I began my Recipe Challenge last night and I must say it has started off great! I had a few rules for the recipes I chose: 1) I didn't want to make anything that resembled our usual basics (things like pasta w/ red sauce, chili, quesadillas, soup) so I had to branch out a bit and 2) I wanted recipes that included items I could pick up at my local grocery store--not foods/spices no one has ever heard of. And trust me finding the latter is tough when searching vegetarian cook books (which thanks to generous wedding guests, we have plenty with some fabulous recipes in them).
But I did it. I found 7 recipes. They won't all be dinner recipes. I have a muffin recipe for tomorrow morning and another dessert recipe for nights I don't have extra time to work on dinner (the Farmer cooks those nights). SO let's get on with it!
The Recipe:
Gardenburgers
This recipe was in my recipe folder. I can't remember where it came from or when I got it.
Here's what you need:
2 tbsp bulgur wheat (had it in the pantry)
1 pound mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 c diced onion
1/2 c rolled oats
2/3 c cooked brown rice (had it leftover from chili night)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese (I used a mix of the 2 cheeses)
2 tbsp cottage cheese (I didn't want to use this, so I left it out)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs cornstarch
1/4 c boiling water
1/2 c water
What I added:
2 c spinach (because why not have something green?)
1 tbsp minced garlic (because we love it)
Add the boiling water to the bulgur wheat in a small bowl and let sit for about an hour (wheat will swell to about double the size). Steam the quartered mushrooms for 10 mins or until tender. Remove and steam onions for about 10 mins or until they are translucent. Keep these 2 ingredients separated and set them aside. Add 1/2 c water to the oats and let them soak 10 mins. Drain any excess water from the bulgur wheat and oats, then combine with mushrooms, rice, cheese and spices in a food processor.
Use the pulse option and only until ingredients are chopped fine, but not pureed. Pour the mixture in a bowl and add the steamed onion and corn starch, blend well.
Preheat oven to 300˚. Add about a tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Measure a 1/2 c of the patty mixture in the pan and shape with a spoon into a 3'' round patty that is about 1/2'' thick.
(I cooked three at a time). Cook for 2-4 mins per side or until light brown on the surface. When all of the patties have been browned, arrange them on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and bake them for 25-30 minutes. Turn them over halfway through. Makes 8 patties.
The Grade: A-
The Farmer and I both decided these got an A-. The only reason they didn't get an A or A+ is because of the consistency. They were mushier than we thought they would be, but still great.
What we ate it with:
Boiled organic green beans with sea salt.
What I'd do next time:
I'd saute the onions and mushrooms next time. Steaming them made it smell a bit funny around here. I'd still add spinach because it gave it more umph! I'd also probably bake them a bit longer or on a higher temp to get them less mushy. Other than that, I wouldn't mess with much!
So give them a try, they are actually pretty simple (and good for you!). If you make a larger batch, you can freeze them to have on hand.
On the menu tonight: sweet potato falafel and naan! I'll be back tomorrow with a report!
