Beet and Bulgur Burgers
(All measurements are approximate)
1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten (can be found in the baking isle of a regular supermarket or at your local health food store)
1 cup chickpea flour (available at Asian, Mediterranean, Arab, Indian or health food stores)
2 medium fresh beets shredded
2 cups cooked bulgur/cracked wheat
2 Tablespoons each of granulated garlic and dried rosemary
2 teaspoons sage (I use dried leaves)
1 cup vegetable broth with 1/4 cup dark soy sauce combined
Steps:
(1) Mix shredded beets with cooked bulgur
(2) Mix Vital Wheat Gluten with chickpea flour and spices
(3) Mix flour mixture into beet/bulgur mixture and add broth bit by bit, mixing well, until the mixture just begins to become sticky or can stick together (take a handfull and press it together to see if it sticks together), at this point stop adding liquid
(-)If mixture is too dry (but it shouldn't be, but just in case!), add small amounts of water bit by bit until mixture just begins to become sticky - You don't want the mixture to get too wet!
(4) Knead the mixture until it feels a bit "spongey"
(5) Form patties and fry/grill with a little oil (helps to cover the pan with a lid) for about 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I should have added that you can also bake these from 20 to 30 minutes or until a fork inserted into them comes out clean. This recipe works best with the larger sized or coarse grained bulgur - the bulgur actually helps as far as the overall texture of the burgers, but you can use other grains if you like. You can also use other vegetables as long as you shred them or chop them very fine or run them through a food processor until they are broken down into very small pieces. The picture I uploaded shows the burgers in rye bread with lettuce, tomatoes, vegan mayonnaise and a side of tofu salad.