Perfect Veggie Burger

From www.ohsheglows.com Crunchy, chewy, with a crispy outer shell, these delicious veggie burgers have all the right elements we love in a veggie burger. Light on the beans, these burgers aren’t mushy in the middle, but have a nice mixture of breadcrumbs, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, and seasonings to round them out. Best of all, they work great in the oven, frying pan, or even on the BBQ. They can also be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats, Tamari, and breadcrumbs. Don’t have breadcrumbs? Just process a few slices of bread in the food processor for instant breadcrumbs. Yield: 6 burgers Ingredients: 1/2 cup onion, diced 1 large garlic clove, minced Flax eggs: 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl 1 cup oats, processed into flour 1.5 cups bread crumbs (I processed 2-3 pieces bread until fine crumb) 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice) – I used basil 1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred) 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred) 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce) 1.5 tsp chili powder 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. oregano Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt) Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste. 3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together. Recipe says to make 8 patties, but I thought 6 made for a better size (to match the rolls). 4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 25-30 mins (15-17 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the BBQ, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side. Our preferred method of cooking was frying in the skillet!! GF Note: To make these burgers gluten-free, use certified GF oats, GF Tamari, and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Joanna's Eggplant Stacks

Egg Wash (egg, milk)
Plain bread crumbs (panko work best; sometimes I mix is dried parsley and/or oregano)
eggplants, cut in 1/3 inch slices
pesto
fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
roasted red peppers, rinsed, patted dry
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray baking sheet with olive oil.  Dip eggplant slices in egg wash and then coat with bread crumbs.  Place on baking sheet.  Spray top of eggplant slices with a light coat of olive oil.  Bake until desired crispiness is reached, flipping half way through.  I usually bake for 20 minutes, each side.  Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack.

Assemble stacks - eggplant slice, pesto, mozzarella, roasted red pepper. 


To eat immediately - bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
To freeze: wrap tightly, freeze.  On baking day, you can bake them directly from the freezer.  375 degrees, for approximately 30 minutes.   Check after 20 minutes and turn the stack over.