I confess, I’m not one who greatly enjoys cooking. I do it because I like to eat, and I like to eat well. And because it’s not fair to make David do all the cooking. When it’s my turn, my preference is simple, fast, not a lot of ingredients, not a lot of clean-up, low in carbs, high in fiber and flavor, and ideally, something I can make ahead and eat for two or three days. This is now my official go-to dinner. It’s a combo of a few recipes, and the wonderful thing about these veggie burger recipes is that they are very forgiving. Substitutes are welcome and encouraged. Get creative! And then let me know what you did!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)
1 cup shredded cheese (such as feta, mozzarella, provolone)
2 eggs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2-4 Tbl olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 onion
1 zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed or chopped
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa or any cooked other grain you like (such as brown rice, barley, slightly chopped)
¼ cup breadcrumbs (optional)
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (e.g. Frank’s RedHot, Tabasco)
DIRECTIONS
Combine TVP, cheese, eggs, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, onion, zucchini, and cook, stirring, for 8 mins. Cool 5-10 mins. Add to TVP mixture, along with mashed beans, quinoa or other grain of choice, (optional) breadcrumbs, chopped bell pepper, cumin and hot sauce. Mix well using your hands.
Refrigerate for 30 mins. Form 6 patties. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in skillet on medium high heat. Cook 2-3 mins per side to heat through. Serve on a tossed salad, broken up into bits or in one piece, topped with siracha mayonnaise, or on a bun with any toppings you enjoy. Patties can be saved in the refrigerator for a few days until ready to cook.