The DIY Veggie Burger

My favorite frozen veggie burger is Amy's Quarter Pound Veggie Burger, which packs a whopping 21g of protein, and is vegan:

After the "veggie burger poison" scare earlier this year, I had started buying only organic frozen patties -- which can be quite expensive. I decided to try the Engine 2's New York Times Veggie Burger, which I had sampled on a previous occasion, complements of my friend Steph.

Here is the end product:

Delicioso! Seymore thinks they taste better than the frozen ones. I like that they do not contain mushrooms, which I think are a vile.

Here is the recipe:

New York Times Veggie Burgers

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can tomatoes with zesty mild chilies, drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup parsley or cilantro
• 2 cups quick rolled oats
• 8 whole grain buns
• Fresh veggie toppings and healthy condiments

Preheat oven to 450º.
Process the first seven ingredients using an immersion or a regular blender or food processor.
Remove contents into a large bowl and stir in the oats.
Form into patties, place on a sprayed baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes.

Here is a photo I took of the patties prior to baking them:

Turn oven up to broil and cook for 2 more minutes, until the tops are nicely browned.
Toast the buns and pile on your favorite toppings.

Recipe taken from Engine2 diet website: http://engine2diet.com/recipes/dinner/new-york-times-veggie-burgers/

The only changes that I made were to add a dash of cumin, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Loaded them up with sliced jalapenos, avocados, thinly sliced red onion, and home-grown tomatoes from Marie's glorious garden. I didn't have any lettuce or sprouts which made me quite sad...I think that would have been a nice addition.

In summary, it is a bit messy & less convenient than store-bought to make your own veggie burgers, but well worth the time and effort. I have frozen the remaining patties for future use, will blog later on how well they do with cooking after being frozen.