Are you one of those who are tempted by the commercial brand meat-like burgers but are a bit worried of how 'healthy' they might be? I can't say I fall in that group ALL the time, but I do pay attention to what I put in my body. So, I created this recipe that I presented last year during my presentation at VegFest Puerto Rico: HOMEMADE HEALTHY POSSIBLE BURGER. They are quite easy to make, and delicious too!!!
Kill your burger cravings with this healthy, easy to make burger recipe. If you can't find (or don't want to use tempeh), substitute with any kind of beans you like, or with more mushrooms. The grated beets will give it that ground beef color but they won't overpower the taste... trust me!
The trick is to cook your mushrooms and onions until they are very well browned (almost charred) so you get that earthy, umami flavor out. If you have Liquid Smoke, that will help give it a more smoked meaty flavor, but you can skip it if you don't have it.
Reach out and let me know if you try this one!
HOMEMADE HEALTHY 'POSSIBLE' BURGER
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1 block of tempeh (8oz)
1/2 cup grated beets (uncooked)
1/2 cup quick oats
8oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
Salt & pepper plus two splashes of liquid smoke to season mushrooms
1/2 cup sticky white rice, cooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Oil for cooking
HOW TO MAKE IT:
If your rice isn’t cooked yet, start by doing that and setting aside a half cup.
Sauté the mushrooms and onions together until tender and well browned, almost to the point of charring. While cooking, season with salt and pepper to taste, and add the two splashes of liquid smoke.
Chop the tempeh into 1/2 inch cubes.
Add the cooked rice, the mushroom mixture and tempeh to the large bowl of your food processor. Then, add all remaining ingredients. Process until well incorporated and the mix resembles ground beef.
Divide the mixture into six to eight pieces, depending on how large you want your burgers. Shape them into patties.
Sauté patties in a pan with a bit of oil until browned on the outside.
Serve on a bun with your favorite fixings.