Recipes for Shabbat

Vegetarian Burgers

By Eileen Goltz

You may want to make a double batch of whichever recipe you choose. They go fast.

LENTIL WALNUT BURGERS (pareve)
A little time consuming to make but the crunchy nutty flavor is a really delicious and is very filling.

Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is gone. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, add vinegar, and mash well. Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except bread crumbs or wheat germ, and sauté 5 to 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the sauté and crumbs to the lentils and mix well. Chill for about an hour before forming patties. Form 4-inch-diameter burgers. Fry in a small amount of hot oil on both sides until heated through and crispy on the outside, or broil for 5 to 8 minutes on each side.

NOTES: You can sauté the vegetables while the lentils cook. The burgers
can be made up to several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator
until just before cooking. Uncooked burgers can be individually wrapped
and frozen. Defrost before cooking. Makes 4-6 burgers.

TEX MEX BLACK BEAN BURGERS (pareve)

Optional: salsa, guacamole, lettuce, tomato

Put beans, onion, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, egg, bread crumbs and cilantro in food processor. Process, adding more bread crumbs as needed to make a mixture dry enough to form into patties. Shape into 8 patties. Patties may be made a day ahead and refrigerated to allow them to set well. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties and fry 2 minutes per side, turning once. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining 4 patties and cook. Place each patty in a hamburger roll and serve with salsa and guacamole, if desired. Makes 8 burgers.

BBQ BURGERS (pareve)

Process the walnuts in food processor and place them into a bowl. Process the rice until it is "mince" and place it in the bowl with the walnuts. Set the mixture aside. In a skillet sauté the onion in the oil until they are tender but not browned. Add the cooked onion to the walnuts and rice in the bowl and add the vegetarian bacon bits, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper and garlic powder. Add enough flour to make a mixture to help form the patties. Start with a couple of tablespoons and add flour until you get the right consistency to hold things together. Place the patties on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. These can be made a day ahead of time. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a skillet and fry the patties for several minutes, turning occasionally. Serve on a bun with barbecue sauce and pickles. Makes 2 burgers. This recipe can be doubled.

EGGPLANT AND CHICKPEA BURGERS (dairy)

Peel eggplant and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt to expel excess moisture and take away bitterness. Let drain for at least 30 minutes. Place a large nonstick skillet sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon. of the oil to the pan. Once oil is hot, add the diced eggplant, onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cook until eggplant is tender and onions are translucent. Turn mixture into a large bowl and let cool slightly. Place drained chickpeas in a small bowl and mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork until coarsely chopped. Add to the eggplant mixture. Coarsely chop sun-dried tomatoes and add to the eggplant mixture. Using your hands, mix Parmesan, bread crumbs, and black pepper into the eggplant mixture. Mixture should just hold together. Form 6 patties. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, cook the patties in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil until lightly browned on each side, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve on lightly toasted buns with lettuce and tomato. Makes 6 burgers

SPICY BLACK BEAN BURGERS WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE (pareve)

In large bowl, combine beans, onion, parsley, garlic, jalapeno peppers, 1/3 cup flour, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper, mix in egg white. Coarsely mash mixture into a thick chunky paste, or process in food processor. Mix in the bread crumbs, if necessary, to make firm mixture. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours for the flavors to blend. Form the bean mixture into six patties, lightly coating them with flour. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and then preheat it until it's hot. Cook patties until brown, 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Serve on hamburger buns with Cranberry Sauce. Makes 6 burgers

Cranberry Sauce
1 cup cranberries; fresh or frozen
1/4 cup brown sugar; packed
1/4 cup celery; chopped finely
2 tablespoon onion; chopped finely
1 tablespoon ginger root; chopped finely or 1 teaspoon dried ginger
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoon water
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In small saucepan over high heat, combine all ingredients. Bring to a
Boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve cold. Makes 1 cup relish.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.