ghoulish burgers

Day 12 of  Vegan MoFo takes us clear into next month. We celebrate Halloween early at the Dever residence all in the name of helping you all plan for your personal celebrations in October. What good would it do to present this handsome burger next month? Oh, the sacrifices!

I saw a version of these cute sandwiches in a magazine a few years ago and have made been making them using Chicken-Free Salad filling (EVE, page 70). You can get the recipe from Everyday Vegan Eats right HERE, where Olives for Dinner reviewed the book and shared it.

The above makes for a faster and easier filling, but for our burger MoFo, we upped the difficulty. These made-from-scratch burgers are chili-flavored and use cannellini beans and gluten as the burger base. It is then topped with an easy cheese sauce, olives and small dill pickles for the fangs. Boom!

I might be going on about it being difficult, but that is only in respect to the ease of the chicken-free filling I'm used to making. In fact, these little gems just took longer, but didn't need much more effort.

A little tid-bit for you: if you make it, make a few, looking all cute and adorable, complete with the cheese sauce hair (or face?), olive eyes and pickle fangs, but do yourself, and your guests a favor, and make rest with the burgers with the bun on top of all that gooey-ness, Save some napkins and guest embarrassment at having cheese sauce splattered all over their mug.

Happy Early Halloween!

GHOULISH BURGERS PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Ghoulish Burgers

Makes 6 burgers

 

2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans

2 teaspoons mild chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon oregon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

Fresh ground black pepper

½ cup vital wheat gluten (stirred before measuring)

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

6 slider buns, split and toasted

Vegan mayonnaise, as needed

6 mini pickles, cut in half lengthwise

12 slices of black olives

Easy Cheese Sauce, recipe below

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Add the beans, chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin, chili flakes, black pepper and the onions to a food processor. Pulse until the beans are broken up, but not paste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

3. Add the gluten to the bean mixture and knead for 4 minutes until gluten strands form. Divide the mixture into 6 portions and form into burger patties about the size of your buns.

4. Spray a baking sheet with oil, arrange the burgers on a sheet, add ¼ cup water around the burgers, cover tightly with foil and bake in a 300-degree F oven (no need to preheat) for 30 minutes. Uncover, flip the burgers and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add the vegetable broth, cover and steam for 2 minutes.

6. Make the burgers by spreading mayo on the bottom bun, adding a burger patty, 2 halves of pickles for the fangs, a top bun, a drizzle of sauce, 2 slices of olives for eyes and a toothpick to hold it all together. Serve.

 

Easy Cheese Sauce

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup unsweetened plain vegan milk

1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese

1. Heat the oil in a small sauce pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Using a whisk, stir in the milk and cook until lightly thickened. Add the cheese and whisk until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

tempeh-bacon and black bean burger

Day 9 Burger Bonanza Extravaganza is my Tempeh-Bacon and Black Bean Burger with Jalapeño Aioli. This is a simple burger, with classic flavors. It is served with grilled onions and lettuce on an English muffin. Easy!

The aioli is cashew based, with a grilled jalapeño that is cooked alongside the onions. The whole thing comes together on a toasted English muffin, which offers contrast and crunch.

The burger is smoky, a bit salty, a bit sweet and a bit spicy, therefore containing all the important elements of flavor, including bitterness from the lettuce and umami from the nutritional yeast.

In case you missed it, there are two cookbook giveaways closing in the next few days: Vegan without Borders, HERE, and Everyday Vegan Eats, HERE.

I served my burgers with Creamy Macaroni Salad (Tex-Mex Variation, EVE, page 98). You can get the recipe HERE and, of course, in Everyday Vegan Eats.

TEMPEH-BACON AND BLACK BEAN BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Tempeh-Bacon and Black Bean Burger with Jalapeño Aioli

Makes 6 burgers

 

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 (15-ounce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained well, divided

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1 onion, sliced thick into 6 rounds

6 lettuce leaves

6 English muffins, split and toasted

Jalapeño Aioli, recipe below

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in half of the beans, garlic and nutritional yeast. Cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the tamari and liquid smoke. Remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal. Cool slightly.

2. Cook the onion in a grill pan over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes per side. Cook at the same time as you are grilling the jalapeño.

2. Add the mixture to a food processor and process until fine but not into a paste. Add the remaining beans and pulse to combine, without breaking up the beans too much. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

3. Form the mixture into 6 patties. Cook the burgers in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.

4. Make the burgers by adding a lettuce leaf to a bottom of a muffin, adding a burger, a slice of grilled onion and the aioli. Top with the other side of the English muffin and serve.

Jalapeño Aioli

1/2 cup cashews

1 cup water

1 jalapeño

2 tablespoons unsweetened plain vegan milk

2 teaspoons lime juice

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine the nuts and water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse.

2. Grill the jalapeño in a grill pan over medium heat. Cook until soft and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the stem and seeds and chop.

3. Combine in a personal blender the cashews, milk, lime and process until smooth. Add the jalapeño and blend until almost smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

 

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

samosa burger + raita sauce

Day 8 of Burger Extravaganza: I present to you this samosa-inspired Indian burger with raita sauce. All the wonderful flavors and aromas you love in a samosa, not just in burger form, but healthier - no deep frying involved!

This burger is made of roasted cauliflower and potatoes, scallions and the herbs and spices you've come to love in Indian cooking - mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, curry leaves and cilantro. It is then topped with a cooling cucumber raita.

If you've never had the pleasure of cooking with curry leaves, please do yourself a wonderful favor and get to an Indian market as soon as possible. I've been known to grab a bag or two, not just for cooking, but just for the scent! It is ridiculously aromatic and so exotic. I've never smelled anything its like before and I'll sneak into the fridge to have a sniff. And if you cook with - omg, hold me back. So wonderful!

I've found that using vegan yogurt alone for a raita leaves something wanting - the texture and body of the raita is not quite right. To fix this problem, I add a few tablespoons of vegan sour cream which brings a little richness and tang that is otherwise missing.

Serve this up with some garlicked greens (recipe is in Everyday Vegan Eats, page 196) and you have an excellent meal.

If you need to get your hands on a copy of Everyday Vegan Eats (my cookbook), Vegan Heritage Press is giving one away. Giveaway ends September 14 - hurry!

You can make this recipe into 4 double-stacked burgers, or spread the love to others and make 8 single burgers. Either way, these will satisfy your craving for Indian food. At least for a little while. The craving is never actually truly satisfied.

SAMOSA BURGER WITH RAITA SAUCE PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Samosa Burger with Raita Sauce

Makes 4 burgers

3 cups small cauliflower florets

1 pound waxy potatoes, chopped into ¼- inch dice

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

4 curry leaves

¼ cup cashews

½ cup dry breadcrumbs

4 scallions, minced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

4 burger buns or ciabatta rolls or 8 focaccia slices, toasted

Raita Sauce, recipe below

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Combine the cauliflower, potatoes and vegetable broth in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the mustard, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, turmeric and curry leaves, if available. Stir and cook until the seeds pop, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the curry leaves. Transfer to a small bowl or to the cooked potato mixture. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in same medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cashews and stir and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add to the potatoes.

4. Transfer the potatoes, cauliflower, spice mixture, cashews, breadcrumbs and scallions to a food processor. Pulse until combined but not pureed. Form the mixture into 8 burgers, about 2 ½ inches in diameter and ½-inch thick.

5. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the burger patties, in increments, adding more oil as needed, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

6. Make the burgers by topping a bottom bun with 2 burger patties and adding about 2 tablespoons raita. Add top of the bun and serve.

Raita Sauce

1 cup plain unsweetened plain yogurt

2 tablespoons vegan sour cream

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup shredded cucumber, squeezed of excess moisture

2 red radishes, shredded

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

 

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

pizza burger

Day 7. You knew it was coming. No Burger Extravaganza worth its salt would omit a Pizza Burger. Am I right, or am I right? This burger is a sausage-style patty, simmered in tomato sauce, smothered in vegan cheese and served between two pieces of fresh focaccia. Mmm, that's right.

The patty is made with tempeh and gluten and is baked before being simmered. The focaccia dough can sit overnight in the fridge to rise and your sauce can be cooked and stored for future use. As you can see, the burger, the sauce and the dough can all be made in advance.

Just as the previous burgers, these didn't last long, either. And although my family claims that they don't like tempeh, I beg to differ with them based on the empty plates.

Don't be afraid to make your own Focaccia Bread because it really is simple and easy. When you turn the dough out onto the baking sheet, be sure to poke the dough all over with your fingers. And I mean HOLES - deep holes all the way down through to the pan.

When the dough rises a final time, most of the holes will fill in, but you will still have the characteristic dips and valleys in the bread. I added a few slices of thinly cut tomatoes, but you can add a few slices of olives ...or nothing at all.

A few contest reminders before I share the recipe....

Vegan Heritage Press is giving away a copy of "Everyday Vegan Eats" (my cookbook). Enter to win HERE. Contest ends September 14.

Have you entered to win "Vegan without Borders," the soon-to-be-released cookbook by Robin Robertson? Contest ends September 14. Enter HERE.

And now for the Pizza Burger....

PIZZA BURGER WITH FOCACCIA PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Pizza Burger on Focaccia Bread

Makes 6 burgers

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, grated

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 cup vital wheat gluten

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

3/4 cup vegetable broth

Tomato Sauce, recipe below

3/4 cup shredded vegan cheese

Focaccia bread, recipe below

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the fennel, chili flakes and oregano. Cook until the onion is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tempeh, garlic and salt. Cook until tempeh is golden, about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool the mixture completely.

2. Preheat the oven to 300-degrees F. Add the gluten and bread crumbs to the mixture. Mix well. Add the broth and knead until the gluten forms threads, about 3 minutes.

3. For the mixture into 6 burgers and arrange them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, flip and continue to bake them for another 30 minutes.

4. Warm the tomato sauce in a large skillet (if cooled) and add the burgers, coating them in the sauce. Cook until the burgers have softened, about 8 minutes.

5. Remove as much sauce as possible to a bowl and add the vegan cheese to the tops of the burgers. Cover and cook until the cheese melts.

6. Cut the focaccia into squares large enough for the burgers and top one focaccia with the cheeseburger and add another piece of focaccia on top. Serve.

Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Natural sugar, as needed

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the onion and carrot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, basil, oregano and salt and black pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens, about 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper and sugar. Cool or use immediately. Sauce will keep for 3 days stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Focaccia Bread:

1 cup warm water

7 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast

2 teaspoons dried Rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon maple syrup

2 cups unbleached all-purpose white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Coarse salt

1. Combine the water, 2 tablespoons oil, yeast, rosemary, oregano and maple in a small bowl. Set aside to activate the yeast.

2. Combine the flours and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the yeast mixture and process until a dough is formed.

3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large bowl and add the dough. Cover with a plastic wrap and allow to double in size, about 1 hour.

4. When doubled, knead the dough right inside the bowl until smooth and elastic. Cover again and allow to rise until doubled. This may be done overnight in the refrigerator.

5. Preheat the oven to 425-degrees F. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a baking sheet. Without deflating the dough too much, transfer the dough to the oiled sheet and flatten using your hands. With your fingers make holes in the dough, all the way through to the pan. Cover the pan with wrap and set aside to rise, about 30 minutes.

6. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the top of the dough and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan as soon as possible to keep crust crisp.

 

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

I am linking to these recipe parties: Healthy Vegan Fridays, What I Ate Wednesday and Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck. 

 

burger break + "vegan without borders" giveaway

Robin Robertson's brand new vegan cookbook "Vegan without Borders" is almost available (9/9/14)!

I am very excited for this book for a number of reasons:

1) this is an international cookbook spanning the globe.
2) the recipes are AMA-zing!
3) I tested for this book, so I KNOW it is AMA-zing!
4) the photography is just as spectacular as the recipes.
5) this is a gorgeous hardcover cookbook.

I have been a devoted recipe tester for Robin for many moons, now, and I have to say that this is one of her most ambitious endeavors. If there is anyone who can pull it off, though, it's Ms. Robertson.

I worked with her on this book just before I started working on my own cookbook (shameless plug: "Everyday Vegan Eats"), so it could have been a bit challenging, but since the recipes are typical Robin-style [EASY], I had no problem testing and living life.

Best, yet, however, this book is spectacular in both appearance and taste.

A few examples of the recipes I tested and LOVED:

Middle East: Ajvar

Greece: Greek Tomato Bruschetta

South America: Chimichurri-grilled Vegetables

Eastern Europe: Seitan Jagerschnitzel

France: Vegetable Pan Bagnat

Japan: Tofu Tonkatsu

Enough teasing! Let's get to the giveaway!

To enter:

1) Leave a comment
2) Follow me on Twitter, like on Facebook or subscribe in an RSS feed .
3) Leave me a comment with a way to reach you in case you are the winner.

[NOTE: BLOGGER IS HAVING ISSUES WITH COMMENTS. IF YOU CANNOT COMMENT, SEND ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR CONTACT INFO AND I'LL ADD YOU MANUALLY. zsu [at] zsusveganpantry [dot] com ]

Contest open to US residents and the winner will be chosen on my next giveaway post next Sunday, September 14, via random.org. Contest closes right before I write the post late Saturday night, so don't procrastinate - it won't help you win.

Good luck! Join me for more Burger Extravaganza via VeganMoFo next week! What kinds of vegan burgers can there be left to make?!? Find out!