Archive Recipe: Beet and Carrot Burgers

Until just the other day, I hadn’t made these weird little veggie burgers in years. I love them, so I missed them, but I really felt no special compunction to make them for all that. You see, and I know I’ve told you this before, I hate the taste of beets. I always have. There’s some kind of alchemy going on in this recipe, though, that renders beets not only edible, but delicious. Even crave-able.

I would never go out and buy beets to make this recipe, but I took on a winter CSA subscription this year, and my home is now equipped with beets-a-plenty. This has always been my favorite way to use up those bountiful roots, so as soon as I had the time, I made them. They are absolutely as wonderful as I remembered! I’m so happy!

There are a lot of ingredients in these humble-looking veggie patties, but no tricky procedures to follow. I just start with the food processor, which I highly recommend if you have access to one. For me it makes any recipe with this much shredded vegetables not only easier, but just plain possible. All of the ingredients get piled into a great big bowl, mixed together, portioned out on a baking pan, and baked.

I used the Chioggia variety of beets to make the batch of burgers I photographed here. They are not so bloody red, being a pretty red and white candy stripe instead. As a result, my veggie burgers were paler in color than would be accomplished with another variety of beet. 

I like to serve these burgers on toasted English muffins with dill pickles or dill relish and mayonnaise. They’re good with ketchup and mustard on a hamburger bun, too, or they’re fine nestled into a pita pocket. I think there are other root vegetables that might be able to take the place of shredded beets here, but, I’m kind of growing sympathetic toward these earthy, old-fashioned, knobs of plant flesh. Will I ever come to love them? You know, at this moment, I’m more hopeful of that than I’ve ever been.

Beet and Carrot Burgers

adapted from Farmer John’s Cookbook

2 cups peeled, grated beets

2 cups grated carrots

½ cup grated onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup cooked rice, preferably brown rice

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

½ cup sunflower seeds

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup vegetable oil

½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup flour

2 Tbs soy sauce or tamari

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all of the ingredients in a very large bowl.  Mix until completely combined.

2.  Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions.  Form each portion into a patty and place on baking pans that have been well-greased or lined with a silicone baking mat. The patties will not seem to hold together well at first, but they will solidify more as they bake.

3. Bake the patties at 350 F for 25-35 minutes, or until they are well set and beginning to brown on the edges.

4.  Serve immediately on an English muffin, on a bun or in a pita (or on a plate), or cool on pans and freeze.

To freeze the burgers, place them in a single layer on a plate or pan on wax paper or parchment paper.  Freeze until firm.  Remove from the pan and store flat in a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container, separating layers with wax paper or parchment paper.

Makes 12 veggie burgers.

Other recipes like this one: Lentil Barley Burgers; Potato and Sauerkraut Cakes; Winter Vegetable Galettes with Cheddar, Mustard, and Caramelized Onions

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

I appear to be developing a baked oatmeal repertoire. There are just so many ways to vary this warm and satisfying breakfast, and I have yet to meet one that wasn’t delicious. This peanut butter and chocolate chip version, however, may just be my favorite so far.

Really, though, what’s not to love about the combination of peanut butter, chocolate, and oatmeal (excluding allergic reactions, when applicable of course). I love it in cookies, but can’t quite justify eating cookies for breakfast, at least not every day. And so I go to this baked oatmeal dish, which is sweet and rich, and perhaps not as distant from cookies as breakfast ought to be.

It really is mostly oatmeal, which really is breakfast, and if you want, you may be able to reduce the sugar to your personal taste. I also think you could substitute other nut or seed butters for the peanut butter. Fruit purees and fruit butters might go in well, too, but I would start with this Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal recipe if you want to go that route. I like a small amount of miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you could put in more chocolate, leave it out, or replace it with dried fruit or nuts.

I know that refrigerated overnight oatmeal dishes are quite trendy, and I am curious to try them as well. While it stays this cold outside (below 0º Fahrenheit most mornings), and I keep getting weekends off from My Day Job (!!!!), I’m going to continue to warm up with some form of baked oatmeal instead. Actually, the warmth is extended by the fact that these dishes keep well for a few days in the refrigerator and can be reheated on mornings when time is more precious as well. All the more reason to try as many of them as I can!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

1 ½ cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1 egg

¼ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

½ cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray or grease it as desired. Set aside.

2. In a medium size bowl, combine the oats, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In another medium-size bowl, lightly beat the egg with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugars, milk and vanilla and stir until smooth.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the oat mixture and stir together until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared baking dish and smooth out to make it even.

5. Bake at 350 F for 35-38 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center appears set and dry. Cool at least 5 minutes. Cut into squares or scoop to serve.

Makes about 9 servings. Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated. Reheat in the microwave.

Other recipes like this one: Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal, Apple Baked Oatmeal with Walnuts and Cranberries, Cinnamon Raisin Baked Oatmeal

13 Hot Soups for Cold Times

 

I am a great maker of lists. What I’d like to become, however, is a great user of lists. When the air hurts my face and I get pinned in by blizzard conditions and lingering cold, I begin to believe that such a thing could be possible. Perhaps, with the right list I could become more than just a scribbler. Perhaps I could start by cooking (and eating) my way through a list of hot, steamy, satisfying soups.

There are many kinds of soups here, each from The Messy Apron Archives. Most are heavily vegetable based, but some have a bit of meat or are made with chicken broth. Most ingredients can be free-wheeled, switched up, swapped out, converted to vegetarian, or made meaty for carnivores. The important thing about them all is that they have the potential to nourish well and warm from the inside.

Here are the recipes and ideas I stand by throughout the winter. Most of them I return to often, sometimes making exactly as printed, other times taking advantage of soup’s flexibility.

They may take a little extra time, but creamy pureed soups like these are thick and hearty and flavorful:

Creamy White Onion Soup (above)

Spicy Carrot and Apple Soup with Coconut Milk

Chard Soup with Cilantro and Lime

Creamy Cabbage and Potato Soup

 

I love the extra nutritional boost from beans that make these soups eat like a meal:

Black Bean Soup with Salsa

Roasted Squash Soup with Black Beans and Salsa

White Bean Soup with Bacon,Squash and Kale

Chickpea and Barley Soup with Fennel and Tomatoes

Thick vegetable soups like these may help you fall in love with both vegetables and winter:

Root Vegetable Soup with Mustard

Tomato and Roasted Pepper Soup

Broth-based soups with a little meat are classic and they can be kicked up like these two to ensure a complete lack of boredom:

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Sausage and Spinach Soup

And finally, this Noodle Bowl with Spicy Greens starts with an especially flavorful broth and is composed to taste by the serving.

 

No matter how cold the weather, it’s important to be able to keep our hearts warm and help warm the hearts of others. Soups, which are not hard to make and are so easy to share, can help us accomplish that by literally warming us all from the inside out. Enjoy!