Botanical Burger

This recipe is the first homemade vegetarian burger I ever tasted, and to this day it remains to be one of the best! Thank you Bergie! I was blown away by the delicious taste and definitely impressed by the number of fresh ingredients used. It has become a favourite of mine, and whenever I have guests to impress, this is a recipe I can count on. Although it looks like a ton of work, once the initial prep of the veggies is completed, it goes quite quickly. This recipe comes from a restaurant called Rebar in Victoria, British Columbia.Enjoy!

Botanical Burger
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrot, grated
1 cup turnip, grated
1 cup zucchini, grated (water squeezed out)
1 cup beets, grated
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried dill
1 tsp cracked pepper
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup hazelnuts, roasted
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp parsley, minced
2 tbsp minced tarragon
Fresh bread crumbs (optional)

Lime Tarragon Mayonnaise
1 cup regular mayo
Zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp minced tarragon

Heat oil in a wide bottomed pan, and sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic, grated vegetables, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat stirring regularly. Transfer to large bowl and cool.

Place cooled vegetables, rice and hazelnuts in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely combined.

Transfer to large bowl and mix in all of the remaining ingredients. Season to taste.

Take a handful of the mix and test it to see if it holds together. If not, add breadcrumbs 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture firms.

Shape into patties (I used a 1/2 cup measure) and sauté in olive oil until browned on both sides.

While patties fry, stir together the mayo ingredients and assemble your favourite burger condiments.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Makes 6 patties.
4 weight watchers points plus each*

* calculation made using 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Mexican Quinoa Bake

Mexican food is full of fresh ingredients and flavours. I love how there are tons of possibilities for vegetarian cooking. Not only is this recipe delicious, it is also high in protein and fibre. I first tried out a similar recipe in one of my favourite cookbooks, Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. This is my version.

Salsa
1/2 medium red onion, diced
3 medium vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt

1 cup uncooked quinoa
I- 540 mL can black beans, rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (fresh if in season or frozen)

Seasoning
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Fresh Veggies
I medium zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
I medium green jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped

I cup jalapeño jack cheese, grated

Start by mixing all of the salsa ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside; allow flavours to mix while preparing the other ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

In a medium sized saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa to a boil. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 10-12 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

While quinoa is cooking, start chopping the veggies. Combine all vegetables together in the bottom of the casserole dish and spread evenly.

Once quinoa is cooked, add the black beans, corn and spices to the saucepan. Stir until mixed thoroughly.

Place the quinoa mixture evenly over the vegetables in the casserole dish.

Spread fresh salsa over top of quinoa mixture. Top with grated cheese.

Bake for 25- 30 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately and top with your choices of cilantro, salsa, tortilla chips, freshly squeezed lime juice or sour cream.

Cut into 12 pieces – 3 weight watchers points plus per piece (without additional garnishes)