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.