Last week I might have mentioned snow, but Vancouver is back to normal. And normal for a Vancouver winter means rain and lots of it. When I saw Jan's tweet yesterday afternoon about 2 weeks of rain in the forecast, I almost cried.
So I did what the only rational thing I could think of - I dug into the depths of my freezer to pull out a bag of frozen shredded zucchini. Trust me, it's not as odd as it sounds. You see, last summer when our CSA share was going bonkers with zucchini, I grated a whack-load to freeze for the darkest depths of winter. So for dinner I wanted winter to meet summer. Don't fret if you don't have any zucchini frozen - just pick up a fresh one from the store and grate it. Make sure to let it sit for a bit and then squeeze out any water as you don't want these burgers water-logged.
These little vegetable patties are not only wholesome and good for you, but they're a whole lotta tasty. Some veggie burgers crumble but I found that these had a wonderful texture and they didn't break apart when cooking, so they're easy to whip up for dinner. You could even prep them into patties and then freeze up a bunch for cooking later.
So throw on your favorite burger toppings and think of summertime - cuz that's what I'm going to do!
Carrot & Zucchini Vegetable Burgers
1/2 cup grated zucchini, pressed to remove water
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 small onion, grated
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 cup 10 grain cereal or ground whole oats
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon pesto
2 eggs
1 tablespoon oil, for cooking
4 slices of cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 425F.
Add zucchini, carrots and parsley together in a bowl and toss so that it gets all mixed up together. Stir in the cereal, bread crumbs, parmesan and the seasonings. When everything looks good and mixed, add in the dijon, pesto and the eggs and use your wooden spoon to get everything well-blended. It should come together to form a dough-like mixture.
Divide into 4 balls and flatten with your hands into burgers. Add oil into a large frying pan. When it's hot, place your burgers into the pan, pressing them down lightly. Flip when golden, about 3-5 minutes per side.
Place burgers on a cookie sheet and top with cheddar cheese slices. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Serve on toasted rye bread or your favorite burger buns and top with your favorite fixings.
Makes 4 burgers.
2 eggs
1 tablespoon oil, for cooking
4 slices of cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 425F.
Add zucchini, carrots and parsley together in a bowl and toss so that it gets all mixed up together. Stir in the cereal, bread crumbs, parmesan and the seasonings. When everything looks good and mixed, add in the dijon, pesto and the eggs and use your wooden spoon to get everything well-blended. It should come together to form a dough-like mixture.
Divide into 4 balls and flatten with your hands into burgers. Add oil into a large frying pan. When it's hot, place your burgers into the pan, pressing them down lightly. Flip when golden, about 3-5 minutes per side.
Place burgers on a cookie sheet and top with cheddar cheese slices. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Serve on toasted rye bread or your favorite burger buns and top with your favorite fixings.
Makes 4 burgers.
