Gardenburgers your way

When I get the motivation to spend a lot of time puttering in the kitchen, I want to make something that makes A LOT so I can have leftovers for days or freeze since it’s a pretty safe bet my motivation will be gone for the rest of the week. I like Gardenburgers Original as a convenience product, but they are freaking expensive. At my local supermarket $3.99 for 4 burgers, that’s a dollar a burger! So I set out to make my own and found some copycat recipes on the web, and tweaked them to my taste. One recipe makes 6, they freeze beautifully and re-heat just like the name brand. But don’t double the recipe because I tried that once and it was a disaster of epic kitchen squalor proportions, and they came out gummy to boot.

These are also great toddler food. My 18 month old loves them re-heated and cut up into nugget sizes. They are healthy with whole grains and relatively low-fat if you use a non-stick skillet and low-fat cheeses. My husband also likes them for when he gets home late from work and can pull them out of the freezer, and have a sandwich in less than 10 minutes.

Note on bulgur: Bulgur is that yummy crunchy grain in the burgers. It is parboiled cracked wheat, and one of the ingredients in tabbouleh. I can find it in the large supermarket in the ethnic food aisle, mainly the Middle Eastern foods. It isn’t that expensive and a little goes a long way. If you can’t find plain bulgur at the supermarket you can generally find Near East Tabblouleh Wheat Salad mix, the grain in the box is just plain bulgur. Another option is looking in your local health food store bulk area.

And another note, about the rice: You really need to start cooking a big batch of brown rice once a week. In fact, I think you should make it your slightly late New Year’s Resolution right now. Why? Because it is incredibly convenient and screams you are an organized domestic goddess. Brown rice keeps well in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 days, and then you can freeze it in 1-2 cups at a time. Want a stir fry? You already have brown rice ready. Want to make a homey, vegetable stew but want to serve it over a grain? Hey, you have brown rice already in the fridge. Want Chinese take-out but can’t handle all the MSG? You already have some nice, cold brown rice ready to be whipped up into a delectable fried rice dish sans MSG and the price tag of take-out. I know some people don’t like the taste brown rice, but don’t give up. There are different varieties and some taste better than others. My current favorite is brown basmati from Trader Joes.

Gardenburgers
Makes 6
2 Tablespoons bulgur wheat + ¼ cup boiling water
16 ounces cremini (i.e. baby portabello) mushrooms, rough chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2-4 Tablespoons water or vegetable broth
2 minced garlic cloves
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats + ½ cup boiling water
2/3 cup brown rice cooked
½ cup low-fat mozzarella cheese
¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese
½ tsp salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoon cornstarch

1. Soak the bulgur in boiling water for 60 minutes. Set a timer, and when it gets to around 45 minutes in go on to the next step.
2. Heat the water or vegetable broth in a medium sized pot over medium high heat, and add mushrooms and onions. This is my way of “steaming” them. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes or so, check occasionally if you need to add more water or veggie broth. In the last few minutes add in the garlic.
3. Soak the oatmeal in boiling water for 10 minutes while vegetables are cooking.
4. Drain water from the grains and add with brown rice to a large bowl and stir well. Take about ½ of the grain mixture and add to the food processor.
5. Add vegetable mixture, cheeses, and a salt and pepper to the food processor. Pulse several times until everything is chopped really small but not pureed. Add back to the large bowl with the reserved grains, and mix well. Taste for seasonings. It may need more salt.
6. Sprinkle cornstarch over the mixture and stir really well to combine everything. This is the binder. Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.
8. Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat, and spray or lightly coat with canola oil. Shape mixture into patties about the size of your palm and about ½ inch thick. Cook to get a nice browning on patties, about 2-4 minutes each side and transfer to prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake 20-30 minutes, turning them over occasionally for even cooking.
You can eat as is, or freeze for up to 2 months. To re-heat, heat a small skillet over medium heat with a tiny bit of oil and sauté on both sides until done.