my kitchen counter

Beet Burgers

In keeping with New Year’s health resolutions, the past two weeks for me have been almost meat free. Now, don’t get me wrong- I have no plans to become a vegan or even a vegetarian, but all of us could do with a few less animal products in our daily lives. On Monday I had lunch with my mom at an organic cafe in San Francisco called Plant, where we shared one of the most tasty and satisfying homemade veggie burgers that I had ever had. The burgers were bright magenta in color because they had been made of beets, which in a weird way made them look more like meat burgers and perhaps helped the mind feel more satisfied. The menu noted a few of the ingredients in the burgers, so I decided to try making them at home. The outcome was delicious. Seriously, friends! Try these at home! You will love them and they will help you not crave meat so much!

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgar wheat

1 bunch beets (about 4 medium beets), cut in cubes

2 cups mushrooms (I used Button but Crimini would be perfect)

2 cloves garlic

3 shallots

some scallions

2 eggs

A handful of cashews

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper as needed

Begin by preheating the oven to 425 and preparing your beets to roast by drizzling some olive oil on top. The beets will take about 45 to an hour minutes to roast til soft, so you probably have about 20 to go about your business before you need to start with the rest of the meal. Once you are ready to get started, set up the bulgar to start cooking. Pour the cup of bulgar with two cups water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let simmer like rice until the water is absorbed and the bulgar is soft and ready to eat (about 15 minutes). Roughly chop the garlic, scallions, shallots and mushrooms. Heat a glug of extra virgin olive oil on medium heat and toss in the garlic, the scallions and the shallots. Once everything is soft add the mushrooms and sauté until cooked through. By now your beets and your bulgar should also be done. Set the bulgar aside while you combine everything else in a blender or food processor. Add the handful of cashews and an egg and blend until it has about the texture of ground meat. Put in a bowl and add the second egg. Add bulgar one handful at a time until the mixture is solid enough to form into patties that stay together. Start heating your grill pan or a large sauté pan with a tiny bit of oil- these burgers won’t give off fat the way a meat burger would, so the oil prevents it from sticking. Form your patties as you would with meat and grill like usual. The cook time is about the same as it would be with meat, leaving it without flipping until the edges are cooked through. I topped ours with a little bit of shredded Gruyere to make cheese burgers and ate them with fresh brioche buns. Add some tomato and avocado and you’ve got yourself quite a burger! Enjoy!