Thursday 22 August 2013

The quest for a great veggie burger

I've been trying to go running a bit more regularly and have managed 3 outings this week, straight after the dog's morning walk.  I can feel that the exercising is doing me good - the only thing is that I want to eat all the time. ;-)  Guess my metabolism has been jump-started, so not to undo my good work I have been looking for healthy recipes to satisfy my hunger.

One thing that falls into this category and that  I love is a good veggie burger but finding one that doesn't have a mushy, baby food texture is not that easy. 

Well, I think I may have found at least one answer to this: chopped nuts - adding a few of those gives a great crunch and lovely taste to the burger.  Next time I may also add some grated carrot for an even better texture and to include more veggie goodness but these did turn out lovely just as they were. 
 


Spicy sweet potato burger (makes 3 large burger patties)

Ingredients:
  • 225g sweet potato (approx. 1 large sweet potato)
  • 100g quinoa, cooked (or some rice)
  • 75g adzuki beans, cooked & drained (or other pulses such as kidney beans, etc - I used canned ones)
  • a handful of chopped nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts or a combination)
  • 3 tbsp rolled oats
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder (or fresh coriander/cilantro)
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • salt, pepper
  • some oil for frying
  • Optional: breadcrumbs

Method:
  1. Cook the sweet potato (peeled & cubed) either in a pan of water or by baking it whole & skin on in the microwave. 
  2. Mash the potato (without the skin) in a bowl and add all the other ingredients, stirring to combine well.
  3. Check the seasoning - you may want it a bit spicier.
  4. Form into patties, dust with breadcrumbs (if using) and put in the fridge for 15 minutes or so to firm up a bit.
  5. Shallow-fry the patties in a little oil until golden & crispy on the outside and heated through. 
  6. Serve either on their own or in a burger bun.

Once cooled, these will freeze well.  Simply defrost and pop in the oven on a baking sheet at 180 C to reheat.







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