In the Key of K

Beyond and impossible plant-meats are good in their own way but I’ve been eating veggie burgers way longer than they’ve been around. These aren’t trying to be beef. They are just a tasty burger alternative. That being said, many true veggie burgers are not great.

Are you frustrated at all the veggie burgers that crumble when you try to eat them? I was. These don’t do that. After they are initially cooked they can be eaten right away or you can grill, cook in a skillet, air fry, or eat them cold. They can also be breaded and deep fried but they should be completely cooled before dredging. As pictured, I dressed the sandwich with some plain unsweetened vegan yogurt mixed with a little garlic chili paste and spread that on both sides. Then loaded up some fresh spinach and feasted!

Veggie Patties
InTheKeyOfK

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start adding all this stuff into your food processor:

1/2 heaping cup rolled oats
1 can of drained chickpeas
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2-1  teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2-1 teaspoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of ground flax

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach or kale (or sub frozen spinach use your judgement on the amount), It works great without this but it makes it fun for kids when they are green.

1 cup of water–may be more maybe less–enough to let the food processor do it’s work. Start with a 1 cup and then add more if needed until it comes together.

Process all that to a paste and then mix in some more oats:
1/2 additional cup of rolled or instant oats. Yes, more oats, added at the end after processing. You can do this in the processor or in a bowl–if processing, just pulse until it comes together–you want the oats to be visible bits in the mixture.

Optional: If you want your mixture to be red instead of green use 1 small beet instead of spinach. Or if you want them to be the color of chickpeas, omit the spinach.

As mentioned above, add everything to a food processor except the second bit of rolled oats.

Adjust the seasoning to your own tastes. Try any savory combinations you like.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the mixture with the remaining oats.

When everything is stirred together, use a biscuit cutter to mold burger patties on parchment paper. Or do it by hand. The batter should be wet but not soupy if too wet, add more oats–if too dry, add a bit of water

For kids’ lunch, use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Note: I do not try to stamp the batter with the cookie cutters but instead use them as molds–fill it and tamp it down with a spoon or fingers on parchment paper and then remove the cookie cutter mold.

You can also bake these in a single layer in a bread pan and cut into strips to have on-the-go protein bars for busy students.

They taste best baked for 30-ish minutes–you don’t have to flip them. As mentioned above, you can eat them right away or reheat them anyway you want to reheat food.

Alternatively to baking, they can be cooked in a nonstick pan, browning slightly on both sides. They hold their shape much better in the oven. If grilling, be sure to bake them first for at least 20 or 25 minutes or they will fall apart on the grill).