Very Veggie Burgers

I've had my share of pre-packaged veggie burgers from the supermarket and health food store shelves. I've also had my share of my own, homemade versions. I was never satisfied. The packaged burgers contain a lot of fillers (soy, mostly) and added oils. My previous homemade burgers were mostly made from beans and rice and fell apart terribly when cooked.

Since living in North Carolina, I found an amazing pre-made commercial burger. The brand is Rosetta's Kitchen, also the name of the vegetarian restaurant in Asheville. If you're in western North Carolina some time you must try them. Wonderfully wholesome and healthy fare. Anyway, needless to say ALL of these packaged burgers come with a pretty hefty price tag. And I had been waiting and waiting... and waiting for my supermarket to restock--they disappear quickly from the shelves. Hmm...

So I ventured to the stove to create this veggie burger (like Rosetta's, it's mostly veggies) and I'm quite pleased with the result! They have a nice crunch on the outside and a soft but not gooey center. I hope you'll try this recipe for yourself. It may seem like a lot of ingredients but it's not that difficult to prepare and makes a lot (about 18) which you can easily freeze for later use.

Ingredients:

• 2 large carrots
• 2 celery stalks (outer tough strings removed)
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 small red bell pepper (or green)
• 1/2 pound mushrooms
• 3 green onion stalks
• 1 package frozen artichoke hearts (or 1 can, water packed--not oil)
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2-2 cups millet flour (you can use whatever flour you want)
• 2 TBS ground flax seeds
• 1 can low sodium garbanzo beans, drained
• 3 TBS Salt-Free Spike (or other all purpose seasoning)
• 2 TBS onion powder
• 1 TBS powdered garlic
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 TBS mellow white miso

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 330 degrees.
2. Chop the carrots and celery and place in a steamer with the artichoke hearts.
3. Chop the rest of the veggies (they don't need to be chopped really small since they're all going into the food processor anyway)
4. When the carrots are slightly tender add the rest of the veggies.
5. Steam until veggies are soft but not mushy.
6. Transfer all veggies to a food processor and process until combined (I like to leave mine slightly chunky so you can still identify some of the veggies).
7. Add half of the garbanzo beans and process again to incorporate.
8. Transfer the processed veggie mixture to a large bowl and add all remaining ingredients, except the flour, including the half can of beans.
9. Add the flour a bit at a time to ensure it is dispersed evenly. You want a consistency that is pertty wet but will hold together when you shape the burgers.
10. Shape the burgers and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet (they should be about 3 inches in diameter and about 3/4 inch high.
11. Bake for one hour, flipping burgers once after 30 minutes.

Ready to go into the oven!

Helyn's Notes: These burgers can also be pan fried in a bit of olive oil. I tested it and they are yummy this way. I preferred to bake them to lessen the oil content.

Healthy Trails,
     Helyn