ISLAND BEET BURGERS WITH AVOCADO AND JERK-FRIED ONIONS
MAKES 6 BURGERS (5 MG THC PER BURGER)
VEGGIE BURGERS ARE SO VERSATILE and you can shape them ahead and freeze them, making them the perfect option when it’s late at night and you want to keep the party going without heading into the kitchen. Just bake them ahead of time and wrap them up, refrigerate or freeze them, then re-warm in the oven for a softer burger or in a skillet for a crisper one. These are loaded with vegetables, heat, spices, and so much good-for-you stuff like beans and flaxseeds.
BURGERS
3 tablespoons flaxmeal
1 tablespoon neutral oil, plus a little extra for the baking sheet
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 small beet (about 4 ounces), peeled and halved
8 ounces seitan
1 cup panko bread crumbs
¾ cup cooked black beans
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon CannaOil
JERK FRIED ONIONS
1 large red onion, sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rings
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon neutral oil
2 teaspoons Jerk Seasoning
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
FOR SERVING
1 avocado, halved and pitted
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 burger buns
- MAKE THE BURGERS: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Stir together the flaxmeal and 3 tablespoons cool water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, cumin, chipotle powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the onion and pepper start to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and once it becomes fragrant, after about 30 seconds, remove from the heat and set the mixture aside.
- In a food processor fitted with the shredder disk, grate the beet (or grate it on the medium holes of a box grater). Leave the beets in the processor and switch to the metal blade. Add the onion-pepper mixture along with the seitan, panko, black beans, soy sauce, and CannaOil. Add the flaxseed mixture (it should be thick like a gel) and pulse until the mixture is semismooth with some texture, about six 1-second pulses.
- Grease the foil-lined baking sheet with a little oil. Use your oiled hands to pack some of the beet mixture into a ½-cup measuring cup. Turn it out onto the baking sheet and gently flatten the mixture into a 3½- to 4-inch wide and ½-inch-thick patty. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Bake the burgers until they feel crisp and dry and resist light pressure, turning them midway through cooking, about 25 minutes total.
- MEANWHILE, MAKE THE JERK ONIONS: Place the onion rings in a medium bowl and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil, then toss with the jerk seasoning and salt. Add the flour and toss to combine. Pour the remaining 3 tablespoons oil into a large skillet, set over medium-high heat, and heat the oil until you see ripples in it, 1 to 2 minutes. Fry the onions until they are browned on all sides, using a fork or chopsticks to turn the onion rings often, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the fried onions to a plate lined with paper towels.
- WHEN READY TO SERVE: Place the avocado in a small bowl and smash with the salt and lime juice. Toast the burger buns cut-side down on a grill pan or cut-side up under the broiler. Spread the top halves of the buns with the avocado. Set a burger on each bottom half and top with the fried onions. Place the burger bun on top and serve.
NOTE For a burger bar, have all of the patties on a bun bottom, then line up a whole bunch of toppings—you could include salsa, hummus, honey mustard, hot sauce, Guava Ketchup, all kinds of veggies or even pickled veggies, . . . so good!
