walnut burgers

one of my road trip vacation stops last year was at beans & barley in milwaukee, wi. there was a really delicious walnut burger on the menu, and our server kindly explained that it was inspired by a little hotel in trempeleau, wi. the next night, on our way to minneapolis, we decided to stop in trempeleau. it was the quaintest little hotel - no tv, no phones, shared bathrooms etc. it was almost like a bed and breakfast (without the breakfast). it was the coolest little place to stay, and home of the apparently famous walnut burger. although their version isn't vegan, i came home with the express intent to re-make it vegan friendly.

the finely ground walnuts replace bread crumbs in this recipe and give it a serious flavour boost.

• 2 cups cooked short grain brown rice
• 1¼ cup finely ground walnuts
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1½ tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

it's important that you use short grain brown rice in this recipe as it provides a much stickier texture than long grain rice. make sure it's cooled down to room temperature. combine all ingredients except for walnuts and rice into a medium mixing bowl. mix into a dry crumbly paste and incorporate the rice. the rice and paste should combine to be a pretty thick and sticky mash. last, fold in the ground walnuts.

you should be able to create about 5 1/2-inch patties.  these don't really firm up like a standard veggie burger, but the flavor is phenomenal.  just be gentle when cooking them and you shouldn't have any problems.

fry: grill in a non-stick skillet with about 1 tablespoon oil for about 10 minuets on each side.
bake: on a greased cookie sheet, bake at 375°f for 15 minutes on each side.  i've also baked them in an oil-rubbed cast iron grill pan.
grill: heat grill to medium and use a non-stick olive oil spray to prevent sticking. grill for 10-12 minutes on each side.

spicy adobo vegan burgers

i thought i made the ultimate spicy burgers back with these puppies.  but the second i was in the store and spotted the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, i knew i had met my match.  we've only grilled them up a few times, but if you are looking for some serious heat, bookmark the recipe below. i found the can of peppers in the regular market, but i've also seen it in ethnic grocers as well.  these burgers are spicy - no lie - so be sure to use lots of condiments to help temper the heat.  and if you are heat lover like me, i promise you'll appreciate the extra kick (and yes, i did add extra jalapenos).  happy independence day!

• 1 cup cooked millet
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1 can black beans (2 cups)
• 3/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 can (3.5oz) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs

simmer 1/3 cup dry millet in about 1 cup of water for about 25 minutes (stirring occasionally and adding water as needed).  after the millet is done, put it in the fridge to let it cool for at least an hour. it really enhances the stickiness of the grain. if i plan ahead, i usually cook it the day before i make these burgers and just leave it in the fridge overnight.

once millet has cooled, combine all ingredients in the food processor.  check your peppers for stems first, and be sure to add about half of the adobo sauce as well.  if your millet is still slightly warm, you may have to add a little more flax or bread crumbs.  after pulsing for 10-15 second, use the mixture to make about 6 normal sized burger patties. then prepare your favourite way - i like grilling mine for about 15 minutes on low-medium heat so the outsides get all crispy. yum!  be sure and spay or rub a little oil on the grill first to prevent them from sticking.

chipotle tabasco thick burgers

as i have blogged about before, i am a huge heat-freak. i love spicy food and usually have at least three or four different kinds of hot sauces around. recently, tabasco has come out with a couple new sauces, and i'm totally addicted to the chipotle one. it's not as spicy as the original, but it lends fantastic flavour to these veggie burgers. also, be sure and use short grain brown rice, as it is much stickier - i'm not sure how well these would hold up with the regular long-grain.

• 1 can black beans (15oz)
• 2 tablespoons hickory bbq sauce
• 3 tablespoons chipotle tabasco sauce
• 3/4 tablespoon vegan hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons beets, minced
• 2 teaspoons beet juice
• 1 tablespoon jalapenos, minced
• 1/3 cup oat bran or ground flax
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups cooked short grain brown rice
• 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

in a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cups uncooked brown rice and 1¾ cups water to a boil. stir once, cover, and turn the heat to low. simmer for approximately 35-40 minuets, keeping an eye on the water level. when finished, pull the rice off the stove and uncover. *note: this will make just a little over 2 cups. i actually measure out 2 cups for the recipe, but you could add it all in, with maybe a dash more liquid.

while rice is cooling, drain black beans and put in a large mixing bowl. mash the beans with a fork or potato masher - they should be mashed well enough to stick together. add rest of ingredients except the rice and wheat gluten. mix thoroughly, and then add the rice and wheat gluten. mix once or twice more, just enough so it's incorporated.

spray a 8x11 casserole dish with non-stick spay. using the mixture, form individual patties and place in dish. the mixture will be wet and may seem like it won't stick together well. if you can't get patties formed, you may need to add some more bread crumbs. try to keep the mixture fairly moist for cooking though.


preferably, place the patties in the refrigerator to set up. you can baste them with bbq sauce or more tabasco if you'd like. it's best to let them chill for at least a half an hour before you bake or grill these.

to grill: if patties are chilled (preferable), first bake patties in casserole dish at 350°f for 10 minutes. then grill on top rack of grill for 15 minutes on medium grill heat. if patties are at room temperature, you can move straight to grilling.

to bake: place casserole dish in the oven and bake at 400°f for 35 minutes, flipping once.