This is a Vegetable and Grain Burger that eats like a real burger. It isn’t mushy like most vegetable burgers. It not bland either and has flavor sort of like meat….My husband is very anti vegetable burger and even he said this one was very good. The burger is mostly a combination of shiitake mushrooms, polenta, lentils, bulgar, beets and oatmeal that’s held together with egg and whole wheat panko bread crumbs. I thought the burger would be really great with tellegio cheese and arugula. I also made a sauce of mayonnaise mixed with lots of smoked paprika, aleppo pepper, a little dijon mustard and a tiny bit of an Italian condiment called Bomba Calabrese…..Bomba is really hard to come by but it’s a really a delicious very spicy condiment that goes a really long way. It’s a FLAVOR BOMB. If you enjoy spicy foods I do recommend that you order a jar of Bomba off the internet (I like the Coluccio Brand). The sauce, tellegio cheese and arugula would be great with this Forking Awesome Veggie Burger. This burger takes a day to prepare. I made the mixture one day and left the patties to set over night.

 

Ingredients for about 6 servings.

4 oz shiitake mushroom caps – chopped well

2 1/2 oz. sweet onion – fine chopped

1 garlic clove – grated

1/3 cup polenta – not the instant kind

2 cups water

1/3 cup black lentils – the small type

1/3 cup bulgar

1/3 cup beets – grated

1/3 cup oatmeal (not the instant)

1 Tablespoon dry white wine

3 large eggs – beaten

2/3 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon course sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

non stick spray – preferably canola or vegetable

fresh ground sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Spray a fry pan with non stick spray. Put the pan on a medium high heat. When the pan is hot add the mushrooms and the onions. Stir occasionally. When the onions are translucent add the garlic and let it go till the contents look lightly caramelized. Then take off the heat and set to the side.

In a sauce pot add water and salt. Put the pot on medium high heat. When the water just starts to boil add the polenta …..stirring very well with a whisk. Now add the lentils, bulgur, beets, oatmeal, wine and black pepper. The mixture needs to boil but then you reduce the heat near to a simmer. You need to stir occasionally for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes add the mushroom mixture and keep it simmering about another 20 minutes stirring occasionally. The mixture will get very thick.

Take the mixture off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

Once it’s at room temperature add the eggs and the panko and mix well.

Put 6 sheets of plastic wrap on your counter and make 6 patty shaped burgers and wrap them up and place to set in the refrigerator over night.

 

The next day……

Set your oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet(s) with non stick spray.

Put your burgers on the sheet and give the tops a light spray and then set the sheet pan in the oven.

At 30 minutes flip the patties over and let them go another 15 minutes. Add fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to the burgers to taste.

Ready to serve!

 

The Forking Awesome Veggie Burger.