Farmhouse Veggie Burger

This morning I woke RAVENOUSLY hungry. After making dinner last night and hardly having any appetite for it, I knew I would be VERY hungry when I woke up this morning.

I woke up for a potty break at 5am. Got back into bed and realized I was hungry. Should I get a snack or make an early breakfast? Nah, I dozed off again.

I woke up at 7am and stared into Ryan’s eyes until he opened them. I pouted and told him I was hungry! He was surprised and asked me if I was usually hungry upon waking up. He knew that answer. Of course not, but today was a whole different scenario.

We promptly dressed and since I had purchased a Groupon a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to use it for a popular breakfast place in town. Hunger was satisfied and the baby girl was happy too!

Well, I hope you do not think that last night’s dinner was the culprit because it was not. On my menu plan, I had listed a veggie burger as dinner for the night so I knew what was coming. I think I stressed too much about other things I need to do.

I have been reading other mommy blogger’s posts about nesting, anxiety, and making sure everything was ready for when baby came along. I am really trying not to be in this stage. I made a HUGE to-do list just so I did not have tons of things running through my mind. Did it work? Some.

I am having to run to God even more often for comfort, direction, and peace of mind. Ryan is also awesome about reminding to take one day at a time. Hey, I am just glad I still feel like cooking, or more rather, that I am BACK to feeling like cooking.

How did I come across last night’s entree? Thanks again to Lisa @ MidwestVeg for the inspiration because she tends to find the yummiest recipes. The original recipe is prepared at The Farm Cafe in Oregon. They were featured in Food Network for their yummy selections, so you know it has to be good!

Ever grow tired of the grain-based or bean-based veggie burgers in restaurants or recipes you make at home? Well, I don’t technically, but I like variety. When I saw this veggie burger was all about eggplant, I jumped all over it.

Eggplant is such a unique nightshade vegetable with a spongey texture and bitter taste if not cooked correctly. They have lots of antioxidants, are high in fiber and is very low in calories. Who can beat that?

It took a total of 30 minutes to prepare the patties with a little refrigeration and then I cooked them on a non-stick skillet. Now the trick to this dinner option was KNOWING that Ryan was going to like them. Eggplant is not one of his favorite vegetables so I have to make sure I find interesting recipes for him to embrace. Good news? Yes, he liked them alot!

This veggie burger is going to be a regular in this house because it is so quick and delicious and can even be eaten on its own without a bun too! I added some sriracha vegan mayo, caramelized onions, and BBQ sauce to mine and it was DELICIOUS! Try them this weekend. You will not be disappointed.

Farmhouse Veggie Burger

adapted from The Farm Cafe

makes 8 patties

2 small globe eggplants, peeled and diced 1-inch cubes

(about 4 1/2 cups)

2 shallots, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1 cup shredded medium cheddar or Daiya vegan cheddar shreds

1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 teaspoon Tony’s cajun seasoning ( or ¼ tsp salt and ¾ tsp black pepper)

6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

Over medium heat, add 3 Tablespoons olive oil and sauté eggplant util gray very soft. Add the shallots in the mixture as well.

Add 3/4 of the eggplant mixture to food processor or high-powered blender and blend. Add blended eggplant to a bowl and add the rest of the eggplant from pan to the bowl.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients, except oil, and form into 8 patties. Place patties on a cookie sheet and flash cool them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

**If you want thicker patties, make into 4 patties. I felt they would break apart and making them into 8 patties were perfect with the buns we used. (Aunt Millie’s Whole Wheat Buns)

Pull the patties out of the freezer. In a sauté pan, heat 1 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil and cook three patties until shimmering hot, fry each side of patty till dark brown, about 5 minutes each side. Repeat with the rest of the patties.

Serve with caramelized onions, BBQ sauce, and any other condiments you wish. I made a green salad to accompany this burger. Delicious!