“Bacon” Cheddar “Hamburgers”

A lovely, meatless meat burger with meatless bacon and very not vegan cheese...on a bap!

For the veggie cooking class yesterday I made up this vegetarian meat burger recipe after I saw the cover of a recent Gourmet magazine that touted a manly meat burger. It's bold picture and minimalist recipe of mainly just ground beef, cheese and bacon challenged me to try and vegetarianize it! Meat eaters don't seem to care for it all that well, but I guess it's just one of those examples of the fact that I haven't eaten meat in 8 or 9 years...probably don't remember what it is supposed to taste like! But vegetarians seem to enjoy it - well I've only tested it on me and Michael so far...

“Bacon” Cheddar “Hamburgers”
Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet April 2008

Servings: 4

Time: less than 30 min active and total

Price: <$20.00 total; about $5.00 per burger

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories: 382

Protein: 35.1g

Fat: 12.9g

Saturated Fat: 6.0g

Carbohydrates: 22.5g

Fiber: 0.9g

Cholesterol: 29.8mg

Sodium: 1,993.4mg

5oz package veggie bacon

¾ (10oz) - 14oz tube of ground veggie beef

¾ (10oz) - 14oz tube of ground veggie sausage

½ tsp salt and pepper, each

2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp vegan butter, melted

4oz sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 4 slices

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until browned.

2. Mix together the beef, sausage, salt, and pepper. Form mixture into four patties about 1- ¼” thick.

Heat large nonstick skillet or grill and coat with cooking spray. When it is hot, place burgers onto surface. Brush with melted butter.

4. Cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes on each side, brushing with butter frequently.

5. Top the burger with cheese during the last few minutes of cooking, if using.

Mickey likes it!

Baps - British Hamburger Buns

Yesterday I taught my second cooking class at the Davis Food Co-op: Homemade Veggie Burgers. This recipe is for baps, the British version of a hamburger bun. Although these are a bit flatter and denser. I make homemade ones with my bread machine and add healthy things like whole wheat flour and flaxseed. The picture above is one of my baps sandwiching a nice pinto bean burger from a recipe I posted on Vegetarianized! in January.

Baps

Servings: 10

Time: 30 min active; 3 hrs total

Price: <$2.00 total; about 20 cents per bap

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories: 181.5

Protein: 6.5g

Fat: 1.0g

Saturated Fat: 0.2g

Carbohydrates: 37.6g

Fiber: 3.3g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 236.4mg

2/3 cup soy milk

2/3 cup water

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp rapid rise yeast

Bread Machine Method:

1. Warm water and milk to 100-125 degrees and put into the bottom of the bread machine pan/bowl. Put flours on top. Level the flours and make three shallow wells: two in opposite corners and one in the center. Put the salt and sugar in opposite corners and the yeast in the center. Cover each lightly with flour.

2. Put the bowl in the bread machine and set on dough cycle.

3. When cycle is finished, remove dough and divide into 10 equal portions.

4. Take one portion and shape into a ball. Roll it into a 4"x3" oval. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. Spray two baking sheets covered with foil with cooking spray. Put five baps on each sheet, cover with cooking spray covered plastic and put in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until the baps are almost doubled in size.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. When dough has risen, remove plastic and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Turn onto wire rack to cool.

Non-Bread Machine Method:

1. I haven't made bread from scratch much, but to do it here I think you would warm the water and milk and dissolve the yeast in it letting it sit for 10-15 minutes.

2. I think then you would add the remaining ingredients and kneed until smooth, which takes about 10 minutes or so. Then let rise for probably about an hour in a oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap somewhere warm.

3. Go to step 3 above and continue on.

The Challenge For Charity "Veg Dinner for 8"

The folks that bought the "Veg Dinner for 8" at the Graduate School of Management Challenge for Charity event in February called in for home delivery. I came up with a "Doce de Mayo" theme since we picked May 12th to do the party. Lots of yummy Mexican fare, including:

• Chips and Dips: Homemade Tortilla Chips, Salsa Verde, Salsa Cruda, Guacamole, Homemade Refried Beans with Cheddar
  
• Chile Peanuts
• Mains: "Chicken" Enchiladas, Tacos with Picadillo
• Taco Fixin's: Radishes, Queso Fresco, Cheddar, Lettuce, Sour Cream, Tomatoes, Jalapenos, Cilantro, Lime
• Salad: Jicama, Tortilla, Strawberry (after I discovered my mango was so ripe it turned to mush, thanks guys)
• Mexican Rice
• Desserts: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Chile Cinnamon Truffles, Candied Jalapeno
• Homemade Sangria

It was kind of dark so Michael didn't take too many pictures, but here are the ones he did snap.

My helper in the kitchen.