Foodie Friday - Meatless Burgers

Spicy Cauliflower Burgers
Via Pinch of Yum

It's grilling season!  Burgers, hot dogs, steaks, chicken.... Yum!  How about adding some meatless burgers into your rotation?  Or having a delicious option for your vegetarian friends?  We've found some great meatless burger recipes for you to give a try.  Enjoy!



Spicy Cauliflower Burgers
Yield: 10 burgers

Ingredients: 
Cauliflower Burgers-
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 head cauliflower (about 6 cups florets)
3-4 tablespoons oil, divided
a few generous shakes of spicy seasoning - cumin, chili powder, cayenne, etc.
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt OR just a minced garlic clove or two
3/4 cup breadcrumbs or ground almonds
3/4 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Burger Toppings-
a few good squeezes of lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped purple cabbage
magic green sauce
chipotle mayo
buns 


Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the quinoa according to package directions but only using 1 cup broth of water to keep it from getting too heavy.

Cut the cauliflower into florets, transfer to a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with spices to taste. Roast for 20-30 minutes. Let cool. Pulse through a food processor to form small pieces that stick together (see picture). We don't want PUREE here, but we do want enough mushiness to help it all stick together.

Combine the cooked, pulsed cauliflower with the quinoa, garlic salt, breadcrumbs, Pepperjack cheese, eggs, salt, and another teaspoon or two of spicy seasoning (cayenne will make it hot-spicy, so just add a few shakes of that one). Form 10 patties.

In an oiled or nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the burgers until golden brown on each side, flipping very carefully to avoid breaking. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
Toss the lime juice, cilantro, cabbage, and a quick stream of oil together. Season with salt.
Arrange the burgers with: magic green sauce, the cauliflower burger, the slaw, and the chipotle mayo on top.

Black Bean Burgers
Via Fueling a Fit Fam


Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:
For the Burger:
1 (16 ounce) can black beans
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 small onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs I use Plain Panko Bread Crumbs
Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
Salt & Pepper, to taste
For the Chipotle Mayo Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise (I used the kind made with olive oil) like Spectrum Mayo
2 chipotle Chilies in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp adobo sauce
2 tsp lime juice
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
To make the Burger:
Drain liquid from the canned black beans. Place beans in strainer and rinse with water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place in a large bowl and mash well with a fork.
Place the bell pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped/pureed. Transfer mixture to a fine strainer to remove the excess water. (Remove as much moisture as you can--if it's too wet, the burger wont hold together as well.)
Add the strained vegetable mixture to the bowl with the black beans. Add the chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add beaten egg and mix. Stir in bread crumbs. Form mixture into 4 patties.

At this point you can choose to:
Grill the burgers on a well oiled grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
Bake them at 375 degrees F on a lightly oiled baking sheet, for 10 minutes on each side.
Cook them on your stove using a grill pan, for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Refrigerate them for later.
Freeze them, covered, in a freezer ziplock bag for a quick weeknight dinner in the future.

For the Chipotle Mayo Sauce:
Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in a lettuce wrap or on a bun and add your favorite toppings. 

Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cream and Avocado
Via How Sweet Eats


Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cream and Avocado
Yield: 4 burgers 
Prep time: 45 minutes 
Cook time: 10 minutes 
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups coarsely mashed sweet potatoes (or yams), about 2 large potatoes
2 bulbs of roasted garlic
1 cup cannellini beans (rinsed and drained if canned)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup oat flour (or all-purpose, wheat, etc)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
2/3 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
1 teaspoon maple syrup
extra salt and pepper for seasoning yogurt/cream

4 whole wheat buns

Instructions:
To roast garlic, see this tutorial. I like to roast a few bulbs at once (like 4-5) to have for the week.

Pierce potatoes (I used 2 large) all over with a fork and place on a paper towel, setting in the microwave. Microwave for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove, slice in half and let cool until you can scoop out the flesh.

In a large bowl, coarsely mash beans with a fork. Add in sweet potato and mash together, then add in spices, salt and pepper, minced garlic, egg, panko and flour. Mix together until combined, then place bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. This helps form them into patties, but as a warning they are still somewhat messy.

While mixture is chilling, combine yogurt/sour cream with 2 bulbs (squeezed out) of roasted garlic cloves, maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth then set aside until ready to use.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove mixture from fridge and form into 4 equal patties, then place in the skillet once hot. Since the mixture can be wet and messy, do not move until they are fully cooked and golden on one side! This takes about 5-6 minutes. Then, add more oil if needed (this really helps cook them) and flip burgers very gently. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Toast buns if desired.


Assemble by topping burgers with roasted garlic cream and avocado! We also used caramelized red onion one night and it was delicious.