This is the first pear dish I shall feature - the appetizer. Here, the pear stars in the condiment on top - the pear ketchup. It sounds a little different and unorthodox, but using pears rather than tomatoes to make a ketchup yields a sweet, pleasant result. The appearance is more like applesauce than ketchup, but the taste is sweet and tangy. There are strange foods like bacon jam and pineapple relish, so why not pear ketchup? The ketchup is the only condiment you will need for these bite-sized, miniature burgers; no mustard or relish required!
These burgers are actually based upon challah bread, a sweeter, rich bread, but when sliced as it is here, it works for these burgers. You could of course use miniature hambuger buns instead, but I think these special burgers require a fancier bread. Toasting the bread is definitely a smart step as well. The actual burger itself is literally just bacon crumbled together with blue cheese. Surprising, but with just two ingredients, these burgers pack a lot of punch - no further seasoning required. The texture is surprisingly pleasant and satisfying too, you would think you are biting into a pork patty. Pear and pork pair well together. These miniature burgers also have a short cooking time - a quick sear in a skillet and finished off in the oven.
The pear jam is a mixture of pears and onions, sautéd together until soft, then combined with some apple juice, vinegar, and seasoning. The mixture is then puréed until smooth. These burgers then just need a few simple garnishes - a leaf of arugula, a cherry tomato half, or a little extra blue cheese.
Burgers. A classic summer food. I love veggie burgers. I am not a fan of meat burgers. I can tolerate chicken burgers. Time to try something different - fish burgers. Although not typical, these can be really tasty when done right. It is possible to use a fillet of fish, either plain or breaded or battered and fried, but you can also use "ground" fish as well, formed into patties. It is much like chicken burgers, where you could use a chicken breast or ground chicken. There are many different types of fish burgers - crab, haddock, even scallop burgers. This is a salmon burger. Fish burgers may be made with canned fish, but the flavor is so much better with real fish fillets, even if they are frozen. There burgers are tasty and moist.
Salmon Burgers
1 pound salmon pieces or fillets, skin and bones removed (we used frozen wild Pacific)
1 small onion, grated
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons dry bread crumbs
salt and pepper, to taste
Grease grill and preheat to medium-high.
Cut salmon into chunks. Pulse it in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Shape into four 2 cm thick patties.
Place patties on the grill, close lid, and cook for about ten minutes, turning once. A thermometer should register 158◦F.
Notes: You may add a little minced parsley, a squirt of lemon juice, a dash or hot pepper sauce, or other flavor enhancers to the patties.
This recipe is evenly multiplied. We used three pounds of salmon to make 12 patties.
These patties are fairly soft and crumbly, more like veggie burgers, since they are fish patties and not meat patties. They should be handled gently and carefully so they will stay together.
I have been wanting to make, or at least try, falafels for quite some time now. I think the word is just so fun to say! For those of you who aren't sure, falafel kind of rhymes with waffle, and is not pronounced fall-a-fell. Falafels are essentially a Mediterranean-style veggie burger made with chickpeas and enriched with Eastern flavors, and served in a pita bread with vegetables. This version is not deep-fried like some traditional versions, rather this is an incredibly quick and healthy version. It only makes two servings, but quantities can easily be increased. It makes a nice light meal or a nourishing snack. The recipe could also be used as a simple veggie burger recipe.
Falafel
olive oil
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
1/2 Tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
salt and pepper to taste
whole wheat pita breads
tzatziki
desired garnishes - fresh vegetables, cheese, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice
Heat a little oil medium skillet over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, mash together all falafel ingredients. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to put all the ingredient in, get your hands in there, and mash. It's also fun.
Form mixture into four small patties. Brown in the skillet, a few minutes per side, until golden and cooked.
To assemble: Spread two pita breads with tzatziki. Sprinkle with chopped baby spinach. Place the falafel patties on top. Garnish with cherry tomato halves. Or, use you favorite garnishes and flavorings.
I think my version with tzatziki and spinach and tomato is colorful and extremely tasty. Then again, I've never tried anything else. Tzatziki is a Greek sauce made with yougurt, cucumber, parsely, and lemon. It really adds some nice flavor and is a great source of calcium. The pita could be followed over and eaten like a sandwich, or just as is.
These were supposed to be veggie burgers. Unfortunately, not everything in the cooking world works out perfectly, especially when relying on recipe websites where any user may post a recipe, and most of the recipes have not been tested and reviewed by many people. Oh well, the recipe sounded good, and it was definitely a learning experience. It wasn't a complete failure either. The burger mixture was much too soft to grill, let alone form into burgers at all, as planned. But there was nothing wrong with the mixture, so I just fried it up and cooked it as if I were scramble-frying ground beef. The mixture cooked well, and I just served it on the buns as if it were sloppy joes. The great news? The taste was quite good, and the recipe is quick and easy to prepare, and may be made in advance as well.
Hey - in this picture you can barely tell it isn't a real burger!
Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
1 medium carrot
1/3 cup oats
1 can (14 ounces) black beans
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
Grate the carrot in a food processor. Add the oats and beans and pulse to combine. Add remaining ingredients and process until combined, but be sure not to purée and make the mixture too mushy. Chill mixture for at least 45 minutes. If you can form it into patties, great! If not, just scramble-fry in a little oil in a pan over medium heat for about ten minutes. Serve on buns. Makes 4-6 servings, and leftovers keep well too.
Does anyone else ever get tired of hamburgers? Okay, maybe it's just me, but I was never a huge fan of hamburgers to begin with. So I get bored of having them a lot, even though we don't eat them all that often, although more so now that it is barbecue season. To me though, a burger is just a burger, and I am not a meat lover anyway. Now veggie burgers on the other hand, there are a wide variety of different types of veggie burgers, and you can add many different flavors to them so you never get bored and each one is different. There are soy burgers, bean burgers, quinoa burgers, pumpkin burgers, tofu burgers, lentil burgers, and more. But a really different type of burger, that is probably also one of the easiest to prepare, is a portabello mushroom burger. Technically it is simply just a vegetable, but when grilled properly, it is thick and juicy with a meaty texture. All you need to do is buy some portabello mushroom caps, and maybe trim them and wash them a bit. Then brush them with oil, spices, or sauce as you would like, and grill them. They cook quickly too, only a few minutes per side. Then slap them on a bun and add toppings as you would for any burger. It's a great vegetarian alternative to burgers, and cheaper,quicker, and easier. My father grilled a few for me after I complained about having burgers, yet again.
Here are some homemade veggie bean burgers I made. This was my first time making veggie burgers (or any type of burger at all actually). There are so many vegetable burger recipes out there using so many different ingredients! I didn't know whether to make a tofu burger, a bean burger, a vegetable burger, a potato burger, a mushroom burger, or a grain burger. Veggie burgers often contain some form of soy based protein or beans, along with some vegetable fillers, often onion, carrot, and celery, and a grain to bind it together, such as flour, quinoa, brown rice, or breadcrumbs. Many veggie burger recipes don't use egg because they are also vegan recipe. Most veggie burger recipes contain a bevy of healthy, and often strange or expensive, ingredients, such as quinoa, brown rice, lentils as fillers; as well as a slew of vegetables, including corn, pumpkin, squash, and spinach. You can also just grill a portabella mushroom cap, and eat that like a burger. I have had a few of these "burgers" before, and when done right, they are very tasty and have a nice, meaty texture. For my first try, I decided to take the basics of a simple recipe I found online, and alter it as I pleased. I settled on a simple bean burger recipe with chili sauce to give it a bit of kick. I haven't tasted many veggie burgers, so I don't know how good this one was, but it certainly had flavor, and a texture I liked, soft and moist with a crisp exterior.
Chili Bean Burgers
1 can (540 mL) white kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Tablespoons finely shredded carrot
1 large egg
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Mash the beans in a bowl with your hands. Mash them to your preference - more if you like a smooth-textured veggie burger, less if you like some texture. Add in the onion and carrot, then add the remaining ingredients and mix well, using your hands if necessary. Form into patties (I got five from this recipe). These can be wrapped in waxed paper and refrigerated until needed, or cooked immediately. They can be fried in a pan of oil at medium heat for about 10 - 12 minutes, or grilled on the barbecue for 10-15 minutes. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings.
