QUICK BURGERS
I developed these burgers in a hotel room, so they’re quick, easy, and require very few ingredients. (In fact, except for the beans and a seasoning packet, I sourced all the ingredients from the complimentary “breakfast bar.”) I make these burgers any time I need a super-fast meal or I’m really low on ingredients.
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
cup instant oats
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, mash black beans with a fork until mostly pureed but with some half beans and bean parts left.
4. Stir in condiments and spices until well combined, then mix in oats.
5. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into thin patties.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip over, and bake for another 5 minutes or until crusty on the outside.
7. Slap onto a bun with extra condiments and eat!
SNEAKY CHICKPEA BURGERS
For those of you that need to sneak veggies into your kids at every opportunity, here’s an easy way to get some in! Our girls have NO idea that these burgers have both carrots and red pepper . . . and I’ll keep it that way for a while.
1 cup disc-cut carrots
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 medium-large clove garlic
2 14-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
1 tablespoon tahini (optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves or ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup rolled oats
1. In a food processor, process carrots with bell pepper and garlic until crumbly and broken down.
2. Add remaining ingredients except rolled oats and process through. Stop processor a few times and scrape down, then continue to process until smooth.
3. Add rolled oats and pulse through.
4. Remove bowl and place in fridge to chill mixture for about 30 minutes. Be sure to chill; it really makes the burgers easier to shape.
5. After chilling, take out scoops of mixture and form burgers in your hands.
6. To cook, place patties on a nonstick skillet (that has been wiped with a touch of oil) over medium or medium-high heat.
7. Let cook on one side for 7–8 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Flip and let cook for another 5–7 minutes on the other side.
9. Serve on buns with fixings of choice!
Alternatively, these patties can be baked at 400°F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, though I prefer the sear and texture that pan-cooking offers.
BARBECUE PORTOBELLO SANDWICHES
These sandwiches remind some people of pulled pork, but since we have never eaten a pulled pork sandwich you couldn’t prove it to us. They are still great though, no matter what you call them.
1 cup fat-free barbecue sauce
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, chopped
6 whole-wheat buns
1. Place the barbecue sauce in a bowl. Add the minced chipotle and mix well. Set aside.
2. Place the onions and mushrooms in a large nonstick sauté pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring almost constantly with a spatula to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. The onions and mushrooms will take on a golden brown color.
3. Pour the barbecue sauce over the onions and mushrooms and mix well. Decrease heat to low and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
4. Split the buns and warm them, then ladle the barbecue mixture over the buns.
5. Top with your choice of garnishes. Serve open face or close up the buns and eat the sandwiches with your hands.
Try topping with coleslaw, tomatoes, sliced onions, and lettuce. (Shredded cabbage tossed with rice vinegar and lime juice makes a delicious stand-in for coleslaw.) Or try topping with sauerkraut and mustard.
PORTOBELLO WRAPS WITH SPICY ASIAN SLAW
This is one of my favorite lunches. Sometimes I grill the mushrooms whole and make a burger out of it, but usually I eat it like this.
½ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
4 cups coleslaw mix
½ red bell pepper, diced small
1 large jalapeño pepper, minced
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 medium portobello mushrooms, sliced ½-inch thick
1 medium yellow onion, cut into ½-inch slivers
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 10- or 12-inch whole-grain tortillas
1. Combine the vinegar, rice syrup, and soy sauce in a medium bowl.
2. Add the coleslaw mix, red bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, green onions, and cilantro, and mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and yellow onion, and cook, stirring frequently, for 7–8 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. To make the wraps, lay each tortilla flat on a surface and divide the mushrooms between them. Spoon some of the slaw over the mushrooms and roll each tortilla up.
If your tortilla does not roll without cracking, warm it in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes to soften it.
ADZUKI BEAN TACOS SEE PICTURE ON PAGE 123
Adzuki beans taste a little like black-eyed peas. Their sweetness makes them a versatile bean that you can use in any number of dishes. They are one of my favorite beans, and this recipe is one of the ways I like to eat them most. The tangy slaw provides great contrast to the sweetness of the beans.
1 medium onion, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
Sea salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 cups cooked adzuki beans
8 6-inch corn tortillas or taco shells
4 cups Cilantro-Lime Slaw (p. 220)
1. Sauté the onion over medium heat for 6–7 minutes.
2. Add the jalapeño pepper, garlic, tomato, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.
3. Let cook for 10 minutes, then add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until heated through.
4. To serve, spoon some of the bean mixture down the center of a tortilla and top with some of the slaw.
5. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
TACO SEASONING
Keep a batch (or five) of this seasoning on hand for quick and easy meals like tacos. Skip the store-bought packets full of preservatives and anti-caking agents and season sautéed vegetables, cooked legumes, grains, and more with this flavorful combination of spices.
Dry zest from 1 lime (optional)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons fine ground sea salt
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1. This is an optional but tasty step, so I recommend it—zest 1 lime. Place the zest either in a small dish on a sunny windowsill, dry in a dehydrator, or an oven heated to 175°F for about 10–15 minutes until all moisture is gone.
2. Toss all ingredients in a bowl until well mixed.
3. Store in a cool, dark place in an airtight glass container.
If adding zest, make sure it is 100 percent dry. Water attracts mold and mold will ruin your spice mix.
BLUE CORN CHICKPEA TACOS
Everyone loves these tacos. I’ve managed to get my parents, my best friend, and just about everyone I know hooked on them. They’re also one of the most popular recipes on my website, Happyherbivore.com.
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
¼ teaspoon granulated onion powder
teaspoon cayenne powder
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
Oil-free blue corn taco shells (see Tips)
Arugula or lettuce
1 salad tomato, diced
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Whisk soy sauce, juice, and spices together, then combine with chickpeas in a bowl, stirring to combine.
4. Transfer to cookie sheet in a single layer.
5. Bake for 20–40 minutes until chickpeas are as crisp as desired.
6. Spoon chickpeas into taco shells and top with greens and tomatoes.
To make your own baked taco shells, preheat oven to 375°F. Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Drape each tortilla over two bars of your oven rack and bake until crispy, about 7–10 minutes.
Try serving with arugula, fresh tomatoes, and a tiny dollop of vegan sour cream on top.
LENTIL, KALE, AND QUINOA TACOS
This is an updated version of one of the most popular YumUniverse.com recipes. I’ve received countless comments over the years, especially from the herbivore mamas out there, claiming that when they make these tacos for the family, kiddos and husbands happily mumble with mouths full of seconds, “. . . if all vegan food tastes this good, I’ll never eat meat again!”
Blue corn taco shells
FOR THE FILLING
1 cup dry quinoa
½ cup dry lentils
cup Taco Seasoning (p. 133)
2–3 large leaves kale, stems removed and chopped
FOR THE TOPPINGS
Fresh cilantro leaves
1–2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced
Fresh lime wedges
1. Soak quinoa and lentils in two separate bowls of water overnight (8–12 hours).
2. Rinse quinoa well and place in a pot. Fill pot with enough water to cover quinoa by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce heat to medium. Cover pot and cook for 10–15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat but leave lid on pot for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
3. Repeat step two using soaked lentils.
4. While the filling cooks, wash cilantro well and remove leaves. Slice avocado in half lengthwise, remove pit, remove fruit from rind, and slice into pieces. Slice lime into wedges.
5. While cooked quinoa and lentils are still warm, fold in taco seasoning and chopped kale leaves. Stir well until heat wilts the leaves. Warm over low-medium heat if necessary.
6. Toast taco shells according to manufacturer’s instructions.
7. Load shells with avocado, filling, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, and serve warm.
Wrap up this taco filling into steamed collard greens or gluten-free tortillas to make burritos.
To make a tasty taco salad, just toss recipe with loads of greens and a squeeze of lime.
Some health food stores now carry sprouted quinoa and lentils—skip the overnight soaking if you can find them.
Boil quinoa and lentils with chopped kombu and/or add dulse granules to the filling for extra trace minerals without detectable sea flavor.