Our Veggie Kitchen

We discovered these at my a family reunion last year.  My wife's cousin (Jeff) brought these amazing oat burgers that may have been more popular than the regular burgers.  Since discovering them I've literally made hundreds of them.  For a while, I'd fill the freezer with a double batch every couple of weeks.  I've made some alterations to the original recipe (which was gluten free) and the result is a great tasting burger with a wonderful texture and surprising bites of hazelnut.  This is by far, my girls' favorite burger.



Oat Burgers with Hazelnuts (aka Jeff Burgers) 

3/4 cups hazelnuts (or chopped walnuts)
3 cups water  
1 medium onion, chopped  
2 cloves garlic  
1/4 cup soy sauce  
1 tsp Marmite (or beef flavored bouillon)
3 Tbs nutritional yeast  
1 tsp rubbed sage  
1 tsp dried basil  
1 tsp liquid smoke  
1/2 tsp salt  
2.5 cups oatmeal  
1/4 cup ground flax seed  
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
1-2 Tbs vegetable oil for baking 

Toast the Hazelnuts.  Put them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until the hazelnut skins begin to split.  Take them out of the oven and allow to cool slightly.  Wrap them in a hand towel and rub them together so the skins come off.  Pick the nuts out and throw away the skins.  Pulse in a food processor until they are coarsely chopped.  If you don't have a food processor, you can put them back in the towel and whack them a few times with a mallet or the side of a hammer.

Combine the water, onion, garlic, soy sauce, Marmite, nutritional yeast, spices, liquid smoke and salt.  Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal, hazelnuts and flax seed.  Set a site and allow to cool to room temperature, about half an hour.  Stir vigorously to break up the oatmeal a bit.  Stir in the vital wheat gluten.

Now you are going to have a thick, sticky pan of stuff, a little thicker than oatmeal cookie dough.  From here spray oil will be your friend.  Spray it on your hands (or whatever you use to shape the patties) on your spatula, on the chop block and anything the dough may come in contact with.


Put a cookie sheet into the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Divide into 12 balls (about 1/3 cup per ball).  Form each ball into a patty.  Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and add 2 tbs vegetable oil.  Swirl around to coat and add the patties.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Take them out, brush the tops with oil (or spray with cooking oil) and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve hot, or refrigerate/freeze.  

12 Servings:  227 cal (9g fat, 27g carbs, 11g protein)

On of my goals for this year is to stop buying Boca Burgers. So I've been tossing around some homemade burger ideas and made three this weekend. Two were really really good. One needs work. My youngest loved the All American Incrediburger from American Vegan Kitchen.  And my middle girl loved my first attempt at a Taco Burger.  It was good enough to warrant a second batch and, with a little tweaking and a can of olives, I'd arrived at success.  I succumbed to family choice and left out a little corn, but I think it would be a welcome addition.




Taco Burgers
1/3 cup bulgur
3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tbs taco seasoning
1/2 tsp marmite (optional but good)
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6 oz tempeh
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1/2 can (15 oz) refried beans
1/2 onion, grated
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
3 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp browning sauce (optional)
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1 cup vital wheat gluten
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2-3 tbs vegetable oil (for cooking)

Cook the tempeh in boiling water for 10 minutes, then let cool in the refrigerator until it is room temperature. Grate and set a side. Meanwhile, mix the bulgur, taco seasoning and marmite in boiling water. Set a side for twenty minutes, until cooled to room temperature (while preparing the other ingredients).

When cooled, add the bulgur, tempeh and remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine then knead in the bowl with your fingers or a spatula for 3-4 minutes, until the gluten activates (the dough will get firmer and a bit elastic).

Put a cookie sheet into the oven and preheat 400 degrees. Divide the dough into 10 balls. Form each ball into a patty. The dough will be a little elastic, but should hold its shape without too much trouble. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and add 2-3 tbs vegetable oil. Swirl around to coat and add the patties. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning after 10-15, until the patties are browned on both sides. Serve hot, or refrigerate/freeze.

10 Servings: 149 cal (5g fat, 12g carbs, 15g protein)

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On a side note, I made a couple of recipes from American Vegan Kitchen this weekend.  I made the All American Incrediburger and it truly was. She includes a method for baked and steamed and, I must say, the steamed are something special, one of the few homemade burgers my youngest will eat. I Added double batch of beer battered onion rings (and zucchini chips) and was in comfort food heaven. . . Oh Damn, I forgot to make Fried Avodado Wedges.

My daughter just recently went vegan from being vegetarian.  And since then we've been shooting through Boca burgers.  So I set my sights on something similar to the Chicken Boca, something breaded and chicken-y and something that could be easily pulled out of the fridge, microwaved and eaten for lunch.

After some trial and error, I arrived at this recipe.  I tried some with & without breading, some baked and some fried.  This recipe isn't the closest to Boca, but it's definitely the best.  It's got a great texture out of the freezer (even better than fresh) and, even microwaved, it's got a thin, crispy layer.  The problem is, we're still shooting through Boca burgers because I can't keep these in the freezer. . . I think she's sneaking them out for her friends.



Chick'n Burgers
15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup bulgur
1 1/4 cup chicken flavored broth, boiling
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
3 tbs vegetable oil, for cooking
Spices:
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 small bay leaf, crumbled
1/4 cup tsp black pepper

In a bowl, combine the bulgur and boiling broth. Set aside for 20-30 minutes, until the bulgur has softened and cooled to room temperature. Meanwhile, pour the drained chickpeas into a bowl (a pie pan works great) and smash with a fork into a coarse meal. Combine the spices and nutritional yeast in a spice grinder and grind. Add to the chickpeas along with the cooled bulgur & broth, the grated onion, minced garlic and 1 tbs vegetable oil. Stir to combine, then add the vital wheat gluten and mix to combine.

Put a cookie sheet into the oven and preheat 400 degrees. Knead the dough for a few minutes (maybe 5), and divide into 8 balls.  Form each ball into a patty.  The dough will be a little elastic, but should hold its shape without too much trouble.  Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and add 3 tbs vegetable oil.  Swirl around to coat and add the patties.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15, until the patties are browned.  Serve hot, or refrigerate/freeze. 

8 Servings 213 Cal (8g fat, 23g carbs, 15g protein)

These are one of my favorite treats when the garden is brimming with Zucchini.  I make them as patties (shown below) or little medallion fritters.  They're good hot or cold and I've made them for staff meetings and board meetings; definitely a treat for vegan and omni alike.



Zucchini Fritters
3 medium zucchini, peeled & grated
1/2 cup bulgur (and 1 cup boiling water)
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tbs chickpea flour
2-3 tbs vegetable oil for baking

Grate and peel the zucchini. Place in a colander and toss with a tablespoon, or so, of salt. Be liberal with the salt. You'll rinse it off anyway. Set the zucchini aside to drain for at least 30 minutes. Place the bulgur in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Let set until the zucchini is ready.

After 30 minutes, rinse the zucchini. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible. You can squeeze it between your hands or press it between two plates. I usually squeeze it in my fist, then ball it up in sheets of cheesecloth and squeeze again. The drier the zucchini, the better the fritter will be.

Combine the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. The gluten will form stringy strands and clump, but it will not make a dough. If necessary, add a little more gluten.

Put a cookie sheet in the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. Form the zucchini into 8 patties (1/3 cup ea) or 15-20 medallions (2-3 tbs ea). When the oven is preheated, take out the cookie sheet, pour on enough oil to cover and place the patties or medallions onto the sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through. Remove from oven and serve. They are good hot or cold.

8 Servings: 136 cal (6g fat, 14g carbs, 9g protein)

My birthday was Monday. And I was lucky enough to spend my evening, buried at the end of the agenda of a City Council meeting. I got to listen to a lengthy and contentions public hearing about a sewer system. In the end, my business was passed without discussion in a matter of just a couple minutes. I didn't even need to speak. I guess there was a silver lining.

While I didn't have time for a birthday feast, I did decide to make this warm, yogurt-based mustard sauce. I had it on a chickpea burger and some Brussels sprouts. I thought that the mustard flavor competed with the cumin in the chickpea burgers, but over the Brussels sprouts, it was delicious. Be prepared, this sauce is a little warm and is definitely a 'mustard' sauce, but if you like mustard, you'll love this sauce. I can't wait to try it on broccoli and asparagus.



Mustard Sauce
2 tsp brown mustard seed (or yellow seed, divided)
1 tbs vegetable oil
3 tbs yellow mustard seed
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth (golden hued)
3/4 cup soy yogurt
2 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs agave nectar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch turmeric

Heat a dry sauce pan over a burner, set to medium. Add the brown mustard seed and toast, just until aromatic. Remove the seed and set aside. Heat the oil in the sauce pan. Add the yellow mustard seed and saute until the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the shallots and saute until they begin to soften. Add the white wine and broth. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about half.

Pour into a blender, along with the yogurt, vinegar, and agave nectar. Blend thoroughly. Puah through a strainer back into the sauce pan. Add in toasted brown mustard seed and reheat gently. Stir in the salt, to taste and the turmeric. Add enough turmeric to attain a pleasing color, about 1/8 tsp. Serve warm. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. It's very good if you let it rest overnight then gently reheat. The flavors have a chance meld and the mustard has less of a bite.

6 servings: 113 cal (5g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein)

Yesterday, I made buckets and buckets of burgers. I normally a double batch of something and freeze them for later. But, lately, I haven't been getting around to making them, and I've completely run out. So, I made two staples: Chickpea Burgers and BBQ Tempeh Burgers.

Then, I made one that's been kicking around in my brain for a while, now: The Thai Tempeh burger. I made them with typical green curry spices and topped with mushrooms sauteed in some soy milk and red curry paste. They were delicious with the mushrooms and Thai basil. These are not hot. If it were me, I'd double the peppers, so make your own choice.



Thai Tempeh Burgers
1/4 cup lentils, raw
1/4 cup brown rice, raw
1 cup water
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6 oz tempeh, grated
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1 tbs galangal (or ginger), minced
1 tbs lemon grass (white part only), minced
1 tbs Thai Birds Eye Peppers (see note), minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
2 tbs Golden Mountain Sauce (or Soy Sauce)
2 tbs vegetable oil
2-4 tbs water
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1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup chickpea flour

Add the brown rice and lentils to 1 cup boiling water, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until the lentils and rice are soft, about an hour. Cool in the refrigerator when finished cooking. Meanwhile, boil the tempeh in water for about 10 minutes. Remove, drain and cool in the refrigerator.

When the tempeh, rice and lentils are cooled, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together and kneed for a couple minutes. Form into 8 patties. Coat a cookie sheet with vegetable oil. Bake the patties for 25 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.

I make these to be reheated, so if you eat them right away, they will be a bit soft. You can reheat them, either frozen or refrigerated in the oven, microwave or grill.

Pepper Note: The green peppers are hotter than the red, but the red add a pleasing color. Use your own judgement when mixing them and determining quantity. I used 4 green and 2 red and the burgers were not spicy hot.

8 Servings: 205 cal (7g fat, 19g carbs, 19g protein)

I worked on getting the texture of these burgers just right. And, if you cook them, and use them later (either frozen or refrigerated), they're just about perfect. I make my burgers in batches and freeze them, so this is ideal for me. It makes an amazing and healthy quick meal. The barbecue sauce is key. Use you favorite and you won't be disappointed.



BBQ Tempeh Burgers
1/4 cup lentils
2 tbs brown rice
1 cup water
6 oz tempeh
2 cloves garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & finely chopped
1 onion, grated
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp browning sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup vital wheat gluten

Bring water to a boil. Add the lentils and rice. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils and rice are soft and the liquid is absorbed. Drain, if necessary. Cool to room temperature. Boil the tempeh for ten minutes, then remove and cool. When cool, grate the tempeh. When the tempeh, rice and lentils are cooled, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all of the ingredients together and kneed for a couple minutes. Form into 8 patties. Coat a cookie sheet with vegetable oil. Bake the patties for 25 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.

I make these to be reheated, so if you eat them right away, they will be a bit soft. You can reheat them, either frozen or refrigerated in the oven, microwave or grill.

8 Servings: 195 cal (7g fat, 16g carbs, 20g protein)

The weather had finally turned, here in Eugene. The sun was warm and there was no rain/hail/locusts. It was perfect weather to kick back on the deck and nurse a couple of beers. So that's what I did. I had made these wonderful black eyed pea burgers earlier in the day, so i pulled them from the fridge, slapped them on the barbeque with some potatoes and enjoyed my beer.



BBQ Black Eyed Pea Burgers
3 cups black eyed peas, 2 cans or 1/2 pound dried
1 onion, grated
1/2 small sweet potato, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp browning sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 cup barbecue sauce
1.2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup vital wheat gluten
oil for frying

Roughly mash the black eyed peas, so that there are just a few whole beans. Do not mash the beans to a paste. Add all other ingredients and need dough until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. If you've made burgers before, the dough will be wetter than is typical. You may cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Split into 8 evenly sized balls and flatten the balls into thin patties.

When you are ready to make the burgers, pour some vegetable oil onto a cookie sheet, put in the oven and set it to preheat to 425 degrees. When the oven is heated, put the patties on the hot baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

These are best cooled and reheated. By intention, they are soft coming out of the oven, but they won't dry out too much if you fry or BBQ them after they've been chilled.

To Finish,

Fry Option: Pour a little barbeque sauce in a fry pan and fry the patties over medium heat until warmed.

BBQ: Put the patties on the outer (cooler) edges of an outdoor, baste with BBQ sauce and turn a couple times. Cook until heated through.

Microwave: Microwave either chilled or frozen patties until cooked though. Feel free to add more bbq sauce at any point.

12 Servings: 143 cal (3g fat, 16g carbs, 13g protein)

I'm pretty new to the world of tempeh. I don't know that I actually like the flavor, but the texture lends itself well to burgers. I made VeganDad's tempeh burgers a few weeks ago and have been making some sort of burger or meatball frequently ever since. I've got a personal vendetta against bread crumbs and usually try something else instead. This time it was chickpea flour. I was going to use some mashed pinto beans instead and next time I'll try that combination.



Chipotle Burgers
12 oz tempeh, grated
1 onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
2 tbs adobo sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp browning sauce
1/2 cup canned corn
2 tbs juice from canned corn
3/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup chickpea flour (or smashed pinto beans)

Cook the tempeh in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Remove and cool. Grate the onion and tempeh, so that there are no whole beans, but they are not mashed to a paste. Add all other ingredients and need dough until the wheat gluten begins to bind. You may cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Split into 10 evenly sized balls and flatten the balls into thin patties.

When you are ready to make the burgers, pour some vegetable oil onto a cookie sheet, put in the oven and set it to preheat to 400 degrees. When the oven is heated, put the patties on the hot baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

10 Servings: 160 cal (8g fat, 10g carbs, 14g protein)

As cooking show hosts go, Alton Brown is generally pretty thorough. He likes to inject a bit of research into his shows and back it up with science.

[Interject]If you want to see the world's best depiction of Science, track down a copy of the Lost Skeleton of Cadavera. Seriously, they should show this in schools.[/Interject]

Ok, um . . . science and research. But when he made Split Pea Burgers, he neglected one vitally important piece of research. He didn't ask a vegan. I used to make these things while still an omni and they tasted good, but were mushy, sometimes unbearably so. Now, when I make them, I add one of the ancient vegan secrets: Vital Wheat Gluten. They still taste great, but now they hold together and even have an appealing texture. Next time, Alton, ask a vegan. We know our burgers.



Alton Brown's Improved Split Pea Burgers
1 tbs vegetable oil, plus more for baking
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped fine
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry split peas
1/2 cup brown rice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup vital wheat gluten

Heat 1 tbs oil in a sauce pan. Add the onions and bell pepper and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms have given off their liquid. Stir in the vegetable broth, split peas, brown rice, cumin and coriander. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat until the liquid is absorbed. The split peas and rice should be a bit overcooked. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, mashing it a little as you go. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the bread crumbs and wheat gluten and knead for five minutes or so.

You may cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Split into 10 evenly sized balls and flatten the balls into thin patties. When you are ready to make the burgers, pour some vegetable oil onto a cookie sheet, put in the oven and set it to preheat to 400 degrees. When the oven is heated, put the patties on the hot baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

10 Servings: 196 cal (6g fat, 25g carbs, 12g protein)

I made a big pot of chickpeas yesterday. This week, then, my kitchen will be chickpea central. I made Moroccan Chickpea Stew for lunches, Hummus for breakfast and at least two chickpea based dinners. And if my middle one isn't burned out on chickpea salad yet (she's had it every lunch for two weeks now), I'll make more chickpea salad. Maybe I'll freeze some, just to see how it thaws.

Tonight's dinner was Chickpea Burgers. I like burgers and I make several different kinds, out of chickpeas, black beans, split peas ... even zucchini. All my burgers, though, have two constants. I always bake them and I always make big batches and freeze them. I pull them out of the freezer and either rebake with fries or tater tots, them or nuke them for a quick lunch.

I like the texture of these burgers. They're not mushy or chewy, but have a nice toothsome feel. And with cumin and ginger rounding out the seasonings, they taste just different enough.



Chickpea Burgers
1/4 cup dry brown rice
1/4 cup dry lentils
1/2 tsp cumin seed (See Note)
1 cup water
1 can Chickpeas
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 tbs ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp coriander
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp browning sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs catsup
1/4 cup vegetable broth (about)
3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup chickpea flour

Note: I used a teaspoon of cumin seed, my wife would have preferred about half that. I've been on a big cumin kick lately, so she's probably right.

Combine brown rice, lentils and 1 cup water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to lowest setting and cook until the lentils and rice are soft and a bit over done, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir so they get a little mashed up.

Roughly mash the chickpeas, so that there are no whole beans, but they are not mashed to a paste. Add all other ingredients and need dough until the wheat gluten begins to bind. You may cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Split into 8 evenly sized balls and flatten the balls into thin patties.

When you are ready to make the burgers, pour some vegetable oil onto a cookie sheet, put in the oven and set it to preheat to 400 degrees. When the oven is heated, put the patties on the hot baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

8 Servings: 179 cal (5g fat, 21g carbs, 14g protein)

I haven't been keeping up too well this week. My laptop crashed on Saturday and I spent Sunday (my normal cook/prep day) working on computer [expletive]. But I did get make some wonderful meals inspired by some of the many great bloggers out there. But before I get to that, I'm going to rant.

I bought an ASUS laptop almost two years ago. This weekend I plugged it into a wall socket that has a tendancy to spark. Needless to say, I fried my motherboard. It was my fault for being a dumbass. I called ASUS and they gave me an RMA and said they'd fix it. They even said they'd fix the hard drive that died when i tripped over the laptop while running for a beer between commercials during March Madness. I shipped my computer on Monday and I got it back on Thursday. Four days! including shipping! for something that I BROKE! AMAZING!

My assistant needed a new computer anyway, so I decided to buy a computer that I could use while mine was RMA land, then pass it on. I bought an HP at circuit city. I went against my better judgement, I've had a long history or receiving poor support form Compaq and HP and bought another. It was a lemon. The Network adaptor only works intermittently. I insisted it was a hardware issue. Linksys insisted it was a hardware issue. My brother, the network administator insisted it was a hardware issue.

Circuit City plugged it in saw that it worked and blamed my network. I told them all the things I've checked, including swapping network hardware, and messing with DHCP settings, checking client tables, etc. They said "It works here, there's nothing wrong." Did they not hear INTERMITTENT?? Did they not hear that I have some knowledge and that I talk to experts?? Oh, did I mention that I spent 90 minutes on hold with HP tech support and never got through!

So I am boxing up the computer and return it to Circuit City, being as assertive as I know how. If they refuse to return it, I will leave it in thier care and sick VISA on them. I've learned my lesson. And my word of advise: Dont' by a HP Desktop. Again, DON'T BUY HP! DON'T BUY HP! DO NOT BUY AN HEWLETT-PACKARD DESKTOP COMPUTER.

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Now that that's off my chest, I did take some photos of some pretty decent meals. None are my own creation, but things that looked good (and tasted good) out there in the ether.

Monday night, I was oging to make some split pea burgers, but they take a while to simmer, so I went for an easier aternative. I made Veganomicon's Black Bean Burgers. They were a bit bland, but had a nice meaty bite and, with good rolls, and chunks of avocado, cilantro and tomato, they really hit the spot. The roasted red potatoes with White Basil Sauce were a perfect addition.




I'd planned on making Tofu Mom's Vegan Pesto and that came on Wednesday. Knowing that I had no time to cook, I whipped the pesto ahead of time and had dinner on the table in 20 minutes. The only thing I do differently, is that I hold out half the basil leaves and hand mince them. Blend everything else with a little water, then mix in the rest of the basil. I add miso sometimes too. It is really good. I served it with bread and a spinach salad drizzled with yummy sauce.



Last night, I tried something that looded and sounded really good, and it did taste really good. So here is Omadsa's Pumplin Chili. I followed the recipe verbatim (except I was out of kidney beans so I used pinto), adding 1/4 tsp pepper and 3/4 tsp salt. I tested the sauce and was determined that it deeded something else. Turns out, it needed beans. Once I had a spoonful of everything I was sold. It's even better the next day. Great job Omadsa!



Well that's about it today. I did finish the modificaitions to my vegan cornbread muffins. Finally, they held toghether and tasted good all at the same time. I'll post them shortly.

I've been working on these for a while now. I made zucchini cakes earlier this summer and, on a whim, decided to add some quinoa. They tasted great, but the patty squished out the back of the bun with every bite. I've been playing with consistency and cook times and arrived on this fairly simple version. This is a great weeknight meal, because you can make the dough a day ahead of time and just form the patties and pop them in the oven after work. They freeze and reheat well too.

These patties had an unexpectedly meaty tooth. I intended to make zucchini cakes that were not meat and didn't try to be meat. I rather enjoyed the texture. I'm making some sausage tomorrow and I think I'll try some quinoa in a batch of Italian Sausage.

Anyway, here it is:



Zucchini Cakes
3 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cups shallot, minced
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (a little more if you like)
Vegetable oil for baking sheet.

Shred zucchini into a colander and sprinkle salt over the shreds. Allow to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and put into cheese cloth. Twist and squeeze to remove any remaining moisture.

While the zucchini drains, rinse quinoa. Bring 1 cup of water and quinoa to a boil. Simmer, uncovered until the water has been absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool. When zucchini and quinoa are ready, combine all ingredients, stir thoroughly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

Pour just enough oil to coat a cookie sheet and put in oven while it preheats to 425°. Fashion zucchini mixture into six patties. Place patties onto cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once.