Autumnal Cheesey Vegan Burgers!

Autumnal Cheesey Vegan Burgers

I feel a bit bad at not having posted all week! Gone are the “I’m too busy to think” days and instead I have the “try all those creations I’ve been saving all Summer” days! Already in my September photo file I have over 30 delicious healthy, free from, vegan foods to share… I just need the time (& energy) to turn them into read-worthy blog posts! 🙂 Any offers of help accepted! 😛 The thing is I like doing both! I like creating scrumptious new recipes – the trial and error – the sampling – the tweaking – the perfecting. Then I love sharing my inventions with you all, “trying” to get good photos and checking everything is perfect before posting! I’ve even managed to set up a facebook page (www.Facebook.com/LifeDietHealth) and I have a few boards on Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/LifeDietHealth)… although I still have a LOT to learn about blogging! Tips and advice always welcome! 🙂 For now, while I get my head around whether I should be cooking from the lovely fresh vegetable box which was delivered this morning… or if I should be concentrating on taking better photos and getting more posts out (I started off posting daily)! here is a lovely healthy Autumn burger recipe with an optional ingredient variation for different textures! 🙂 I think these are so great I’m sharing them at Deborah’s Plant-Based Potluck Party! 🙂

Gather

• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 6 tablespoons cold water
• 300g courgettes finely grated
• 300g carrots finely grated
• 100g radishes finely grated
• 3 cloves garlic (15g) grated or finely chopped
• 300g baked butternut squash (or pumpkin)
• 50g walnuts roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) I use Pink Himalayan
• 1 teaspoon onion flakes
• 14 teaspoon nutmeg
• 14teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of cinnamon
• optional 200g oat flour or 200g quinoa flakes or 200g polenta

Prepare

1. Mix the chia with the water and set aside.
2. Put the courgette, carrot, radish and garlic in a bowl.
   

   My food processor has a fine grate blade… this looked so yummy like this I had to eat some! 🙂

   

   Don’t you just love all the gorgeous colour in here!

   

   All mixed together, ready for the next addition.

   Add the squash and combine all the ingredients together (messy but fingers work best!)

   

   Add the cooked squash to the grated vegetables.
3. Stir the walnuts through until evenly incorporated.
4. Sprinkle over the yeast, paprika, salt, onion flakes, nutmeg, pepper and cinnamon. Gently combine.
5. Add in the chia mix and ensure it is thoroughly mixed in.
   

   Lastly add the chia mix and gently bind it all together.
6. The burger mix is now ready. You can make it into burger shapes (I used a presentation ring press) removing any excess liquid. This made 16 good sized burgers.
   

   Vegan burgers ready for baking. Nothing else added.
7. If you would like the burgers to have a bit more substance I have tested three different binders- oat flour (blitz porridge oats until it’s flour – GF if required), quinoa flakes (blitz to a flour) and polenta. Choose oats or quinoa for a denser burger, or polenta for a lighter crunchier burger – add to the mixture, combine thoroughly then shape.
   

   A tray of mixed burgers ready for baking.
8. Bake at Gas Mark 5 (375f / 190c) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

• These are best eaten immediately 🙂
• Store covered in the fridge for up to three days.
• Sandwich between your favourite bread with salad and sauce.
• Eat with a fresh mixed salad and houmous.
• Create a delicious burger stack or tower.
• Try with a grain such as millet and some crisp vegetables.

Crunchy polenta vegan burger.

Delicious cheesey style vegan burger…nothing added.

Burger trio. From the bottom: Vegan oat burger. Vegan polenta burger. Vegan burger.