Masala Burger

Here’s the recipe:

Garam Masala Burger

2 tbs. canola oil
1/2 med. sized onion
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp fresh ginger (or bottled)
1/2 cup finely chopped veggies of your choice (I used 1/4 cups of carrots and 1/4 cup kale)
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs. Garam Masala
1 tsp. chili powder
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

few tsps. of veggie broth or water, if needed

Sautee onions, garlic, ginger and veggies in oil for 2 minutes. Add garam masala and chili powder and garbanzo beans. Continue frying for 4-5 minutes until onions/veggies are cooked. Add salt.

Put sauteed mixture in food processor and chop until smooth.

In med. sized bowl, add bean mixture, bread crumbs and wheat gluten. At this point, you should have a moist mixture and should be able to knead it. If it is too dry, add broth or water. If too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Divide into and form into four patties. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. After they’re through cooking, heat up canola oil in a cast iron frying pan about 1/ – 1/4″ and fry each side quickly for a nice crust.

Notes: You can add any veggie or any spice to make your international burger. Adjust amount of spices to your taste. You are only limited by your imagination! Have fun.

Quorn products are made from mushrooms.

Something I’ve enjoyed eating are the Quorn Goat Cheese and Cranberry Chik Patties (veggie burgers).  Beside this product, I’m not familiar with any other  innovative new products.   What’s good out there?

Last month, I picked up some veggie bacon. The texture was horrible. I couldn’t even get it out of the packaging without it breaking apart.  I remember when the veggie burgers first appeared on the market – wow – was I happy.  The first one’s I remember were Boca Burgers. Shortly followed by Garden Burgers. Now the freezer cases are filled with a variety of  different types of veggie alternatives.

In my opinion, the best burgers come from the Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck) cookbook. The “Feel Your Oats Burgers” are mostly grains (oats), beans and veggies. I make a huge batch and freeze the extra.  Why pay $4-$5 a for a few burgers when it’s simple to make your own for less than .15 per burger! Get in the kitchen and try them!

“Feel Your Oats” Burger
from the Whole Foods Market cookbook:

4-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
4-1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup olive Oil

1 tsp. canol oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1 med. red pepper, seeded and diced
2 large onions, diced
2 large carrots, grated
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
veg oil for spraying burgers

These are probably the most unusual grain-based burgers due to the soft texture and earthy flavor of the rolled oats. As the oat mixture cools down it hardens and forms a soft shell for the chopped, sauteed veggies.  You can stuff these into a portabella cap.  I add beans and herbs/spices to suit my taste. Get creative. You can add anything you want to these!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large sauce pot, bring the water, tamari, oats, and olive oil to a boil; simmer for 12 minutes over load heat while stirring frequently, until a very thick mixture forms. Remove from heat. Heat the canola oil in a nonstick saute pan over medium heat, and cook the garlic, pepper, onions, carrots, basil, and oregano for about 2 minutes or until soft. Fold this into the oat mixture and allow it to cool. Using an 8 ounce scoop as a measure, form into 8 burgers 1 inch thick and place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper (or spray with veg oil). Bake 20 minutes until golden brown.

I admire my friends who are vegans. I want to say I’m a vegan..I want to lead a humane, non-violent, environmentally-friendly life.  I’m just not sure I can give up: milk in my coffee, Panera asiago cheese bagels, parmasean cheese, ice cream (oh no!), pizza with stringy mozzerella, artisnal cheeses, and more yummy foods I identify with.  I don’t want to go out to eat and be limited to one item on the menu.  Honey, no problem! Ah, leather, that may be difficult when it comes to shoes…..

Maybe I should consider joining the slow food movement to “counteract fast food and the fast life.”  On the other hand, if  “humaneness” is my primary concern, maybe I should eat only humanely raised, grass fed to finished animals. Other animals eat animals, right?  Again, I could protect the environment better if I ate only locally grown foods,  Do you have any idea of the impact shipping tropical fruit can have on our environment? But how do I eat locally grown foods in January in Connecticut? (The answer would be to turn my lawn into a huge garden, can in the Fall, and eat tomatoes and peppers all winter).  Maybe a Macrobiotic diet would be  more healthy…or an all raw food diet.  I once heard cookbooks are the biggest selling genre (and diet books are second).

I have a friend who calls herself a vegetarian. She eats fish. I scoff. But she’s eating more sustainably than I am.

I think my best bet is take it slow. I was a vegetarian for 16 years, I can do it again. So, when do I start? New Years. What do I do with all the meat in my Freezer? Food kitchen. How about all my cookbooks (I’m closing in at about 150).  Keep them and modify recipes. OK, that’s the plan.  My fear? I’ll fail and feel worse about myself. But I’ve got to give it a shot.

Two years ago, I lost 50 lbs. and then dated a man who focused primarily on eating as entertainment. As I fell in love, my weight increased. Then the relationship wasn’t going any where and here I am, back to where my journey began.

My body makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable every minute. I’m depressed. And mad. Mad that I just don’t “do it” and eat right. After all, I know how, so what’s the keeping me from being the best I can be?

It’s not just my weight. It’s what I eat that bothers me. It’s all tied up in my core values. For sixteen years, I was a vegetarian. I wasn’t militant about it (it’s a personal choice, and I believe in choice). But there are lot of reasons to eat veg. For me, it was primarily for humane reasons. (Watch “Meet your Meat” below – thanks Greg).

So now I’m over-weight,  inhumane, and self loathing. I need “Change” in 2009. Not just political, but ethical, physical, and spiritual. Something is off balance.