this recipe is the chia seed egg substitute, it is an amazing little seed and I believe it is what held the burger together so nicely. I found my chia seeds at Whole Foods in the bulk bins. I then used a clean coffee grinder to grind the seeds into a powder. Add one tablespoon of the powder to 3 tablespoons of water. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes until it becomes gelatinous. You could also follow the same steps with ground flax seeds, or you could just use an egg if you aren't vegan, ha!
