Nut Burgers

I’ve always made my own burgers from scratch.  I’ve been using the same recipe for close to ten years now, and they really are amazing.  But, in order to achieve my meat-reduction goal, I’ve been trying out vegetarian alternatives made with nuts, beans, lentils or kasha.

 

The kasha burgers I made several weeks ago, weren’t bad; they had a decent texture, and they held together quite well.  The babe loved them, and the boys ate them without any complaint, but I think when the meal was done, we all agreed that the flavour was a little too ‘kasha-y’.

Two nights ago, I made nut burgers, and they’re very good.  I stayed as close to my usual burger recipe as possible, so that the flavour would be recognizable; luckily, I found a good nut base in lieu of beef.  The boys cleaned their plates.

Nut  Burgers

• 1 cup walnut pieces (soaked 2 hours)
• 1 cup oats, ground to coarse powder
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup flax seed, ground to powder
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce or homemade BBQ sauce
• 1 tsp each garlic and cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 splash of tamari
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• coconut oil (for cooking)

Drain walnuts and pulse them in a food processor until they are the consistency of ground beef.  Remove to a medium-size bowl, add remaining ingredients (except oil), and stir until well combined.  Give the mixture a gentle squeeze; it should hold together easily.

With damp hands, shape into four patties.  Chill about 15-20 minutes while you slice up your favourite toppings.

Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook burgers 5 minutes, undisturbed; flip, cook another 3-4 minutes.  Serve with favourite toppings.

To make vegan burgers, omit the egg and try using 2 tablespoons of tahini or a mild nut butter, or a little more tomato sauce, to help bind the mixture for shaping.

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