Monday, August 17, 2009

In which I begin this blog

I'm still tinkering with this, but I'm tired of the details. Let's get to the good stuff.




Bean burgers with garlic roasted fingerling potatoes.

These burgers are one of my staples. They're cheap, easy, the kids love them, and they're good for you. The vital wheat gluten is available from Bob's Red Mill (among other sources) and I can find it at my local store (PCC, Whole Foods, QFC). Vital wheat gluten may sound strange, but it's just the stuff that lends chewiness to breads and doughs. In this recipe, it's what gives the burgers their "meaty" texture.

Once you have the basic ingredients, you can make 4-6 burgers for the price of a can of beans. These grill up like normal burgers, so they're great for camping (and since it's dry/canned ingredients, no worry about spoilage).

Bean burgers (my adaptation of a recipe from Veganomicon):

1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 TBS ketchup or tomato paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup water

In a bowl, mash the beans with a fork or potato masher until no whole beans remain. Add remaining ingredients and mix (hands work well) for a minute or two until a dough forms. Divide into 4-6 burgers. Pan fry or grill (these work on the BBQ just fine). Serve as you would any burger.

For the potatoes, I just cut them in half, tossed them with a little olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic. You can use any small potatoes; these are a mix of various fingerlings, including purple. Roast at 450 for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender, stirring once. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and serve.

2 comments:

  1. I am going to try these for sure! Sounds so easy and the results look delicious!

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  2. I love bean burgers -- thanks for the recipe! Congrats on the new blog. I'll be reading.

    P.S. I'm a Cake Wrecks fan too!

    Rachel

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