vegan burgers – Lisa's Project: Vegan

Vegan

Nutty Vegetable Millet Croquettes with Lemon Mustard Dressing

Thursday, February 26, 2015by Lisa Dawn1 Comment

This recipe started out as a pilaf but there was so much leftover, I turned it into croquettes or veggie burger, if you prefer. Millet is such a great grain to use and this is a fantastic way to incorporate it into the rotation. Click to find out how to make perfect millet every time.

Nutty Vegetable Millet Croquettes/Burgers (makes 6)
1/2 cup uncooked millet
1 cup water
1/2 small onion
1 carrot
1 parsnip
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic
1 bunch spinach
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons quinoa flakes
1 flax egg

Add the uncooked millet to a skillet and toast for 5 minutes. It will start to smell delicious and pop. Then, add the water and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the water is absorbed, 5 to 8 minutes. Let sit covered until ready to mix with the vegetables.

Organize the vegetable mise en place. Dice the onion, carrot, parsnip, shallots and mince or press the garlic. Chop the spinach. Sauté the onions in a dry pan until they start to brown. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan. Then add the carrots, parsnips, shallots and garlic and cook until soft adding water as necessary. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the spinach and wilt at the last minute.

Toast the pecans and pumpkin seeds in a 325 oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until fragrant and browning.

Combine the millet, vegetables, seeds and nuts.

Stop here and serve this as a great side dish!! Or move onto the croquettes.

Make the flax egg and mix into the millet mixture along with the quinoa flakes.

Use a 1/2 cup measure and press the mixture together to form burgers. Fry on the stove top until both sides are golden brown and then place on a lined baking sheet. Rest the croquettes for 30 minutes. Freeze now or bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes.

Lemon Mustard Dressing
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup filtered water
The juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
Salt, a pinch

Place all ingredients into the Vitamix and let it rip until smoooooth.

Serve cakes over a nice piece of Romiane and top with a dollop of dressing. Enjoy!

Vegan

Pizza Burgers

Tuesday, January 27, 2015by Lisa Dawn2 Comments

I loved pizza burgers back in the day and here is my version now. Doesn’t the sprinkle of parsley make it look fancy?! Vegan pizza burgers…a little Italian seasoning, fresh tomato sauce, and a creamy cashew topping. Lunch is served!

Note: I find that it is difficult to find dried cannellini beans. When I do that is what I use, but otherwise a can is fine. Just be sure they are organic and you drain and rinse the beans.

Burgers (makes 4 burgers)
1 1/4 cups cooked cannellini beans (equals a can)
1 small onion
1/2 leek, white part only
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (nooch)
Handful of fresh parsley + extra for garnish
1/4 cup quinoa flakes
Salt, a pinch

Small dice the onion and leek. Mince the garlic or use a garlic press. Water or oil sauté the onions, leeks and garlic until just soft. Add the mixture to the food processor along with the beans, seasoning, nooch, fresh parsley, quinoa flakes and a pinch of salt. Process until combined. Form into burgers and either bake or cook in a non-stick skillet with a little oil until browned on both sides and heated through.

Cashew Cream (makes a cup, more than you will need for this meal)
1 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup filtered water
Salt, a pinch
1/2 teaspoon each onion and garlic powder, optional

Place the cashews into the blender and add water and seasonings, if using. Let it rip until smooth.

Polenta *
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup polenta
Baking dish or brownie pan
Circle cutter

Make the polenta by boiling the water. Add the polenta and stir. Lower the heat and simmer until the water is absorbed and the polenta pulls away from the side of the pot. Turn out into a baking dish and press flat. Let sit for 10 minutes and using a circle cutter, cut out circles about as big as the burger.

* Mash the leftover polenta and kind of refluff it with a fork. Reheat it later for more polenta deliciousness.

Heat up about 1/2 cup of homemade or store bought tomato sauce.

To plate, place a polenta round on a plate. Top with a burger. Top the burger with sauce. Drizzle with cashew cream. Sprinkle with chopped parsley for garnish. Enjoy!

Vegan

Moroccan Spiced Lentil Butternut Squash Burgers

Sunday, January 4, 2015by Lisa Dawn2 Comments

And so with the rest of the butternut squash, I made these delightfully aromatic burgers and secret ingredient brownies. A great way to end our vacation.

1 small onion
1 carrot
1 clove of garlic
1 small piece of turmeric (or 2 teaspoons turmeric)
Handful of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked lentils
1/2 cup cooked butternut squash

Coarsely chop the onions and carrots and water or oil sauté. Use a rasp for the garlic and turmeric and add to the onions and carrots. Coarsely chop the parsley and add to the mixture along with the cumin, cinnamon and salt. Cook til just softening.

Add the rice,lentils and squash to the food processor. Add the vegetables and process until the whole thing comes together and kind of pulls away from the sides of the processor bowl (kind of like dough.) Turn out into a bowl and divide up the mixture so that the burgers end up the same size.

Pan fry until heated through or bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes. Freeze any leftover burgers using parchment paper to separate them in the container. Enjoy!

Vegan

Carrot Cashew Croquettes

Sunday, December 7, 2014Monday, December 8, 2014by Lisa Dawn2 Comments

And speaking of our trip to North Carolina in September…Remember how I raved about these carrot cashew croquettes from Whole Foods/Greenlife Grocer? Well, I figured them out in my kitchen and they are fully in the regular rotation.

I tinkered with the ingredient list and figured these proportions based on other burgers and croquettes I make. I also omitted the basil and swapped in quinoa flakes for the bread crumbs to make it gluten-free.

The man behind the counter gave me a great tip. He said that the key to making a great veggie burger or croquette is to pan fry them until both sides are browned and then let them rest before baking them in the oven for a crispy outside and full flavor integration on the inside. Thanks dude!

makes 4 croquettes/burgers

1 cup carrots, 4 to 5 carrots
3 scallions (or 1/2 small onion)
1 big clove of garlic
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup quinoa flakes
1 tablespoon maple sugar
1 tablespoon tamari
The juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Salt, a pinch
Grapeseed oil, for pan frying

Dice the carrots and slice the scallions or chop the onions. Water or oil sauté the carrots and onions until just softening. Add a pinch of salt. Chop up the garlic clove and add it to the sauté pan for a minute or two.

Place the cashews into the food processor. Add the parsley, cilantro, quinoa flakes, maple sugar, tamari, lime juice, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Pulse a few times to get the mixture chopped a bit.

Pour the carrot mixture into the processor and process until everything is well ground up.

Let cool for a few minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

I use my 1/3 cup measuring cup to form 4 croquettes. Heat oil in a skillet and pan fry until both sides are browned. Place on the baking sheet and let cool.

When ready to eat, bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes. Freeze leftovers. Enjoy!

Vegan

Butternut Squash Black Bean Burgers

Monday, October 27, 2014Monday, October 27, 2014by Lisa Dawn2 Comments

OMG YUM! And E – A – S – Y. Just bought my first butternut squash of the season. Perfect recipe to start the fall.

Makes 6 burgers

2 cups cooked butternut squash *
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1 big clove of garlic
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 buns
6 big pieces of lettuce
1 red onion, sliced
Water or oil, for sautéing

* Peel, deseed and dice the squash. Place the cubed squash in pot with a steamer insert. Steam until the squash is soft and easily pierced with a fork. Let cool.

Chop the onions and red peppers into a small dice. Mince the garlic and chop the cilantro.

Sauté the onions in water or oil until they become translucent. Add the garlic and red peppers and cook until just softening, about 5 minutes.

Place the butternut squash, black beans, and quinoa into a big bowl. Add the onions, red pepper, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and salt. Mix well.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the burger mixture. Place the rest into the food processor and process until combined. Add them back together and mix well.

Form 6 burgers and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Slice the red onions, keeping the sections together. Toast the buns under the broiler for 3 minutes.

To serve, place the burger on the bottom side of the bun and the lettuce and onions on the top. Enjoy!

PS. Leftover cooked burgers freeze well. Wrap each one individually and store in the freezer. When ready to use, defrost the burger and bake or heat in a non-stick skillet.