Homemade Veggie Burger

Ultimate flavor of a homemade of this homemade burger cannot be beat.  Using fresh vegetables, herbs, spices, and your own special mix of beans, rice and what ever else you have lurking in your fridge can be a great burger surprise.  I went rummaging through the fridge last night and found I had leftover lentils, 1 cup of multigrain rice, a small wedge of tofu and plenty of veggies to throw in the mix.  I got creative and the flavor was a 10.  The only problem was I mixed a little too much and my burgers were a bit soft.  Next  time I need to bind with a little more whole ingredients instead of pulsing so much in the food processor. 

This is not a formal recipe, because it came together on a whim, no measurements taken, but I just wanted to give you an idea of what I did.  In a preheated cast iron pan, I slightly sautéed half a diced onion, 2 stalks of celery and about 6 mushrooms. When they were almost cooked I added a clove of minced garlic and a handful of frozen roasted diced publano peppers. 

In the food processor I placed my leftover lentils, about 1.5 cups, 2 raw mushrooms, 1/4 raw onion, 1/2 cup multigrain rice, 2 tbsp. wheat gluten and 2” square of tofu.  I pulsed a few times, then added my cooked veggies along with some bread crumbs and 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast.  I again pulsed, then added some Mrs. Dash Steak seasoning, vegan  Worcestershire sauce, a dash of mustard, and some Italian seasoning. I pulsed again and tasted mixture.  Delish! 

I then formed them into soft patties and placed them on a parchment covered pan.  I placed them into the freezer for about 20 minutes before cooking them.  To cook them I heated a pan with coconut oil and cooked them  about 5 minutes on each side minutes until both sides were browned. 

I will make these again, and again, and again.  I think some oats would have firmed these perfectly, I will do that next time.