irish burger

Day 17 Vegan MoFo burger is an Irish Burger!

These burgers are made with cabbage steaks that are rubbed with horseradish and dusted with corned seasoning and then roasted. It is then topped with melted cheese.

The second layer is sauerkraut and crumbled homemade tempeh-bacon.

The third layer is fried potatoes - because you can't have an Irish burger without potatoes! Finally the sauce is made of relish, mustard and grated onion - a twist on the traditional 1,000 Island dressing that graces a Reuben.

This burger has a lot of action happening, but it all comes together in one magical sandwich.

IRISH BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Irish Burger

Makes 4 burgers

5 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

1 large Russet potato, cut into julienne strips

1 head cabbage (about 1 pound), cut into ½-inch slices

Prepared horseradish, as needed, about 2 tablespoons

Corned Spices, recipe below

½ cup shredded vegan cheese

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, finely chopped

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Special Irish Sauce, recipe below

1 cup sauerkraut

4 burger buns, toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F.Toss 1 tablespoon of oil with the potato strips on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes and set aside.

2. Arrange the cabbage slices on an oiled baking sheet. Spread 1 teaspoon of horseradish on each cabbage slices. Sprinkle the Corned Spices over the top of the slices. Roast the cabbage in the preheated 400-degree oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Add cheese over the cabbage steaks and continue to bake until the cheese melts. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until golden about 4 minutes. Add the tamari, yeast and cook until the tamari evaporates. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika. Set aside.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet and cook the baked fries in batches until crisp. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and black pepper.

5. Assemble the burgers by spreading about 2 tablespoons of sauce on each bottom bun, add a cabbage steak, tempeh bacon, ¼ of the sauerkraut and ¼ of the fries. Top with the top buns and serve.

Corned Spices

2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon dill seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

Pinch ground clove

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a spice grinder or personal blender. Blend until finely ground.

Special Irish Sauce

½ cup vegan mayo

½ small onion, grated

2 tablespoons sweet relish

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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thanksgiving burger

Day 16  VeganMoFo is all about continuing the holiday theme, this time celebrating Thanksgiving between two buns.

I've missed a few days of this year's MoFo party (I had a bug over the weekend and well into yesterday), and now will have to play catch-up.

Getting to this burger: it is a freekeh-stuffing burger on a bun with cranberry sauce, gravy, quick sauteed green beans and fried onions - picture all of the best of the Thanksgiving in every single bite.

I took a page from my Hungarian ancestry and created the burger base of this burger by treating it like a dumpling (boiling it) and then sauteing it, just as a typical burger should be.

I'll be back with the recipe because tomorrow; I'm a little exhausted right now, but I didn't want to miss another MoFo day.



THANKSGIVING BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Thanksgiving Burger

Makes 8 burgers

6 cups cubed bread (about ½-inch cubes)

½ cup freekeh

1 garlic clove, minced, ½ teaspoon thyme

Sea salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 medium carrot, minced

¼ cup raisins

1 teaspoon each: thyme, sage, oregano, dried parsley

¼ cup hot water

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

1 cup unsweetened plain vegan milk

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

4 ounces green beans, sliced thin on the diagonal

1 cup cranberry sauce

2 cups favorite vegan gravy

1 cup fried onions

8 burger buns, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet and bake until dried and crisp, about 15 minutes. Cook the freekeh, garlic, thyme and ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper in about 2 cups water until tender, according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, raisin, thyme, sage, oregano and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook the vegetables until tender. Transfer to the large bowl.

4. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in the hot water. Add to the large bowl, along with the milk, the bread cubes and flour. Mash and knead until well combined. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Form into 8 burgers.

5. Heat a large pot of water over high heat to boiling. Add the burger dumplings and cook until they float and are cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain on cooling rack and cool thoroughly.

6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the green beans. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Add more oil and cook the burgers until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

7. Assemble the burgers by spreading 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce on the bottom bun, add a burger, top with green beans, add gravy, top with fried onions and the top bun. Serve.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

gyro tempeh burger

Day 15 VeganMoFo is all about gyros and tempeh. Making this Gyro Tempeh Burger was just like eating a wonderful gyro, burger style. The tempeh is marinated in a Greek seasoned oil and is then served with a Cucumber Tzaziki.

I served these burgers on flat rounds, which mimic a pita quite nicely, but you can, of course, serve them in pita bread. Even if you use regular pita, make sure to toast it well to offer some desired crunch.

The tzaziki adds enough of a sauce-feel that there is no actual need for anything additional.  Gyros were one of my most favorite sandwiches pre-veg days, so I wouldn't steer you wrong.

If you happen to have Everyday Vegan Eats, make sure to check out my Greek Gyro with Tzaziki Sauce (page 77) for a more authentic version of a gyro.

Just as Tami Noyes (Vegan Finger Foods and American Vegan Kitchen) will make a Reuben out of anything, (really ANything,  I mean ANYTHING), I'll do the same with a gyro, hence this not-so-traditional burger.



This is the very last day to enter the giveaway for "Vegan Tacos" by Jason Wyrick. Enter HERE!

GYRO TEMPEH BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Gyro Tempeh Burger with Cucumber Tzaziki

Makes 4 burgers

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh

4 tablespoons Gyro Seasoned Oil, divided, recipe below

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1 medium cucumber, peeled into thin stips

¼ cup unsweetened plain vegan yogurt

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

4 thin burger rounds or two pita bread, halved and split

Lettuce, tomato and onion, as needed

1. Cut the tempeh in half. Cut each half in half diagonally. Cut each quarter in half through the middle so that you have 8 thin slices of tempeh. Combine 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt, black pepper and sliced tempeh in a large bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Squeeze the cucumber slices with your hand to eliminate much of the liquid. Make the tzaziki by combining the cucumber, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon lemon  juice, yogurt, and chili flakes in a medium bowl. Set aside.  

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the tempeh in the skillet until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Take care adding the tempeh to the hot skillet; the marinade will sputter.

4. Add the reserved marinating onion and herbs to the skillet and cook until golden.

5. Oil the rounds with the seasoned oil and toast in the skillet until golden.

6. Assemble the burgers by layering lettuce, tomato onion, 2 tempeh slices and tzazki on each bottom toasted round and finish with the top buns. Serve.

Gyro Seasoned Oil

½ cup neutral oil

10 garlic cloves, minced

½ medium onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon Rosemary

1. Combine the oil, garlic, onion, oregano and Rosemary in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Strain the oil, reserving the vegetables.

3. The oil will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

eggplant sriracha bbq burger

Day 14 VeganMoFo Burger Hoopla continues with this Eggplant Sriracha BBQ Burger with Zucchini Slaw. This is an Asian-inspired burger of eggplant slices grilled and basted in Sriracha BBQ Sauce.

There are Asian flavors spiking this burger throughout, in the BBQ sauce and the slaw: tamari, sriracha, sesame seed oil, rice vinegar and Chinese 5-spice powder. I love using that spice because most of us have it in the back of the cabinet, yet seldom get the chance to cook with it; it adds so much flavor!

You can see all those wonderful flavors coating the grilled eggplants. So good and so fast!

As an aside, you can see hot hot it is in San Diego: we don't have central air, and as soon as I took the bottle of sriracha out of the fridge, it immediately began to condense the water from the air and the label got all soggy. Sheesh.

Oops! Who is that?! Jimmy photobombed my shoot. He took a sniff, turned right around, not being one for eggplant, and promptly went to the back of the table to lay down for the duration. Spot him in the remaining photos.

As soon as I moved the food out of the way, he claimed his rightful spot in the front. I've noticed that he and I are taking turns using the table!

This burger is outrageously good! Even my youngest took a careful bite, looked at me wide-eyed and said, "I cannot believe I like this so much - it has everything I don't like!" She dislikes eggplant, ginger, ziucchini and bbq sauce.

Goes to prove that the sum of the parts can be very different than the parts themselves.

EGGPLANT SRIRACHA BBQ BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Eggplant Sriracha BBQ Burger with Zucchini Slaw

Makes 4 to 6 burgers

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

1 small onion, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

⅔ cups ketchup

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon reduced sodium tamari

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sriracha (or more)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

½ teaspoon dry ground ginger

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

1 large eggplant, cut into ¾-inch slices (you will need 8 slices for 4 burgers)

4 to 6 (3-inch) buns, not sliced

Vegan Mayonnaise, to taste

Zucchini Slaw, recipe below

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sesame oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the ketchup, 2 tablespoons tamari, vinegar, sriracha, brown sugar, 5-spice and ginger, stir and cook over medium-low for 8 minutes to thicken and marry flavors. Remove from heat.

2. Combine the remaining teaspoon oil and tamari and the vegetable broth in a large bowl. Toss the eggplant in the marinade and set aside while grill pan preheats.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Spray each slice of eggplant with oil before placing on grill pan. Cook the eggplant until almost tender, about 2 minutes per side. Baste the eggplant with the BBQ sauce and cook until glazed and the eggplant is tender, about 1 more minute per side.

4. Toast the buns to warm. Cut the buns in half almost all the way through, but not completely. This will help keep the sandwich together. Spread a little mayo on one side of the bun, add 2 eggplant slices, a bit more BBQ sauce and top generously with the slaw. Serve.

Zucchini Slaw

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon fresh ground ginger

1 garlic clove. minced

1 medium zucchini, julienned or grated (use a julienne peeler)

2 cups shredded baby kale

¼ small onion, grated

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine the lime juice, tamari, sugar, ginger and garlic in a large bowl.

2. Add the zucchini, kale, onion and cilantro. Toss to mix. Season with salt and black pepper.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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If you haven't seen the giveaway for the cookbook Vegan Tacos by Jason Wyrick, it is HERE. Don't miss it.

fajita burger

Day 13 VeganMoFo is this loaded Fajita Burger with Avocado Sour Cream. It is packed with fajita seasoning and fajita veggies, all stuffed onto a corn and bean burger. What do you add to a fajita? Cheese, sour cream and avocado! Done!

This was one terribly delicious burger! I charred the bun a little to give it an extra smoky flavor, but those veggies deliver on their own.

Fajitas are my absolute favorite meals to grab at  Mexican or Tex-Mex places, so for me this was a must make burger. It's an easy one to make that takes you to a Mexican mom-and-pop joint without leaving your kitchen.

Don't miss my twitter chat with The Food Duo tonight at 8 EST and 5 PST.  If you haven't checked out their List-mania theme for MoFo, get a move on.

HERE is the twitter chat link (and you should also follow me on Twitter): @ZsuDever.

Last order of business, remember to enter the giveaway for "Vegan Tacos"  HERE.

Back to the burger...

FAJITA BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Fajita Burger with Avocado Sour Cream

Makes 6 burgers

2 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 cup frozen corn kernels, frozen

1/2 medium onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

3/4 cups vital wheat gluten (Stirred before measuring)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

4 burger buns, toasted

1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese

Fajita Veggies, recipe below

Avocado Sour Cream, recipe below

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the corn, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt and black pepper, to taste and stir and cook until the corn is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, stir and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool thoroughly.

2. Add the cooled mixture to a food processor. Add the cilantro and pulse just to break up the beans, about 6 (1-second) pulses. Transfer to a bowl and add the gluten flour, lime juice, tamari, chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Knead until the mixture forms gluten threads. Form the mixture into 4 burgers.

3. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with oil and arrange the patties evenly. Bake for 30 minutes-flipping after 15 minutes.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the burger patties and cook for 2 minutes. Flip, add 2 tablespoon cheese to each burger, divide the fajita veggies evenly on top of each burger, add 1/4 cup water to the skillet, cover the skillet and cook until the cheese melts.

5 Make the burgers by spread the bottom buns with avocado sour cream, add a burger and add the top bun. Serve.

Fajita Veggies

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 small bell peppers, mixed colors, sliced thin

1/2 medium onion, sliced thin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and spices and stir and cook until crisp-tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Avocado Sour Cream

1/2 cup vegan sour cream

1 medium ripe Hass avocado, mashed well

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Salt and black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl using a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper and lime juice.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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