Last Nights Dinner 11.10.09

Not your average Burger:
Sweet potato and tofu veggie burger with caramelized brussels sprouts

So Kev is a simple food kinda guy- I think he could eat a burger for every meal of his life. His taste have def. grown since we started dating/being married and he eats and enjoys pretty much everything I cook. Anyways, I don’t eat burgers nor do I really like any fake frozen burger out there. I usually make my own black bean burgers but I wanted to try something else this time. I found this recipe and was pretty excited to try it.

I have never eaten brussels sprouts before I don’t think, but seeing that I am madly love with greens like kale, bok choy, etc… I knew I would love them! I just hadn’t gotten around to cooking them before. I searched around for some recipes and decided to do something that would caramelize them a little. Everything was delicious and the left over patties worked great heated up and placed in a salad for lunch the next day.

Sweet Potato Tofu Burgers:
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons potato starch
1 pound firm tofu
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
2 tablespoons minced chives
3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Place a steamer basket in a medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, and add sweet-potato cubes. Steam until fork tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Set aside. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Spray skillet with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, curry powder, and cumin. Stir occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. If the onion begins to dry out or burn, add 2 tablespoons water. Stir in tomato paste, and cook another 2 minutes.

2. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add the sweet-potato cubes and the potato starch. Pulse until onions are finely ground, about 1 minute.

3. Rinse and drain the tofu. Wring out any excess liquid; the tofu should have the texture of ground meat. Place the tofu, sweet-potato mixture, brown rice, chives, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients together. Using your hands, shape the mixture into four 3 1/2-inch-round patties.

3. Return skillet to medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Place patties in pan, and cook until golden on bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip patties over, and cook until golden on other side, another 5 to 6 minutes. Serve warm on whole-wheat buns.

Brussels Sprouts:
Ingredients
Brussels Sprouts
Balsamic Vinegar
butter
Sugar
1/2 red onion chopped
Dried Cranberries
Golden Raisins
Almond Silvers

1. Place Brussels sprouts in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover saucepan and steam 8-10 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are tender yet crisp.
2. Melt a little butter in a deep skillet, add the onions; cook until onions brown.
3. Add the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle with sugar. Saute over medium heat until the Brussels sprouts are lightly caramelized. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and then the almonds, cranberries and raisins. Stir and cook a few more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve

MMmmm!!!