I am a dyed-in-the-wool meat eater, but I have a firm place in my heart for a well-made veggie burger.  I’m also a cheapskate and a tightwad, and can’t abide paying the price of boxed veggie burger mixes or pre-made frozen patties.  I am above all else resourceful, so I can make my own.

Veggie Burger Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups each dry (uncooked) chick peas, lentils, brown rice, soybeans, split peas, and rolled oats
• 3/4 cup each bread crumbs and cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons each baking soda, vegetable broth powder, onion powder, powdered dried mushrooms, and garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2/3 cup flavorful liquid (vegetable stock, tomato juice, clear soup, etc.) per serving

Pulse all ingredients (except liquid)  in a blender or food processor until mixture is completely powdered.  Store in a zip-top bag in the freezer until ready to use.

When ready to use, combine 1 cup dry mix with 2/3 cup boiling liquid.  Stir and let stand for 15 minutes.  Form into patties and cook in a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat until burgers are cooked through and outside is crispy.

A 1-cup recipe makes 4 patties; the entire batch makes 48 patties.

Note: For softer burgers, or to stretch the recipe, reduce liquid to 1/2 cup and stir in 1/2 cup silken tofu after the mixture has rehydrated.  Add a few drops of soy sauce and a pinch of ginger with the tofu for an extra kick.

This recipe originally appeared on my personal blog in October 2004.

Image by Sierraromeo via Flickr.

I am a hardcore bread fanatic. Wheat, sourdough, deli rye, potato — even the plasticine white sandwich bread you can buy for $0.69 has its place in my heart. I tried for a number of years to make my own bread, but ended up with more hockey pucks than dinner rolls. One day I decided to experiment by combining bits and pieces from several different recipes, and struck gold with this.

The use of coarsely ground wheat flour adds extra texture and depth to these rolls; if you can’t find it at your grocery, it can be had from most bulk suppliers and health food centers.

Honey Wheat Hamburger Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups white flour (all-purpose is fine)
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups coarsely ground wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 2 eggs, eaten and at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons very hot water
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups of each flour and set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Immediately add yeast mixture, salt, eggs, and 1 cup oil to flour. Mix until dough comes together, adding remaining flour if needed. When dough holds its shape but is still loose, turn out onto a well-floured board and knead for ten minutes, or until the dough is elastic and smooth.

Wipe the inside of a large clean bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a draft-free place until the dough has doubled in volume, about 45-50 minutes. Punch down the dough and recover. Let the dough rise again. This second rise will take less time (about 30 minutes).

Punch down dough and cut into 12 equal portions. Sprinkle cornmeal on your baking sheet. Form each dough portion into a round bubble, and set them on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Cover the rolls with a damp tea towel and let them proof until double, about 20 minutes.

While the dough is proofing, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl or mug, whisk together the hot water and honey to make a glaze. When the dough has finished rising, remove the tea towel and gently brush the top of each roll with the glaze. Bake for 20 minutes or until the rolls sound hollow when knocked. (Mind the glaze when you’re knocking — melted sugar makes for nasty burns!)

Transfer the rolls to a cooling rack. Allow to cool and split for hamburgers, or serve warm as large dinner rolls with butter.

Makes 1 dozen rolls.